Couldn’t have said it better myself.

I got a BA in English, and it has served me well in being able to write and be articulate... but that’s about it. Everything else I’ve learned like you said: on the job, in the real world, through the act of Doing. I had an ex-girlfriend who devoted something like 12 years of her life to getting a PhD in Fine Art, and by the end of her studies... she hated it. She told me she would have rather gone out and become a folk artist, and taught children art, instead of having to sit through juries and critique with pretentious professors whose job was to tear her work to sh*t. A lot of money, a lot of time, and ultimately she graduated only because of the prior investment. I think it may have been a hollow victory, so to speak. And in my experience, she’s not alone. Before I quit my library job to become a mom, I heard so many similar stories from others.

The one exception was the students of trade schools. And we need more tradesmen and craftsmen. I have a friend who went for welding, and he’s making close to 7 figures doing undersea welding/fabrication in Alaska. Crazy. I think he gets to pretty much set his own hours, too.

I think it’s awesome to be a self-made person. I would much rather learn from someone who is actually doing things, like apprenticeships and such. But alas! So many today think you “can’t” learn from anyone or anything outside of “qualified” teachers... who, just like you said, pretty much just have a paper saying they can teach it and not much else to back it up.

When talking about homeschooling my kids, one of my teachers from high school messaged me and said “Good!” According to her, she was glad to be retiring because public ed is basically a farce these days. None of the important curriculum is being taught. I guess it’s really awful....!