why alternative education

Jay Topp
May 15, 2024

Hey friend,

You may wonder why we need an alternative education, to what is commonly available.

Here’s the reasons that are most apparent to me:

Traditional education is a 300 year old system designed to for the purpose of creating compliant soldiers who take orders without question in battle.
It’s expensive, six figures plus in the United States, Australia, Canada. And although it is free in a lot of Europe or close to free, I would suggest that is it even more expensive for the europeans. In the lifetime of taxes they pay to cover it, but even more so in the time they spend in these institutions. It’s not uncommon for a typical German to spend the majority of their 20s in these institutions, that is a far too valuable piece of life. It is also expensive in regards to the programming you receive around money and what is possible for your life, that will restrict your income for the rest of your life.
It denies the innate genius of the individual. It places these authorities on pedestals they do not deserve. Students are being taught by people who never created and did anything great or courageous in their life. Our greatest minds are not becoming teachers. Teaching positions (on average) attract security & comfort seeking, under-achievers.
No space. Education should be all about space to experiment, discover, explore, instead traditional education fills students calendars so they don’t have a second to scratch themselves, let alone consider what they want to create with their life.
Its coercive. No human being with their own will and in their right mind would ever come to the conclusion that school & university is how they would like to spend the first 25 years of their life. It’s complete coercision, manipulation of our children.
It’s unconscious. The vast majority of the ideas, attitudes, beliefs and habits being passed down from generation to generation in the school system are mostly unconscious. Nobody is stopping to consider if they are good ideas, if they are true, if they work- they are simply replicating the old memes. Conformity without question is the religion.
Unearned respect. The old system demands respect and elevation for no reason other than the fact it is an old system.
Technology is innovating at a rapid pace, these old institutions move at turtle speed, by the time they implement any meaningful change, something new is here.
State approved curriculum. The government has to approve the curriculum these schools teach. Including how they present history, economics, and everything else. Education should be free from the influence of the government.
Its an unhealthy environment. The typical school / university is not setup for physical thrival of humans. From the desks, the classrooms, the food, the time seated, lack of sunlight.
Kids take on all the shit from the other kids. Its not just the shitty ideas from the teachers you have to worry about. Its the shitty ideas from the parents of the others kids in the school, that get embodied in their children and then spread around school.
The system ultimately breeds obedient wage slaves, and slowly beats the soul & creativity out of the individuals creative expression. The world needs courageous entrepreneurs, not dependant rent seekers.

There’s a lot more, but this is a start.

-Jay

Jay Topp is a 24 year old writer, marketer, film maker & self-led educator originally from Australia, now based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. You can see his films here. Instagram here. And his business website here.

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