Few would dispute that education plays an important role in shaping personalities and academic ability. Yet, the moment the number of school years becomes a filter for judging the suitability of a whole educational curriculum, the line between education and robot production begins to blur. Therefore, there is little consensus on whether everyone should stay at school until the age of 18. Although I acknowledge the importance of education, I firmly believe that there should not be any standards for the age of graduation.
My argument for alterable ages of graduation or dropping out aligns with the adage that we cannot put everyone in the same box. It is true that everyone possesses divergent speeds of learning, developing, and adapting. Launching a one-size-fits-all age for all students is nothing less than setting up mass robot production, where every robot is designed to reach maturity at the same time. Furthermore, the motivation to further education varies according to strengths and awareness. Forcing students to pursue unwanted education can waste financial resources on crushing their self-confidence and constricting the growth of their non-academic talents. For example, many students have to continue their education because their parents want so. Instead of taking advantage of their innate strengths and climb their gifted ladder, they have to spend years digging into subjects for which they would rather cry than enjoy.
Setting a standard age for graduation can be likened to saying that advanced education is the only key to success. We all agree that those who excel at learning likely benefit from smoother career paths in this knowledge-driven society. That being said, the reality check reveals that top-tier successful businessmen have sometimes given official education to acquire more practical skills in real life. A proper education system does not have to create academically complete students; rather, its function is to equip students with enough academic and soft skills to prepare them for the upcoming challenging life; it should respect students’ choices when it comes to education continuity.
I believe one of the drivers for the given conviction is that children need 18 years to reach the age of maturity. Under such an age, their awareness of legal responsibility has not been complete, for which they are more likely to cause trouble for their parents and others. Requiring children to go to school not only provides them with an environment where moral standards are well instilled in their mindset but also prevents ill-aware individuals from engendering social chaos.
In essence, I fervently stand up against setting a standard age for graduation because everyone is different and education should not be mandatory – it is our choice. While denying the practicality of this policy, I also call for some movement that tackles the fact that only educational institutions can prevent ill-mature children from causing trouble for our society.