Am I crazy?

In German, I would say “have I not seen the forest because of all the trees?”.

Why do we have societal splits?

In Germany, it is decided at age 9 or 10 (when it’s chosen whether you go to “Gymnasium” or not, the institution/secondary school needed to get a degree to later be allowed to apply to university) whether an academic education will ever be feasible for you. When you’re ten.

And then people complain about populism.

Exactly those institutions, with a gigantic amount of terribly concerned people that are actually against populism, still staying in their bubble of well-educated academics. And that’s exactly the problem! They research, and they research, and they research, but what do they find out, apart from plain observations of human nature?

The institution of the university is fundamentally non-inclusive. That’s totally clear, and it always has been. It’s a factory for degree-holders.

If those who studied and those who don’t would mix more, then both could greatly benefit from each other. Creating a truly shared environment, not “provided “ by some university, but the university being just one of the providers of money to this shared research project. Only giving money means commitment. It must, by default, be a project driven by those bringing together *all* aspects of society and education onto one table, as the ideal learning environment for children and adults alike.

Learning has been divided into different schools for different life paths. So far. Why not have one big campus with all types of schools together?

It would not be a university, but a public institution intentionally combining all areas of education.

A big circle with all entrances facing inward, of a kindergarten, a primary school, a university, a vocational school (Berufsschule), different people from the “Handwerk” (craftsmanship), business schools, and then as many schools for other skills as possible, with as much inter- and exchange between them as possible. And of course retirement homes, because where else to find more wisdom? Why should not already children learn from the best, simply because that’s what this big institution gives access to? Everyone to learn from everyone else.

Everyone has a right to equal access to education, from birth until death, not only until you’re in your late 20s.

Why do we stagnate, why do we feel stuck?

Because after their studies (whatever form that might have been), while some develop greatly, many, many people also simply don’t learn anything anymore then and get stuck in their habits, or they get so good at their job that they get too closely tied to the system they actually suffer from. There is so much hidden potential in people. Just give them the place to learn. With all the methods you have available.

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With the heading I meant the fact that, even at the “wokest” universities in the country, even there (like at Leuphana), they don’t recognize that the distinction between university students and all others that age is societally harmful. Why don’t we just learn together?

It’s like they have their 1000th seminar on “What do our privileges tell us?” and then they don’t immediately request an incredibly deep transformation of the entire educational sector?

It’s not that hard, Norway has already started by bringing together kindergartens and retirement homes: https://livsgledeforeldre.no/livsglede-for-eldre-engelsk/

And I think that questionnaire that’s given to elderly people could be given to everyone.

I believe it’s a fundamental human right to have access to education spaces which are in no way segregated depending on age or social status. Allow everyone to learn everything. All the knowledge is already there, it must just be connected through physical buildings and having all the right people in the right shared space.