Should kids be forced to go to school if they don’t want to?

San Francisco Chronicle:

Geoff Caldwell,
San Francisco
I believe in the technical school method that the British and French use. Academics are not for all. I have had students who had exceptional skills in what we consider trade skills. They are probably making more money now than I do as a teacher. Fourteen should be the decision age.
Alejandro Macias,
San Francisco
Yes, because education is what allows them to stand out.
Peter Carey, San Bruno
Of course they should. I had to – why not them? The downside of an unhappy child does not outweigh the benefit of an education.