What's the point of required reading?

moved from the thread "Do you help your kids with homework and reading assignments—and why?"
tihonsee

Alright, let's just step back for a second—what is the actual point of assigned reading anyway?
What's the grand design behind it all?

Mastering critical reading, analytical reasoning, and logical deduction... even diving deep into the history of humanity itself.

brisktiger56 said:
moved from the thread "Do you help your kids with homework and reading assignments—and why?"
tihonsee

Alright, let's just step back for a second—what is the actual point of assigned reading anyway?
What's the grand design behind it all?

It's about learning how to read and truly understand things—developing critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis skills. It helps with mastering our own language and others, too. But honestly, the best part is letting your imagination run wild and getting lost in different eras and worlds.
Plus, you pick up bits of human history along the way, depending on the book.

If you're wondering why certain titles are picked as "required" instead of just letting kids choose whatever they want, it's because those books are considered landmarks in literary history. That alone makes them worth studying in an English class.
Another huge reason is that, let's be real, most kids probably wouldn't pick up a book at all if it wasn't assigned. 😬
Sadly, even with assignments, a lot of kids still skip the actual reading and just hunt down summaries online.

edit: To answer the main question here, I don't do my kids' homework or required reading for them. I want them to learn how to be independent and responsible. I'll help if they ask, but I won't do the work for them. And that goes for more than just books.

Daniel Gomez10 said:It's about learning how to read and truly understand things—developing critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis skills. It helps with mastering our own language and others, too. But honestly, the best part is letting your imagination run wild and getting lost in different eras and worlds.
Plus, you pick up bits of human history along the way, depending on the book.

If you're wondering why certain titles are picked as "required" instead of just letting kids choose whatever they want, it's because those books are considered landmarks in literary history. That alone makes them worth studying in an English class.
Another huge reason is that, let's be real, most kids probably wouldn't pick up a book at all if it wasn't assigned. 😬
Sadly, even with assignments, a lot of kids still skip the actual reading and just hunt down summaries online.

edit: To answer the main question here, I don't do my kids' homework or required reading for them. I want them to learn how to be independent and responsible. I'll help if they ask, but I won't do the work for them. And that goes for more than just books.

The goal is for them to memorize a quote and actually understand Ernest Hemingway or Tennessee Williams by the 6th grade.

Yet, by high school, they can't even figure out how to turn on a computer—they shout patriotic slogans without having the slightest clue about history or politics, and they're so naive they'd get mugged on a street corner in seconds for lacking basic survival instincts.

As for me, I developed my imagination and a wide range of skills through gaming—from age three until now—rather than through fairy tales, bedtime stories, or those meaningless pieces of American literature that, quite frankly, haven't benefited anyone.

David Torres6 said:The goal is for them to memorize a quote and actually understand Ernest Hemingway or Tennessee Williams by the 6th grade.

Yet, by high school, they can't even figure out how to turn on a computer—they shout patriotic slogans without having the slightest clue about history or politics, and they're so naive they'd get mugged on a street corner in seconds for lacking basic survival instincts.

As for me, I developed my imagination and a wide range of skills through gaming—from age three until now—rather than through fairy tales, bedtime stories, or those meaningless pieces of American literature that, quite frankly, haven't benefited anyone.

Well, you typically read Hemingway in high school—and I think Tennessee Williams might not even be mandatory reading at all...

What really matters is that they can't even figure out how to turn on a computer by freshman year of high school; they just shout patriotic slogans without knowing a single thing about history or politics, and they could get mugged on any street corner in a heartbeat because they lack even an ounce of street smarts.

I suspect they can definitely operate a computer—and probably quite a few other things, too—since they spend most of their daily lives on social media downloading those very same books. History is also taught in schools, as far as I'm aware, and regarding the whole robbery thing, a sensible parent will tell their kid to just hand over a phone or a wallet to avoid a bad situation... besides, it's not like people are getting attacked every single day.

I developed my imagination and plenty of other skills through playing video games from the age of three until this very moment, rather than through fairy tales, bedtime stories, or whatever nonsense comes out of American literature (which, frankly, I have no idea who it was ever useful to).

What it "was useful for" is teaching them the difference between correct and incorrect spelling. Literature—aside from everything else mentioned—enriches one's vocabulary and teaches the art of expression. Syntax, style, and the ability to write coherently with actual logic—that is what literature teaches us.

Literature also instructs us on how to express our thoughts, whether in writing or speaking, and how to do so properly. And as for why someone would need to know about The Iliad or The Odyssey if they happen to be good at math? Because being a complete idiot isn't a valid excuse for anything. Similarly, I believe the Pythagorean theorem should be something you know in the middle of the night. This dismissal of knowledge by parents is so repulsive to me that I honestly wonder if they expect to remain on this planet forever while leaving children to solve every single problem in life on their own.

Exactly. Reading the assigned books wasn't the issue; the problem was the sheer volume of writing required. Back in high school, we had this one teacher—thank God she retired after just one year—who demanded at least 15 pages per book. If you didn't hit that mark, you got an F, regardless of whether you actually read it or not. It was ridiculous. All it did was force everyone, both the readers and the slackers, to just scavenge stuff off the internet.

Daniel Gomez10 said:It's about learning how to read and truly understand things—developing critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis skills. It helps with mastering our own language and others, too. But honestly, the best part is letting your imagination run wild and getting lost in different eras and worlds.
Plus, you pick up bits of human history along the way, depending on the book.

If you're wondering why certain titles are picked as "required" instead of just letting kids choose whatever they want, it's because those books are considered landmarks in literary history. That alone makes them worth studying in an English class.
Another huge reason is that, let's be real, most kids probably wouldn't pick up a book at all if it wasn't assigned. 😬
Sadly, even with assignments, a lot of kids still skip the actual reading and just hunt down summaries online.

edit: To answer the main question here, I don't do my kids' homework or required reading for them. I want them to learn how to be independent and responsible. I'll help if they ask, but I won't do the work for them. And that goes for more than just books.

Back when I was forced to read these things, I didn't see the point. It was all just boring 😛 and writing those little essays was even worse. I couldn't find any sense in living through someone else's imagination or reliving historical events...

Now, looking back, it seems like stuff worth paying attention to, but I have no clue how anyone could have gotten me interested as a kid. Since I wasn't interested and it was mandatory, everyone else was just reading and writing purely so they wouldn't fail their American literature grade.

So, how do you actually spark that desire in a child to read, explore, or talk about what they've read with others? I suppose if we actually had the answer to that, there wouldn't even be a need for required reading... right?

nimblelynx7 said:Exactly. Reading the assigned books wasn't the issue; the problem was the sheer volume of writing required. Back in high school, we had this one teacher—thank God she retired after just one year—who demanded at least 15 pages per book. If you didn't hit that mark, you got an F, regardless of whether you actually read it or not. It was ridiculous. All it did was force everyone, both the readers and the slackers, to just scavenge stuff off the internet.

For her, sheer volume mattered way more than actual quality ☕
poor lady...

but honestly, what makes it worse is that she isn't the only one using totally broken metrics and a flawed approach to teaching.

brisktiger56 said:Back when I was forced to read these things, I didn't see the point. It was all just boring 😛 and writing those little essays was even worse. I couldn't find any sense in living through someone else's imagination or reliving historical events...

Now, looking back, it seems like stuff worth paying attention to, but I have no clue how anyone could have gotten me interested as a kid. Since I wasn't interested and it was mandatory, everyone else was just reading and writing purely so they wouldn't fail their American literature grade.

So, how do you actually spark that desire in a child to read, explore, or talk about what they've read with others? I suppose if we actually had the answer to that, there wouldn't even be a need for required reading... right?

That's a tough one...
I think it's just like anything else—kids naturally gravitate toward certain things, including reading. You’ve got some kids who absolutely live for a good book, and then you have others who just aren't really into it at all.
Maybe we could try leading that second group by example? I've found that picking out some shorter, punchier books that actually grab their attention helps get them hooked. Then again, I know from experience there are just some kids who won't be swayed by anything, no matter how you approach it.
Look, reading the assigned books is mandatory, plain and simple. It’s just like finishing a math worksheet—it's part of the job when you're in school. There's really no point in doing the homework or the reading for them, though. It's their responsibility to get it done, whether they're feeling it or not.

rustyjackal10 said:Look, I honestly don't think it's fair to judge a kid based on a drawing or anything like that. I spent all eight years of middle school struggling with those art assignments—just trying to sketch this or that—and I was terrible at it. For some reason, the "age-appropriate content" they push in the lower grades doesn't actually match what kids should be doing.

They shouldn't fail them. Our entire education system is broken from the top down, but if you're forced to deal with it as it stands—well, all those grades eventually lead somewhere, and I don't think we should be blocking a kid from getting into a specific high school just because of a lack of raw talent. You aren't going to find fairness in grading by changing the grading scale itself; you get it by changing the people enforcing it and how they go about it. Everyone here seems obsessed with wanting to change the kids and their attitudes, yet nobody stops to ask what kind of environment they're being raised in or if the whole method is even sound to begin with.

Effort counts for something, I guess. Being dedicated is pretty vital when it comes to making progress in school, but you can't really have a fair assessment of knowledge when the actual delivery of that information is, in most cases, pretty much useless. Again—fix the system first.

But then how do you handle grading literature? I mean, how do you even grade that fairly when most kids just pull a summary off the internet?😛

Daniel Gomez10 said:That's a tough one...
I think it's just like anything else—kids naturally gravitate toward certain things, including reading. You’ve got some kids who absolutely live for a good book, and then you have others who just aren't really into it at all.
Maybe we could try leading that second group by example? I've found that picking out some shorter, punchier books that actually grab their attention helps get them hooked. Then again, I know from experience there are just some kids who won't be swayed by anything, no matter how you approach it.
Look, reading the assigned books is mandatory, plain and simple. It’s just like finishing a math worksheet—it's part of the job when you're in school. There's really no point in doing the homework or the reading for them, though. It's their responsibility to get it done, whether they're feeling it or not.

to me, it feels like kids would actually dive into books to find answers to everything under the sun IF there wasn't this sense of forced compliance—assuming, of course, that the books actually contain interesting insights that can blow their minds or help them grow...

Obligations and homework make sense on paper, but let's be real—who actually enjoys them??
What percentage of kids actually tackle a task, or a required reading list, with genuine enthusiasm?
Where's the disconnect? Is it the pressure?

brisktiger56 said:But then how do you handle grading literature? I mean, how do you even grade that fairly when most kids just pull a summary off the internet?😛

Look, assigned reading is a great tool, but you can't grade it based on a system like—"Hey, show me your notebook, your handwriting looks neat, here’s an A." That's not it. In my experience, reading assignments were always graded through actual discussion or testing; we weren't just quizzed on tiny details from the plot, but rather on the big themes, the metaphors, the moral lessons, and basically, "what was the author trying to say?" To me, there really needs to be room for two specific things when it comes to grading:

1. The author meant what I heard—everyone experiences a book differently. Some people connect with a story one way, others totally differently, and I think every teacher needs to leave space for that personal connection, provided the student can actually back up their take with a solid explanation.

2. "This book is boring and I hate it"—man, I cannot tell you how many times I've seen students get tanked on their grades just for feeling that way... I personally got into a massive, heated debate with my professor once over Mark Twain. Some books are just plain dull for certain people, but honestly, if they can explain *why* it's boring, they should be fine. It proves they actually engaged with the material, understood the author's style, recognized where things went overboard, or identified which of the author's viewpoints they just couldn't get behind.

@Doriana

1. I’ve read over 15 books—only two were American—while everything else was grounded in actual scientific evidence, psychology texts, various tech media, and even gaming

2. They have no clue, because I was the only one making money off the stuff they spent their lives memorizing from schoolbooks. Back in middle school, while nobody else in class knew how to download a crack or a game, those "educated, brilliant, and noble" kids—full of supposed knowledge—were coming to me every single day with $6.75 just so I’d sell them a DVD. That’s when I realized that in this day and age, people stuck in the system don't generate profit; rather, I make my living off their sheer stupidity. Freedom of mind means choosing your own education based on what you actually crave—when you study things you actually enjoy, it's 300 times more useful than wasting your life on some mediocre school reading assignment that everyone forgets within a month anyway, since the only goal is to scrape by with a grade and move on

3. You want to talk about my literacy? Fine—tell me the fundamental purpose of human existence. Name at least five essential psychological traits a person needs to build a life upon. Tell me the name of the closest star to our universe—the actual astronomical designation. You probably don't know, much like how 80% of people don't know anything until they hit college

But hey, as long as they know Napoleon's favorite meal or the birth and death dates of George Washington, they're doing just fine

Whenever there was a required reading in school, I’d just copy it from the internet and spend my time on things that actually interested me—in my case, sci-fi space opera. And by the way, this thread isn't titled "literacy," so watch the off-topic comments regarding my writing style. On the internet, I’d much rather write exactly how I speak—it's faster, simpler, and lets me focus on the point rather than agonizing over grammar rules simultaneously

rustyjackal10 said:Look, assigned reading is a great tool, but you can't grade it based on a system like—"Hey, show me your notebook, your handwriting looks neat, here’s an A." That's not it. In my experience, reading assignments were always graded through actual discussion or testing; we weren't just quizzed on tiny details from the plot, but rather on the big themes, the metaphors, the moral lessons, and basically, "what was the author trying to say?" To me, there really needs to be room for two specific things when it comes to grading:

1. The author meant what I heard—everyone experiences a book differently. Some people connect with a story one way, others totally differently, and I think every teacher needs to leave space for that personal connection, provided the student can actually back up their take with a solid explanation.

2. "This book is boring and I hate it"—man, I cannot tell you how many times I've seen students get tanked on their grades just for feeling that way... I personally got into a massive, heated debate with my professor once over Mark Twain. Some books are just plain dull for certain people, but honestly, if they can explain *why* it's boring, they should be fine. It proves they actually engaged with the material, understood the author's style, recognized where things went overboard, or identified which of the author's viewpoints they just couldn't get behind.

That all kind of assumes the kid already has a developed worldview, doesn't it? I mean, how can you decide something is brilliant or tedious if you don't have your own "self" to compare it against? It feels to me like the school system just uses reading lists to cram info into kids, almost like they're just giving them the gears to start thinking with...

Are you suggesting we should encourage students to develop their own personalities regardless of the reading list—basically, independent of the specific ideas the books are pushing?

brisktiger56 said:That all kind of assumes the kid already has a developed worldview, doesn't it? I mean, how can you decide something is brilliant or tedious if you don't have your own "self" to compare it against? It feels to me like the school system just uses reading lists to cram info into kids, almost like they're just giving them the gears to start thinking with...

Are you suggesting we should encourage students to develop their own personalities regardless of the reading list—basically, independent of the specific ideas the books are pushing?

I am absolutely suggesting that. At the end of the day, all that knowledge is pretty much useless unless it's paired with building actual character and teaching people how to think for themselves.

rustyjackal10 said:I am absolutely suggesting that. At the end of the day, all that knowledge is pretty much useless unless it's paired with building actual character and teaching people how to think for themselves.

If we actually did this, teachers would HAVE to respect different takes on the same book. Instead of everyone just nodding along, what an author intended could actually spark some decent, productive debates in the classroom!

It wouldn't be about just checking boxes anymore—it would be about recognizing when a student is actually putting themselves out there, using language to defend a stance or an opinion, almost like they're presenting a thesis based on what they read.

brisktiger56 said:If we actually did this, teachers would HAVE to respect different takes on the same book. Instead of everyone just nodding along, what an author intended could actually spark some decent, productive debates in the classroom!

It wouldn't be about just checking boxes anymore—it would be about recognizing when a student is actually putting themselves out there, using language to defend a stance or an opinion, almost like they're presenting a thesis based on what they read.

Oh, absolutely, they would have to. Honestly, that’s what makes a great teacher, and frankly, we need way more people like that in our school systems (though let’s be real, the shortage of actually competent teachers is a whole other headache entirely). Right now, the whole "What did the author mean?" thing usually just boils down to the student giving the answer the teacher WANTS to hear.
Like, imagine an author writes that their curtains were a strikingly bright blue. The teacher asks little Perica what the author was trying to say. They’re expecting some deep, philosophical epiphany, but little Perica just concludes that the sentence was meant to highlight the fact that the curtains were, well, really blue—which totally ticks the teacher off.

But in reality, one person might see a longing for the sky and freedom from sorrow, someone else might see a yearning for love, and little Perica is just pointing out that the curtains WERE indeed blue. We shouldn't be looking for a single "correct" answer or forcing kids to memorize plot points and literary critiques by rote. We should be encouraging free thought—where students talk it out among themselves until they realize the point is that the author’s intent eventually meets whatever the reader concludes.


"Wouldn't it stop being about just checking boxes and start being about recognizing how someone personally connects with a text—using language to back up an opinion, almost like presenting a thesis from a book?"

That’s exactly it.

"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested"
- Francis Bacon book

You’re supposed to experience a book, chew on it, form your own take, and then defend it—that’s basically the whole reason we even assign reading in the first place.

I suppose we should all be bracing ourselves—though I’m not entirely sure if "bracing" is even the right word for the sheer level of impending chaos we’re looking at here. It feels like a harbinger, doesn't it? A dark, looming sign that things are about to shift in a way none of us are particularly prepared for. Maybe I’m being overly cynical—it’s a habit of mine, I know—but there is something deeply unsettling about the current trajectory. It isn't just one isolated incident, either; it’s the cumulative weight of everything happening at once. It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck where you can see every single flaw in the tracks, yet you’re still powerless to stop the momentum. I guess some people prefer to look the other way, to maintain that comfortable, blissful ignorance, but I find myself unable to quite shake the feeling that we are standing on the precipice of something much larger—and much more complicated—than anyone is willing to admit. kaže:
boldfalcon13

I’ve personally gone through more than fifteen books—only two of which were written by American authors—while everything else has been strictly grounded in scientific evidence. I tend to stick to works penned by psychologists, various tech media, and even video games, if you can believe that.

I’m honestly struggling to wrap my head around what this is even supposed to mean—I mean, I've been staring at it for a while now, and I just don't get the point. Maybe I'm missing something obvious, or perhaps it's just poorly phrased, but I guess I'm just left feeling completely lost.

They honestly have no clue—mostly because I was the only one actually making a living off that stuff they spent all their time cramming from schoolbooks. Back in sixth grade, none of my classmates knew the first thing about downloading a cracked program, a game, or even a movie. So, you had these "well-read, brilliant, and noble individuals" who were supposedly overflowing with academic knowledge, yet they’d come crawling to me every single day looking for... $6.75 Maybe I should just sell them the DVD...

Based on this, I guess we might actually be from the same generation. Back in my day, we had to pay off our classmates just to get them to handle things like burning CDs or ripping tracks—you know, back before every single kid had their own high-speed connection at home. I personally used to pay those same "tech-savvy, street-smart" guys to write my entire reading list assignments for me. $17That doesn't mean anything at all—honestly, it just means everyone is finding their own little way to scrape by and make a buck wherever they can. You’re out there charging people for burning CDs, while I’m busy writing term papers—and let's be real, back when downloading an entire album took as long as the actual music played, those papers required just as much effort.

So, you want to lecture me on my literacy? Fine. If we’re going to play this game, let's actually raise the bar. Since you seem so eager to test my intellect—and I suppose I should be flattered, or maybe just exhausted by the condescension—let's see how you fare. Tell me, what do you consider to be the fundamental purpose of human existence? And don't give me some vague, Hallmark-card nonsense. Give me at least five core psychological traits that a person actually needs to prioritize to build a life worth living. Furthermore—since you're clearly feeling quite scholarly today—what is the name of the closest star to our solar system? I'm looking for the actual astronomical designation, not some poetic approximation. I have a feeling you won't know either—much like how eighty percent of the population remains blissfully ignorant until they finally stumble through a university degree. Your move.

I was actually the first one to point out that a well-rounded education matters just as much regardless of which specific field of knowledge you're diving into. I mean, I honestly think my colleague—who can probably quote Krleža all day long but wouldn't know a Gauss's curve if it hit them in the face—is displaying the exact same level of ignorance as someone who knows the math but hasn't a clue about literature. It’s all the same kind of narrow-mindedness, I guess.

It’s happening again—it’s always the same thing. They seem more concerned with trivialities like what Napoleon’s favorite meal was, or the exact dates of when Krleža was born and passed away, than anything actually substantial. It’s just... I don't know, it feels incredibly superficial.

This is a complete exaggeration—honestly. In all my years of schooling—from elementary through high school and even all four years of college—not once was I ever asked something like that. Generally speaking, exams focus on genres, historical periods, and actual academic substance... they don't care what someone had for breakfast.

I guess we just witnessed the perfect specimen of the modern generation—the kind that thinks downloading the entire internet makes them some sort of intellectual titan. They’ve got all the information in the world at their fingertips, yet they're somehow less capable than ever. Take the recent SATs, for instance. Specifically, the verbal section. You have this passage right there in front of you—literally containing every single answer required to solve the questions—and all you actually have to do is read, draw a basic conclusion, and circle an option. And yet, even with the answers staring them in the face, they just... don't get it. They truly don't know.

It’s just like when parents try to force-feed their kids those classic summer reading lists—it honestly makes my skin crawl. I can't stand this constant parental outcry against mathematics, or the way they whine alongside their children about having to learn things that seem "useless." Because, apparently, what is math ever going to do for them in the real world? It is truly appalling, if you ask me—this mindset creates such deep-seated resentment toward knowledge itself. We end up teaching kids to despise learning anything that doesn't have an immediate, tangible payoff. And then? Then we're left with a generation of functionally illiterate, self-proclaimed geniuses who will be running this country fifty years from now, yet they won't even be able to hold a basic conversation because they'll claim "that's not my field." It's a disaster waiting to happen.

boldfalcon13 said:

I suppose we should all be bracing ourselves—though I’m not entirely sure if "bracing" is even the right word for the sheer level of impending chaos we’re looking at here. It feels like a harbinger, doesn't it? A dark, looming sign that things are about to shift in a way none of us are particularly prepared for. Maybe I’m being overly cynical—it’s a habit of mine, I know—but there is something deeply unsettling about the current trajectory. It isn't just one isolated incident, either; it’s the cumulative weight of everything happening at once. It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck where you can see every single flaw in the tracks, yet you’re still powerless to stop the momentum. I guess some people prefer to look the other way, to maintain that comfortable, blissful ignorance, but I find myself unable to quite shake the feeling that we are standing on the precipice of something much larger—and much more complicated—than anyone is willing to admit. kaže:
boldfalcon13

I’ve personally gone through more than fifteen books—only two of which were written by American authors—while everything else has been strictly grounded in scientific evidence. I tend to stick to works penned by psychologists, various tech media, and even video games, if you can believe that.

I’m honestly struggling to wrap my head around what this is even supposed to mean—I mean, I've been staring at it for a while now, and I just don't get the point. Maybe I'm missing something obvious, or perhaps it's just poorly phrased, but I guess I'm just left feeling completely lost.

They honestly have no clue—mostly because I was the only one actually making a living off that stuff they spent all their time cramming from schoolbooks. Back in sixth grade, none of my classmates knew the first thing about downloading a cracked program, a game, or even a movie. So, you had these "well-read, brilliant, and noble individuals" who were supposedly overflowing with academic knowledge, yet they’d come crawling to me every single day looking for... $6.75 Maybe I should just sell them the DVD...

Based on this, I guess we might actually be from the same generation. Back in my day, we had to pay off our classmates just to get them to handle things like burning CDs or ripping tracks—you know, back before every single kid had their own high-speed connection at home. I personally used to pay those same "tech-savvy, street-smart" guys to write my entire reading list assignments for me. $17That doesn't mean anything at all—honestly, it just means everyone is finding their own little way to scrape by and make a buck wherever they can. You’re out there charging people for burning CDs, while I’m busy writing term papers—and let's be real, back when downloading an entire album took as long as the actual music played, those papers required just as much effort.

So, you want to lecture me on my literacy? Fine. If we’re going to play this game, let's actually raise the bar. Since you seem so eager to test my intellect—and I suppose I should be flattered, or maybe just exhausted by the condescension—let's see how you fare. Tell me, what do you consider to be the fundamental purpose of human existence? And don't give me some vague, Hallmark-card nonsense. Give me at least five core psychological traits that a person actually needs to prioritize to build a life worth living. Furthermore—since you're clearly feeling quite scholarly today—what is the name of the closest star to our solar system? I'm looking for the actual astronomical designation, not some poetic approximation. I have a feeling you won't know either—much like how eighty percent of the population remains blissfully ignorant until they finally stumble through a university degree. Your move.

I was actually the first one to point out that a well-rounded education matters just as much regardless of which specific field of knowledge you're diving into. I mean, I honestly think my colleague—who can probably quote Krleža all day long but wouldn't know a Gauss's curve if it hit them in the face—is displaying the exact same level of ignorance as someone who knows the math but hasn't a clue about literature. It’s all the same kind of narrow-mindedness, I guess.

It’s happening again—it’s always the same thing. They seem more concerned with trivialities like what Napoleon’s favorite meal was, or the exact dates of when Krleža was born and passed away, than anything actually substantial. It’s just... I don't know, it feels incredibly superficial.

This is a complete exaggeration—honestly. In all my years of schooling—from elementary through high school and even all four years of college—not once was I ever asked something like that. Generally speaking, exams focus on genres, historical periods, and actual academic substance... they don't care what someone had for breakfast.

I guess we just witnessed the perfect specimen of the modern generation—the kind that thinks downloading the entire internet makes them some sort of intellectual titan. They’ve got all the information in the world at their fingertips, yet they're somehow less capable than ever. Take the recent SATs, for instance. Specifically, the verbal section. You have this passage right there in front of you—literally containing every single answer required to solve the questions—and all you actually have to do is read, draw a basic conclusion, and circle an option. And yet, even with the answers staring them in the face, they just... don't get it. They truly don't know.

It’s just like when parents try to force-feed their kids those classic summer reading lists—it honestly makes my skin crawl. I can't stand this constant parental outcry against mathematics, or the way they whine alongside their children about having to learn things that seem "useless." Because, apparently, what is math ever going to do for them in the real world? It is truly appalling, if you ask me—this mindset creates such deep-seated resentment toward knowledge itself. We end up teaching kids to despise learning anything that doesn't have an immediate, tangible payoff. And then? Then we're left with a generation of functionally illiterate, self-proclaimed geniuses who will be running this country fifty years from now, yet they won't even be able to hold a basic conversation because they'll claim "that's not my field." It's a disaster waiting to happen.

I believe the focus was more on the scientific and technological aspects. Besides, how many books are we talking about—fifteen? Sixteen? You have to be literate and actually comprehend the material to get anything out of reading science books.

Whenever I had assigned reading in school, I would just copy the summaries from the internet. I preferred spending my time on things that actually interested me, like sci-fi space operas.

So, how many sci-fi books did you actually end up reading? Which ones?

Since you brought up politics—we’d be better off with a leader who collects bottles on the street and can barely string three sentences together; at least they understand what a failing nation feels like and might actually possess empathy. As it stands, the man running this country is a polished orator, but he's essentially trash—driven by self-interest rather than any willingness to sacrifice himself for his country, which should be the fundamental moral duty of any statesman.

And those standardized state exams? They are easily the single greatest stupidity in the history of education over the last 10,000 years.

For instance—what does it matter to me that some character in an elementary school book left home, or that a train got stuck in the snow in some Mark Twain novel I read in fourth grade? I remember the gist of them, sure, but I couldn't care less—I have no intention of becoming an English professor, and besides, people understand me just fine, so there's no need to polish my literacy for show.

By the way, regarding basic biology—every living organism adapts its lifestyle (verbal communication included) to its circumstances, its habitat, and its environment. If I speak with a regional accent or use certain colloquialisms, I’m not doing anything wrong; I’m simply living according to my nature.

There are 1,001 smarter things to do—studying biology, geography, tech, math, or any other actual subject—than reading mindless literature. Students tend to ignore the English language after sixth grade anyway; they just copy their homework or skim a book to scrape by with a passing grade just to get through school.

If students are already choosing that path of resistance, there is no point in wasting hundreds of years forcing the opposite. Kids today evolve faster than ever; plenty of potential musicians, artists, and brilliant minds never find their footing simply because instead of being encouraged toward their interests, they are forced to waste time on mandatory reading and similar nonsense.

Look at Americans—they are the prime example of over-educated, burnt-out people who, from age eight to twenty, see nothing of the real world beyond what the system of schooling and family upbringing dictates. Even a bird on a branch can see that the youth in that nation are incredibly dim-witted.

And naturally, at twenty-one, they head off to Afghanistan, firmly convinced they are fighting for freedom, despite being unable to locate Europe on a map—not to mention how naive they are.