'What about university?'

Imagine you are a cow standing in the meadow. In front of you, a herd of cows munches on grass. It looks promising. All the cows must be where the best grass is. But then you arrive at the herd most of the grass is gone. But there is a lot of cow dung.

'If all you do is follow the herd, you'll just be stepping in poop all day.'

Families who consider a democratic school are moving away from the herd. But inevitably questions pop up: 'How will SDS graduates get into university?'

The underlying idea is that students in conventional schools can use their grades to get into university. In contrast, SDS students are not required to take exams, tests, or other forms of academic records. That leaves the question: won't they be at a disadvantage?

Luckily, we have graduate research on democratic schools. Graduates don't face any particular difficulty in getting admitted to university. If universities want academic records, nothing prevents democratic school students from obtaining them. Democratic school graduates make an especially strong impression during interviews because they have the time and space to think deeply about why they want to pursue further education.

Career counsellors we have spoken to told us that conventionally schooled students give conventional (overly rehearsed) answers to aptitude questions. They want to become a doctor to 'help people'. But when quizzed whether they are also open to helping people by becoming a nurse, they look puzzled. Then it becomes clear that other motivations exist beyond the desire to 'help people'. Think of status and financial security. Of course, pursuing financial security is fine, but a simple question often reveals rehearsed answers that lack substance.

Graduates of democratic schools attend university at similar rates to conventionally schooled children. But graduates of democratic schools see many paths beyond university. They often discover their lifelong passions while in school and use this to chart their path. They go to university when it serves their goals, not because it is expected

We often imagine a linear progression from preschool > primary school > secondary school > university > a career with numerous promotions. But real lives look different. Data from Singapore's workforce shows that about half of workers are in fields unrelated to their degrees. Real careers look more like moving between tree branches than climbing a ladder. Lifelong learning and adaptability are what power careers.

'Real careers look more like moving between tree branches than climbing a ladder'

University is a valuable pathway but not the only one. University's main value lies in its signalling function. Graduates show they are reasonably intelligent, conformable, and able to do boring tasks for long periods. Economist Bryan Caplan argues in his book 'The Case Against Education' that university degrees matter more for the signalling they provide than for the practical skills they teach. However, that doesn't mean that pursuing a university degree isn't a proven way to kickstart a career. The value is still there.

But alternative pathways also exist. These include apprenticeships, vocational schools, career launchpads such as Praxis, starting a business, joining a startup, taking a gap year to travel, or learning character-building skills by following the advice in Doug Casey's book 'The Preparation'. Alternative pathways might feel risky. You are not following the herd. But in a rapidly changing world, the biggest risk is not charting your own path.

Recommended reading:

• 'The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education' by Grace Llewellyn,

• 'The Preparation: How To Become Competent, Confident, and Dangerous' by Doug Casey

• 'Unschooling to University' by Judy Arnall

• 'The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money' by Bryan Caplan