#school systems

I hear folks complain about Standardized Testings and Homework all of the time. Personally, I had found Homework worse as it's a daily struggle (even on weekends!) and it often to me a lot of time to finish. Especially when in Middle School or High School. And may heaven help you if you were one of the few students who actually did the assignment as the teacher ain't gonna be happy with the students who didn't.

For some reason, I don't recall Standardized Testings giving me as much stress. Maybe it's because I was an IEP student, maybe it's my brain blocking those bad memories out or because, when testing it just felt more...calmer. I can't explain it.

The class rooms are quiet, you get to go home early if you're done soon enough (though I would take too long a couple of times...), and the teachers gave you permission to eat snacks and chew gum. I even got introduced to the musical, "They're Playing Our Song", due to a part of the script being a part of the exams.

THAT being said, I know the testings are torment for students and teachers alike. And it doesn't do much good for the class environment as the testings require you to take in your lessons and spit them all out rather than actually learning the said lessons effectively.

Still, which do you think was Horace Mann's biggest mistake; Standardized Testings or Homework?

for example

format: (age) / (Norwegian Bokmål) / (Norwegian anglified) / english / English 2 (sidenote: no I will likely mix up British and American so I'm not trying)

0-4 / barnehage / child garden / kindergarten

5-12 / barneskole / child school / primary school / elementary school

13-16 / ungdomsskole / teen school / middle school (?) / secondary school (?) / lower high school (?)

16-19* (usually, at least for study-specialized, can redo at this stage) / videregående skole (vgs) / furthercoming school / high school / upper High School (?) / secondary school (?)

20+ to infinity (though you only get study loans until you're 30 afaik) / høyskole & universitet / high school & university / college & university

please correct me if anything is wrong (especially where I put question marks). and yeah ask any questions

and yeah for furthercoming school in Norway you can do many different kinds and therefore people for the first time might be a different age to their classmates (because of switching direction). you can take it in more years if you're mentally ill.

you can also take work-specialized school which usually is 5 years: 2 years in classrooms and 3 years as a (paid) apprenticeship or whatever you call it (you can also do all 5 years as an apprentice with one day a week of school).

So naturally, I go and research.

Now what was I researching? Well, I wanted to find out how the american school system works. You know, basic shit. How many years are there, how old you have to be for each one, what years are part of middle school, which are high school, bla bla. You get what I mean.

So, I search it up...

Why am I getting results for the one school system I already know? The one I already fought my way through? Not to mention under 'high school easy explained'. Bitch we don't have a high school!

We have four years to learn the basics and then get sent to one of three options (+ a few extras) depending on our grades in fourth grade and then either go through hell for another five, six, eight or nine years (fucking gymnasium schools not being able to make up their mind)

The closest we have to high schools, at least in terms of how many grades exist, is what we refer to as a 'gymnasium' in german, not to be confused with the english version of it. That gym would either be called 'Sporthalle/Turnhalle' when in reference to school or 'Fitnessstudio' (God, that is way too many 'S' after one another) Although there could be some other similarities I'm not aware of, since I didn't attend one, I went for the middle ground and had six extra years in a secondary modern school (Also refered to as a 'Realschule' in german)

Thank you for coming to my mess of a rant, I'm going to bed.

“If they keep killing themselves like this, people will stop paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a second-grade education.”

[I’m sorry, maybe i shouldn’t be so blunt. Maybe I should put it lightly: they’re just attracting scandal. But that’s not the truth though, is it.]

Today she asks:“When was a time when you felt truly happy?”

I decide not to answer her question. “There are too many to count,” I tell myself. But in truth, I can’t remember.

[The days are blurring together like the oil painting I never got to finish - mixing, dripping, breathing, like a psychedelic dream in which every washed-out rainbow is a collection of the things I wish I could say.]

I hope you understand what I’m saying. This is not about depression, or anxiety, or coronavirus. This is about school systems that exploit their students, driving them to the edge of a cliff and then stopping, daring them to jump over.