School gets in the way of children learning how to trade and engage in commerce. It simply takes up too much time towards the useless end of grades.
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Keching 
Eug (commented on fb to this post):
I disagree. School facilitates the learning of trade and prepares children to engage in commerce in the world today. It is a useless focus on grades as an end that gets in the way.
Me:
Oops I shouldn’t have used “trade” and “commerce” because it suggests the institutional level. But don’t use big words some may not like it ah :p
I rephrase: school gets in the way of children learning to sell products and services, which is the founding block of entrepreneurship. Eg, it is better if more kids are selling preowned sports shoes and apparels, pens and pencils etc to schoolmates rather than study endlessly.
This post is meant as part of a broader discussion on whether the command or free market economy is better.
Eug:
Hmm… I think you need to elaborate then. At the moment, it sounds like you are presenting a false dichotomy springing from a particular notion of “school”.
Me:
False dichotomy between? Can rephrase your statement? Paiseh.
Eug:
I am talking about your example: “it is better if more kids are selling preowned sports shoes and apparels, pens and pencils etc to schoolmates rather than study endlessly.”
That is, you are excluding the possibility of schoolchildren developing a knack for selling items to their schoolmates, while also expanding their knowledge and understanding of the world around them in school.
Me:
It is possible. But I wouldn’t merit such exceptional occurances solely to the institution of the school. As kids we studied, we participated in compulsory ECAs, we had remedial classes. Simply put, where got time? This is another way of rephrasing my original post.
Furthermore, it takes a certain level of maturity and 见识 to be engaging in commerce in school. If a kid makes money in school by selling things, I’ll think it more likely as a rub off of the old block because of influence from a family business at home.
Else, predictably, middle class parents would expect their children to focus on studies rather than trade and commerce. And most kids do study only, don’t you think? I hope I don’t make complex this discourse by introducing the family variable into it.
Eug:
“I wouldn’t merit such exceptional occurances solely to the institution of the school.”
I did not “merit such exceptional occurances solely to the institution of the school” :)
“As kids we studied, we participated in compulsory ECAs, we had remedial classes. Simply put, where got time? This is another way of rephrasing my original post.”
Is this lack of time due to “school”, or due to “the useless end of grades”?
“Furthermore, it takes a certain level of maturity and 见识 to be engaging in commerce in school. If a kid makes money in school by selling things, I’ll think it more likely as a rub off of the old block because of influence from a family business at home.”
I agree, but I think that that level of maturity is required in and out of school to engage in commerce. School is not detrimental here.
“Else, predictably, middle class parents would expect their children to focus on studies rather than trade and commerce. And most kids do study only, don’t you think?”
They also play and do a host of other things that they would have done instead of trade and commerce. Everything that a child does other than trade and commerce takes up time that could have been spent on trade and commerce. This does not mean that they necessarily “get in the way” or must leave no time for such activities. Consequently, I think that pinpointing “school” as a culprit is unfair.
Me:
Errr, are you agreeing with me? “They also play and do a host of other things that they would have done instead of trade and commerce.” School has to fulfill that role of inculcating trade and commerce habits precisely because students are unlikely to engage in trade and commerce on their own. But schools aren’t teaching those in school.
Eug:
Yeah, in that aspect I agree with you.