The risk in education

A few months ago I had a coworker state that (and I'm paraphrasing here) it should not be society's job to educate everyone. Instead of listening to his argument, I immediately jumped into the discussion with arguments about how those without an education are far less likely to contribute to society and are more likely to be a drain on society. I also went off about how we do not know at the onset of a child's life how much they are able to accomplish. I really believe that every child should be educated to the best of his/her ability. The question of what those children will do with their state required education is up to her or him as an individual. That is the great risk in education. Even though we as a society require kids to be in school, and pay taxes to support those schools, some students may choose not to learn. They may choose to not actively participate in the learning process, or they may choose to drop out of school entirely. OR they might choose to read the textbook, gain understanding from those around them, and really participate in the learning process. And that to me, ladies and gentlemen, is a beautiful thing.