So, based off the article, I don't agree with the idea of letting children at that age choose to drop topics because they aren't interested.<p>a) Interest often is triggered as you learn more about the subject.<p>If the argument is, it is the teachers responsibility to make topics interesting, I'd buy it. But allowing children at that age to drop topics seems like (to me) a disservice to the child<p>b) There are topics like history, geography, civics that (I believe) every child should learn. School is not just for trade skills, it's for learning to function as a part of the society, and these subjects are indispensable for understanding the larger world.<p>Having to run an "economy" or work in groups is not a suitable replacement for these "ideas" and skills.<p>In addition, at the risk of coming across as a traditional disciplinarian, I think there is merit in teaching children the discipline of forcing oneself to learn even when one is not interested in a topic. Ignoring the "it builds character" nonsense, the initial steps in most new things can seem tedious. But learning the basics allows one to explore a much larger world and choose what to develop mastery in.<p>Allowing such subject choice at such an young age, eliminating large parts of social sciences, etc. deprives children of these vital perspectives and opportunities, IMO. And being comfortable with tedium is important in its own right. That should not be the only thing one learns in a school (and I know that thats unfortunately too common in most schools), but doing away with it altogether is equally counter productive..<p>Student choice and voice can be incorporated in multiple ways, without eliminating entire subjects altogether..<p>Plugging one of my mentors here:<p><a href="https://www.ted.com/speakers/kiran_sethi" rel="nofollow">https://www.ted.com/speakers/kiran_sethi</a><p>What she has accomplished I think is a far more valuable contribution.<p>(Disclosure: I worked with her and designed the school's middle school (primary & middle school) science curriculum. )<p>Edit: added link to TED talk and subsequent disclaimer.
I wish the next thing he did was a factory to "build" these schools. I am afraid the world's education system is stick in the XIX century...