The Month of October: The Right to an Education

Hello, beautiful readers!

October is my favorite month of the year. I love the autumn atmosphere, I love the symbolism and the holidays, and I love that it signifies the turning of the wheel and the start of a new year– in my religion, that is.

By this point, most young people in North America are a month in to their school year. They're in the groove, packing their brains with new information and trying not to fall asleep during the boring part of class.

Been there, done that. I have the school merchandise to prove it!

But elsewhere in the world, kids and young people aren't in school. Maybe their parents can't afford it, or maybe it isn't legal for girls to attend, or maybe there isn't a robust formal education system where they live.

But of course, that's elsewhere. Things are different here in North America, right?

The right to education is often taken for granted here, but it really shouldn't be.

There are alarming trends in schooling – religious homeschooling, unschooling, underfunding and even charter school scams – that leave kids without the basic knowledge necessary to succeed in life.

We've got underpaid teachers, private schools cutting corners, discrimination and non-standardized curriculum that leaves kids from different regions with wildly different ideas about history.

The reading level here is terrible when you look at the resources that should be available.

We're going to be discussing all that and more this month. Free subscribers can look forward to reading about how schools are funded, why girls around the world often aren't treated as a priority for education, and the alarming trend of unschooling.

Paid subscribers get all that, plus two episodes of Unfiltered. We'll be discussing the difference that a good teacher can make, contrasted with the damage of a bad teacher. I'll be including some personal experience from my own childhood, so look forward to me getting annoyed all over again at my local school system.

We'll also have a discussion about the modern-day issue of having police officers stationed in schools, both in the United States and Canada. Buckle up, because I have plenty to say.

This month is going to be fun. Happy October!

Solidarity wins.

If you want to add to your library, consider checking out the World-Weary Reading List. If you purchase a book through one of the affiliate links on this list, I will be paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The World-Weary Reading List

This is a list of books that I recommend to my readers on World-Weary. These books cover social issues and important topics about human rights.

Sam Woods

If you enjoy the Weary Missive, consider becoming a paid supporter! Keeping World-Weary going is hard work, and I'm incredibly grateful to all those who offer a few dollars a month to help me keep the lights on. 

All paid subscribers gain access to Unfiltered, my bi-weekly podcast, where I let my hair down and let my rage flag fly about current events. Be prepared to hear me curse like a sailor. 

If you want to help in another way, you could spread the word by sharing my posts on your social media and telling your friends about World-Weary. Word of mouth is the only way that this community grows.