Remember in high school, when you were slogging your way through isosceles triangles, Romeo and Juliet, and the intricacies of post-Civil War Reconstruction, and wondered aloud what bearing any of this could possibly have on your daily life once you left school?
British rapper Boyinaband (real name: David Brown) apparently wondered the same things when he was in school, and he’s expertly put his frustrations into words, in a video entitled “Don’t Stay In School.” And in the two days since he published it, the video has gone viral: as of this post, it’s earned over 241,000 views on YouTube.
“I wasn’t taught how to get a job. But I can remember dissecting a frog.”
“Don’t Stay In School” juxtaposes the topics that Boyinaband was taught in British schools (although his frustrations are obviously apparent to American viewers, as well) against what he feels is practical knowledge that he didn’t get in school.
“I was never taught the laws for the country I live in; but I know how Henry VIII killed his women.”
On the surface, the phrase “Don’t Stay In School” seems like the worst possible advice you could give someone. But Brown insists that he’s not encouraging anyone to drop out of school; rather, he wants certain subjects to not stay in school. Or at least, he wants arcane and, arguably, useless knowledge to be given far less attention than practical knowledge, such as how to participate in the political system, how to recognize mental illness, or how to raise children and manage a family.
“This video is getting a lot of attention now so I just want to clarify — ‘Don’t Stay in School’ isn’t inferring students shouldn’t stay in school, it’s saying topics which aren’t practically useful shouldn’t stay in school. There are obviously a lot of benefits to getting an education, I’m just concerned that the topics are not prioritized well at all.”
He also hopes that “Don’t Stay In School” starts a conversation about the topics that are taught in the schools that your children are attending.
“The point of this song is to get people talking — if you share it, use #DontStayInSchool so we can all get involved in the conversation.”
Do you think the “Don’t Stay In School” video makes legitimate points? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image courtesy of Deviant Art]