Malik Greatly Disapproves. Again.

[loyalrebel]

[It's been a while since Malik's spoken up on the network but this is something drastic to him and it needs addressing.]

It has been recently brought to my attention that the education system of modern times is sorely lacking in a number of regards.

I was told that beyond the basics of reading and mathematics anything else was not important and was not even taught, and this desperately needs to be rectified.

We may be learning magic and other such things from our overlays, but there are areas that are horrifically left by the wayside in this arms race we have entered in to.

I may not know much about history as it is from most of your perspectives but there has to be educators among us or at least those who will be willing to step up and help the children among us not return home uneducated louts who respond to the idea of mathematics or reading with "why should I care?" or "it is too difficult".

[He's not sorry Phillip. This is probably your fault kid.]

Comments

[neverfeltthatway]

I'd like that. I've been reading a textbook from some version of earth, but... well, I think Thorne said it's a sixth grade book, so for all that I didn't know any of it, it's not very advanced.

I'm Armin, by the way.

[ringslinging]

Yeah, we can definitely get you further than that.

Hal, nice to meet you. Talk to you. You know what I mean.

[canbebrave]

[ignoring the second part, because she doesn't want to disagree with him right now. That's alright. ]

Not all love learning new things as you do.

[neverfeltthatway]

[Not wanting to argue is precisely why he didn't go into more detail on what he thinks actually happens when people vanish or 'go home'.]

Maybe not. But most could benefit from it.

[canbebrave]

Perhaps. A forceful hand seems the easiest way to turn others away, though.

[neverfeltthatway]

I wasn't meaning to suggest trying to force anyone to learn. Even if we tried, they wouldn't learn much if the learning was not of their choosing.

For most people, I imagine it is mostly a matter of knowing them well enough to know how to appeal to them, and what sorts of things they'd be interested in.

[canbebrave]

I know you weren't. That's not like you at all.

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin ducks his head, and he can't quite stop the surge of both affection and embarrassment that makes its way through the network.]

private

[canbebrave]

[It's so brief it may be imagined- but there's a little bit of affection and longing in response]

private

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin's breath catches - he just can't take it anymore. He loves her and misses her so much. He just wants to be with her - but he can't.

He severs the connection before he can start crying.]

[neverfeltthatway]

It does seem a bit of a problem. Even science is relative, between the worlds we're visiting.

[neverfeltthatway]

...You don't want to learn?

[Sorry, Zatanna, but this is a kid who never really had the chance to go to school...]

[neverfeltthatway]

I'd appreciate it.

It's nice to talk to you too. I'm sure we'll meet in person soon enough.

[backwordscompatible]

I never said anything about not wanting to learn. I just don't want to go back to school.

[There was a difference, to her.]

[neverfeltthatway]

Oh.

[He takes a moment to try and re-evaluate her initial statement.]

...So you want to learn, but not in a very structured environment?

[backwordscompatible]

Exactly.

[She sort of glossed over the very structured environment description, but that sounded kind of like her old private school back in Manhattan.]

Having to sit and listen to somebody prattle on about things that are so boring is not my idea of how to spend my days. If I'm going to learn more, it might as well be something I'm interested in. Something I can actually use.

[neverfeltthatway]

...I don't think Malik was suggesting making it mandatory. Especially since there's really no way to enforce that anyway. I think he was just suggesting that we get more organized about teaching, so that those who want to learn have the opportunity.

[backwordscompatible]

I don't know. He did seem pretty serious about the whole idea.

[neverfeltthatway]

I think it's probably only the really young kids he might try to push into learning more of the basics.

...Is being more organized about teaching a bad thing?

[backwordscompatible]

How young are we talking here?

I mean, I know there's the baby and all, but I'm pretty sure even he wouldn't think of starting education that early. And there's me and Robin...are there that many younger than us?

[neverfeltthatway]

You'd probably have to ask him - but in my world, we're considered adults at 15, and I get the impression it's not very different where Malik comes from.

As far as younger Travelers... Jaina, Phillip, Pod, and Maria are all younger than you, I think. I'm not entirely certain how old Robin is. And then I think there's a new D'Angeline kid around, but I'm not sure what his name is. [Since he ran away as soon as he saw Armin.]

[backwordscompatible]

He's about half a year younger than me. Give or take.

[They're a literal May-December romance. Go figure.]

That's right. I forgot Jaina was younger. And the others...well, I know Phillip yeah, and if it's the same Maria I'm thinking of, then I know her too. The others, I don't know if I know them or not.

Wow. There are more of us than I thought.

[neverfeltthatway]

Yeah, we've been getting more and more of them. For a long time, Sansa and I were the youngest.

Anybody our age, I figure we can make our own decisions as far as education goes. But for the Travelers who are only nine or ten years old... well, I can understand the concern.

[loyalrebel]

So... Unless it is something they care about nobody wants to learn anything.

You are all so backwards seeming to me about things. How do you know if you enjoy something or are good at it if you do not try to learn? Even then, things you do not enjoy are important to know.

I dislike English but I need to learn it to understand what people from Europe are saying.

[backwordscompatible]

Yeah, that's right. She's about your age, isn't she?

[They've only talked maybe two or three times, and those were never enough for her to accurately gauge the other girl's age.]

So long as he doesn't saddle the poor kids with a ton of extra homework, I guess it couldn't hurt. Something to pass the time in between world-hopping.