Live data from Hacker News

Let Teenagers Sleep

scientificamerican.com

181–190 of 497 posts

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#181

Its a common misconception that the goal of Education System is to educate. It's not, and the system will never accept 'improvements' that run contrary to it's purpose. In actuality education system serves four purposes: One: make both parents avaliable for the job market. For that it must supervise children during work hours, to make sure they aren't getting in trouble, drugs, or worst of all, into politics and prot…

I argue that the school's purpose is to educate. These effects you describe are merely incidental to the process of education. It's not about producing disciplined workers for an industrial era, it just a story we concoct after the fact.

Now, could we reform the system? I supposed we could, but society relied on a set of assumptions on how schools work. If you need to implement reforms, you cannot focus on school systems in isolation.

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#182

The real blame for early high school is extra-curricular sports. Basketball, Football, etc. For those sports to thrive, teams need to practice, in order for practice to be efficient, it needs to be at least an hour. So 2 hours are allocated (suit up, practice, suit down). In order for children to be able to commit to 2 hours extra of their time BEFORE their parents get home (5pm), class would have to end by 3pm. Now,…

This is exactly why. We've been at our administrators for years and the response always is "the bus routes" but in reality it's because of the sports schedules. High school sports is a drain on the educational system, plain and simple. It lacks equity - an disproportionate amount of money is spent on very few children. The football coach in our HS has a Vice Principal title, so he doesn't have to teach classes but kn…

It's weird to discuss children as turning them into something profitable

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#183
post #15

This post on the front page was SO timely for us! My son (16) was feeling very sleepy and tired the past week. On Friday he took a brief nap at 5pm, but woke up next morning, after 15 hours. This morning when I went to wake him up at 6am he just couldn’t make it so I let him stay at home. This never happened before.

[dead]

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#184

Its a common misconception that the goal of Education System is to educate. It's not, and the system will never accept 'improvements' that run contrary to it's purpose. In actuality education system serves four purposes: One: make both parents avaliable for the job market. For that it must supervise children during work hours, to make sure they aren't getting in trouble, drugs, or worst of all, into politics and prot…

Thinking everything is a conspiracy is giving the assholes too much credit.

The education system is an education system. It's bad because it's underfunded, mismanaged, and pulled in multiple directions for political reasons, not to mention occasionally tasked with impossible jobs, such as keeping a roomful of emotionally disturbed children going in the same direction using only one underpaid teacher and a couple para-professionals. If it were actively designed to be malicious, it would be a lot more competent.

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#185

Its a common misconception that the goal of Education System is to educate. It's not, and the system will never accept 'improvements' that run contrary to it's purpose. In actuality education system serves four purposes: One: make both parents avaliable for the job market. For that it must supervise children during work hours, to make sure they aren't getting in trouble, drugs, or worst of all, into politics and prot…

My dad is a teacher, and each day when dropping my off for high school he used to say "be careful, it is an institution out there."

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#186
post #44

As a teenager I was diagnosed with "ADD". Very intelligent, but unable to focus or complete assignments. My life habits were carb heavy unhealthy food (from the cafeteria), soda, lack of sleep due to long school commute, not much exercise As an adult, I eat no carbs, all meat and vegetables, I work from home and sleep in as far as I need every night. My thinking is laser sharp. They tried to medicate me with all sort…

> My guidance counseler suggested I dont attend college, just a community college (despite the fact that I got admitted to a decent state school) What's wrong with guidance counselors in American high schools? Why do I keep hearing about them giving kids incredibly stupid advice?

I think I talked to guidance counselors twice during my entire high school career, and neither time came away satisfied, but had friends who were in and out of their offices on the regular without complaint beyond the usual ones you'd expect from teenage boys.

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#187

Its a common misconception that the goal of Education System is to educate. It's not, and the system will never accept 'improvements' that run contrary to it's purpose. In actuality education system serves four purposes: One: make both parents avaliable for the job market. For that it must supervise children during work hours, to make sure they aren't getting in trouble, drugs, or worst of all, into politics and prot…

I dunno man, pre-civilisation and education wasn't exactly much fun either. I'd rather be a part of the system that basically gives us everything from food to iPhones and the Internet than fight against it (while avoiding predators in the wild). This is not to say that education, especially for boys and young men couldn't be made considerably better.

The older I get the more I'm realizing "pre-history", "pre-civilisation" are very Western European Concepts.

Like when the Conquistadors "civilized" mexico Or when the Portuguese and French "civilized" West Africa.

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#188
post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh? Sports can practice before school. And high school athletes don't need parental supervision. School hours are set by transportation needs, as you already observed.

> Sports can practice before school Hilarious, given the original thread. School already starts far too early.

No such thing as too early. Our public HS swim team used to do the water part at 6am then cross training (running or weight room) after school. Probably because of pool availability

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#189
post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh? Sports can practice before school. And high school athletes don't need parental supervision. School hours are set by transportation needs, as you already observed.

> Sports can practice before school Hilarious, given the original thread. School already starts far too early.

They're saying that, rather than having school from 8am to 3pm and sports to 3pm to 5pm, you could have sports from 8am to 10am and school from 10am to 5pm, for example.

In other words, have the students who do optional activities come in early rather than stay late. Then only some students come in early instead of all of them.

Re: Let Teenagers Sleep

#190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly why. We've been at our administrators for years and the response always is "the bus routes" but in reality it's because of the sports schedules. High school sports is a drain on the educational system, plain and simple. It lacks equity - an disproportionate amount of money is spent on very few children. The football coach in our HS has a Vice Principal title, so he doesn't have to teach classes but kn…

It's weird to discuss children as turning them into something profitable

When college costs six figures, you hope to break even. And that's a whole different ball of wax in America.
Post reply on HN