“School is a waste of time!” What Christian parents can say in response

Over the last couple of decades, various socio-economic, political, and cultural developments have contributed to the advanced and complex world we now live in. One of the outcomes of this transformation is that the world of work has undergone a structural overhaul, emerging as a landscape that includes all kinds of new and novel professional choices and career paths. Against this backdrop, one of the colossal questions is: does school still hold the key position it once held in contemporary society? More importantly, what do we say to the significant proportion of young people who think that school is a waste of their time?

School sucks!

While various factors are undermining the provision of good quality primary and secondary education (such as the current staff recruitment and retention crisis), of greater concern is the attitude of many young people towards school (Proverbs 17:16). Some contemporary research has found school to be the greatest contributing factor to negative mental health outcomes among some young people in Years 5 to 13. It has also shown that school enjoyment can be extremely low at times.

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The cries against onerous school rules, homework stress, and the pressure to succeed in exams are perennial. Young people are also bemoaning the lack of sufficient support for mental health and special educational needs (SEND)—a burden that is proving overwhelming for many schools. As if this weren’t enough, the steady rise of professions that seemingly require less formal education—as well as apps like ChatGPT—have led many young people to question the value of formal education and hard work.

For many, school simply doesn’t make sense. Why go? Why try?

Against this tide of apathy, it is essential that parents help their children understand the value of school—and of education in a broader sense.