No. Punishment doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

Punishment is when you inflict damage (at your own expense I might add) to retaliate against the infliction of damage.

It is a lose-lose-lose proposition:
1. The victim loses because they don't get paid back for the damage.
2. The assailant loses but not as much as they should.
3. The punisher spends valuable resources to apply the punishment (such as wasting money on a jail facilities, etc).

This is the stupidest thing I have observed humans do.

Why not make the assailant actually REPAY the damages AND costs of justice. Most of the time, this would be much worse for the assailant but it would also be fair for all parties involved. When I compare the loss to the offender that your punishments inflict, its is only a small part of what they should be be losing. However, in some cases it is the reverse. You are causing way more damage to the assailant than what they deserve to repay. So, your 'justice' system is all out of whack.

I'll give you some examples.

1. Person A kills person B that has a family with children. You put person A in jail where they waste their life doing busy work and nothing of any use, meanwhile, you spend other people's money on jailing person A (taxes) while person B's children and wife go hungry and suffer financially. Why don't you kill two birds with one stone and transfer the estate of person A to person B's family and put person A into a labor camp of sorts so that they work, earn a salary and have the remainder of that salary (after expenses) go towards repayment of the remaining debt person A has to person B's family? It is a win-win-win.

2. Person A builds a black market website (silk road). You put person A in jail FOR LIFE!! What was the damage that they inflicted? Nothing. Only that they disobeyed made up laws illegitimately decreed by the state. Person A must be released immediately and be allowed to contribute to society as it is clear that they have great potential to do so. Punishing this person is actually a crime. You are stealing their life from them and you are depriving society of great deal of wealth that has the potential to be generated.

i thought it was a waste of my time when I was in government indoctrination centers. I am 79 now, and still learn from Utube, history channel, and podcasts. I made a nice life for myself and learned most of what I used to achieve that outside of formal schooling. People LEARN what they need, arent TAUGHT things government wants them to know

I have learned so much more from UTube and History Channel and Podcasts than I ever did in government indoctrination channels. I didn't like wasting time in school. I couldn't wait until school got out and I could get into the basement of my parents house and do science and electronic experiments on my own.

i have a novel solution. if children dont want to go to school, they shouldn't be shackled and tied to the desk, but allowed to learn how to live in the world in other ways. Let them see what its like to fend for themselves in the world. let them see how rough it will be to compete with others in life. After all, whats the purpose of learning if not to make an easier life for them. Take away the harsch reality of life without some sort of education whether book or street based, and you are taking away the reason for putting up with having to learn things.

Much the same here!! Had 9 brothers and sisters.... they were not much on the idea of any of us staying home after hitting 18....

School? Who needs that? The government has got you covered with free stuff. The only thing you have to do is vote commie (D) to get all you need and then some. Well... maybe once in a while you'll be required to go on a looting and burning tantrum to keep the free stuff flowing - what fun! /s

Suppose government schools were abolished and no general government rules, would corporal punishment make students into free rational thinkers? Would the new non government daycare be better. Are you coming at the schooling problem from a libertarian or a religious freedom standpoint? I have found that those who are curious and want to understand reality will find knowledge regardless of type of the school. I was autistic and was well protected mentally from some of the teachers trying to mold me into some type of believer, government , religious, or social which made no sense to my self develop of my self. It was painful but worth it.

Intervention by whom? Government? Private security companies? Armed teachers?

Just today?! It already seemed like that to me over
50 years ago.

In a free (I mean really free) society, if a man commits (physical) assault on another man, the as-
sailant should rightfully be punished physically.

If government-financed, government-operated schools were abolished, there would be more opportunity for children to learn to think for them-
selves. Even in private, free-enterprise schools, this would not be guaranteed. But there would have to be intervention in the case of physical
abuse, etc. (for instance, Dotheboys Hall in "Nicholas Nickleby".)
).

I agree that poor parenting is a major concern but it is more than that. Society as a whole has abandoned the concepts of personal responsibility and shame. Nothing is shameful anymore. These student and parents can do literally anything and be proud of it. I have overheard conversations that would have caused utter disgust and shame from my peers when I was a child and they are proud of these things. More over they completely refuse to take responsibility for their actions. Then to aggravate the whole thing politicians at all levels answer to these parents via votes. So they pander to them and policies get adjusted such that teachers have less and less authority.

Don't get me wrong I am part of the problem as well. I need a pay check so I rubber stamp these grades to ensure that I don't lose my job.

My daughter is also a teacher, so I can see your point. I think the parents are really the missing component here. If the school notified my parents that I was skipping school, there would be hell to pay at home.

In most cases, the parents either don't care or blame the school. There seems to be a sub-culture of parenting that basically gives birth, then turns their backs.

I agree parents SHOULD teach these things. Unfortunately many parents are either poorly equipped or not inclined to teach them.

A combination of private schools and home schooling would be a good option, but it still comes down to parents - either teaching the right things or sending them to a school that does.

I'd like to think that all parents would do anything to do what's best for their children. Unfortunately I no longer believe that. I see too much evidence to the contrary.

or property owners, as originally intended. People with a stake in the game.

I have noticed this as well, as the father of two daughters. With women being encouraged to enter the workforce, it has become the norm for families to have two incomes. So naturally prices for houses etc have adjusted to the point that it now requires two incomes to afford a house.

Instead of affording women more choices, it has merely eliminated the choice of being a stay-at-home mom.

One of my daughters has a good career [engineer] and this is the right choice for her. the other daughter would have been very happy as a stay-at-home mom, but in order to afford a house, she has to work [special ed teacher].

Fortunately both bought houses years ago. These days, I'm not sure they could afford it even on two incomes!

Consequences? Last year I had a student that missed 120 days and still received credit and then he graduated. Today is the 5th day of this school year and I have a student who has already missed 3 days.

I completely agree with your misgivings concerning this issue, but I see no solutions. Administration has no power, because this is all about the money. Yes, students in the seat equals money, so attendance is a big issue but if graduation rates fall, the money falls. Yes, the student should not receive credit if they miss too much school. What else can they do?

School is an assembly line. New students are coming in every year and if the ones that should fail failed it would back things up to be worse than that old I Love Lucy candy line scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3axU...
Of course they will never admit this but just think about it. A new class is coming every year. If we failed more than about 2% it makes the next year much worse and 2% isn't enough to make an impression on the students. I would estimate that over the last 5 years that I have taught that more than 30% should have failed. (mostly for attendance) Numbers like that would make the system collapse.

Yes, if we were to clamp down and force the issue many would straighten up but...most of the offenders are minorities so you know what would be said. The whole system is racist or some other liberal BS. People would be fired and honestly most people (school staff) care more about paying their bills than the long term effects. So we go along to get along.

The system is broken and I an insider do not believe that there is any real solution.

Born in 1944, I never skipped school, as my parents did a good job of selling the idea that education was important. As I got older, and some friends suggested skipping school, my dad's reminder played in my head: "Son, when you reach 18, you have choices: you can leave home and go to college, and we'll help you; you can leave home and go into the military, and we'll be proud of you; you can leave home and get a job, which I'll help you find; or you can just leave home. Note that none of these choices involve staying home!"

Was in the late 60's, early 70's....I was too afraid to skip - the nuns would call my Mom before class started....and she would call my Dad - and there would be corporal punishment at three different places..... the school principals office, my Mom in the living room when I got home, and then the shed when Dad got home....

Yes. And due to the tax code....... the way it is now you have to have two incomes, and the kids....twist in the wind.....

Your first question sums up the entire problem: No consequences for any transgressions.

I have two teenagers. Today I decided to treat myself to lunch after getting my haircut (I still have hair!). At the local town market center there's a bevy of nice eateries and a bar in the middle so I ordered a cuban sandwich and sat at the bar for my daily IPA. The bar tender was an absolutely lovely young latina. Real nice young lady. We chatted it up and she expressed how much she hated school. We talked all about the causes of this absenteeism. They treat the kids horribly. Zero consideration for the kids in public schools these days. There are a few good teachers and they are just hanging on by their fingernails. It's over. Public education has jumped the shark...And, everybody knows it.

Public education in America today is shit. The End

Because, just as government controls mandatory schooling whether private or home schooling, children would still not learn to think for themselves.

As a child of the 60's I skipped school a lot. Never saw a truant officer. I was not on a good life path. About 3 months after I barely graduated I enlisted in the US Army rather than get drafted. This allowed me to select the training I would receive. Then, during basic, I was introduced to Sgt Best. He was a huge black man. He would chew his ever present cigar. He would get in my face and yell at me and spit cigar chunks on my glasses. That straightened my little white ass right up. US Army 1965-1970.

I don't believe in homework.Even if I did-many posters here complain about the state of education so why get uptight about truancy? It surely depends on how they spend their time.