I feel like we get to the point^^ It always takes so long in forums

So you learned how to learn for yourself by studying not on your own, but in an academic area (or sorrounding - not too sure if that's a good translation), where you were questioned, and learned how to reason. Is that correct?

Let's assume this "area" (may it be parents or university) wouldn't have been there, would you be able to learn for yourself the same way or would you have problems about that? Who taught you how to use dictionaries?

Remember psychology is one of the sciences where you probably learn the most to question things and go to the real core of a problem. So I reckon this really is a great base to learn more things.

Several decades ago it was noticed that people learn far more in far less time when they study a subject they're interested in on their own than if they take part in a formal educational program ... Lots of research was done on this and a formal educational system, called inquiry based learning, was produced based on this research. Essentially, it takes a subject that a student must learn and allows them to learn it in relation to a subject they're interested in, for example a student could learn about statistics based on sports-statistics or videogame sales. Even with inquiry based learning, a motivated individual still can learn far more about a subject they're interested in from self study than they ever can from a formal educational program.

No I learned by reading.

Even before I went to college I learned more from self learning then i ever did school.

Partially because I was already ahead of the curve. 

I knew how to read before Kintergarden.  Thanks to my Parent.

I also knew how to Add Subtract and Multiply before Kintergarden.

Etc.

Also.... parents?  Since when are parents.... teachers?  You keep trying to exapnd your arguement to include things that are not teachers.

Parents aren't paid to teach their children.

You are right, but if you come from an enviroment, that doesn't support your learning efforts and doesn't give you any hints what to learn you won't learn at all. An educational program is supposed to give you an overview on all topics and the methods to get deeper. Good teachers will assist you in finding out more about the things your most interested in. To get deeper, that's what you actually do in university afterwards. But if you don't have a basic overview, you might get stuck in some point or need more time to go forward, because many disciplines are connected.

Anyway got to go, will come back to this entertaining thread tomorrow. Happy easter!

I put the parents in just to know more about your situation, to be able to discuss with you better.

Just in short for today: No educational enviroment - no basics

So many would be cut of be able to learn how to learn just because there parents don't care. That's what teachers are for then. They shouldn't, but we are not living in a perfect world. Still your parents might not know about all topics, and still some can't teach you how to learn. You probably heard about physics first in school, so that gave you the chance of learning more on that later

You're correct. Schools, in Canada at least, are [only now] beginning to lean toward this approach. The child essentially chooses their own curriculum (with guidance and some direction depending on the childs' ability). Discovery over knowledge. We're still quite a long ways away, though. It's at the point where it's all that is taught in education programs (all I heard my entire year in education was - constructivism, constructivism, constructivism) and it's beginning to sprout in some province's Science curriculum.

It really is a win-win I for both the teacher and the student. It's much easier to help motivate a student to learn about statistics if they can pick their own context and it's especially beneficial to the student in several ways: If motivated, they will become much more effecient and independant learners; and more may actually like learning than they do now.

Once someone is taught to read and taught basic mathmatics they are equipped with all they need to learn unless they are special needs students.  A vast majority of parents care enough about that to do so.

Plenty to ensure society wouldn't collapse unlike your claim.

A vast majority I would argue care enough to teach their children stuff as well... and a vast majority more would be even more inclinded to do so if they knew they were the forefront of child education.  Rather then teachers.

A parent may not know a lot about physics but they know what it is.

We have libraries where people can learn about tons of stuff they've never known about before.  It's just a matter of picking up a book on something you've never heard before and giving it a shot.

I'm not saying teachers are useless or anything... but society would last without them if they had too....

Just how society could last without just about every profession.

Agree with everything, especially the bolded. Unfortuantely though, although I would agree that the vast majority would be inclinded to do as you say, there are still so many who believe that teachers are solely responsible for their childrens' education. Certainly, it's not so prevavlent that society would collapse if teachers were to disappear, but a sad reality still.

I know none of this is really pertinent to the discussion and I know you're not saying otherwise, but I thought I'd throw it in there. A lot can be said about the 'hidden' curriculum as well. Many things are learned at school that could never be derived from a book... some good, some bad, some invaluable.

No socialist has said that since 1870.

Socialists want equal opportunity, not forced equality for everything.  The obvious way to do this is with socialized education (anybody can go to school and have the opportunity for improvement), and socialized healthcare (everyone gets proper healthcare so they live better lives, live more productive lives, and dont worry about their health putting them on hard economic times).

They we are good. Everyone in the US has the opportunity for improvement though our education system, and everyone has access to proper healthcare.