Do You Know Any Teens Who Don’t Like School?

By Joel Hammon

As part of my job, I talk to a lot of people — at farmers' markets and community festivals, strangers on the street — and usually I start the conversation by asking, “Know any teens who don't like school?” People usually laugh. I can only assume that’s because teens not liking school is right up there with death and taxes.

Also predictable are the responses parents give when their children tell them that they don't like school: “You have to go to school. Even if you don't like it, it is good for you in the long run. How else do you expect to get into college, get a good job and be able to support yourself and your family? People who don't go to school flip burgers, get addicted to drugs and end up in the gutter.”

The conventional wisdom holds that school is necessary to learn and to lead a fulfilling and successful life. Many kids after all find traditional school to be satisfying and useful — I certainly did– but many others do not.

But what if the conventional wisdom is wrong?

I ask the people I meet to consider a different life for teens. What if teens could still learn and make a life for themselves, even if they didn’t go to school? What if they could spend most of their time and energy doing what they love instead of being forced to focus on what they do not like or what they are not good at? What if they had zero busy work and instead filled their days with activities they find meaningful?

When I tell people this they’re generally interested, but maybe a bit skeptical. So I’ll continue: what if young people could set up internships and volunteer opportunities with experts in the local community to learn what various careers are really like before they spend tens of thousands of dollars switching their major five times in college? How about kids deciding to take a break and go for a walk on a beautiful day without being tracked down for truancy or traveling for a life-changing experience (or a routine family vacation) and not returning to a mountain of missed assignments?

I tell parents that their kids can do all of this while being part of a caring community of other teens and adults to mentor them on this more independent path. That they could use the time otherwise spent on homework to write a novel, record an album, build their own computer, design a video game or tackle any other project they felt passionate about. That they can start college earlier by taking classes at the community colleges at 16 or 17 if they so choose or they could take free online classes offered by some of the best colleges in the country.

The good news is that all of this can be reality and is possible right now – today – if a teen wants it. Teenagers can leave school legally and make the kind of life they want for themselves. And there are organizations all over the country (including right here in Bucks County) that are re-imagining how education can work for our young people and providing them with the freedom, flexibility and support to leave school and find the right path for themselves and their family.

The simple truth is that the traditional educational system is no longer the only way. To learn more about how to turn frustrated teens into excited young men and women, do a Google search for my colleague Ken Danford’s TEDx talk at Amherst College or take a look at Ken Robinson’s talk on schools and creativity. I promise you’ll be amazed at the opportunities present for teenagers who just do not like school.