School is a "job"?

I continually hear about parents (some my own friends) who tell their kids that going to school is their "job." This is so ridiculous to me I don't know where to start. Let's think about this. As a typical 10 year old, the government forces you to go to school (a certain school unless your parents want to pay for a different one). Are adults forced to work? NO. Are adults forced to work at a certain job? NO. So this child goes to school and has to do assigned work. This work is then graded. In some instances, this shapes their entire self-esteem as those that don't do well are held back and sometimes ridiculed by others. Admittedly, this part is the closest similarity. So this child does the work and is graded on it and then is NOT PAID! So my question is, how does this not amount to slavery? or at least violation of child labor laws on the part of the government?

Last year, I heard from some parents that their 4th graders were being told by teachers that if they "failed" (in quotes because you can't fail) the TCAPS (yearly, standardized tests), they would fail the 4th grade! So in essence, these kids were manipulated into studying for and doing well on these tests, and not even for their own benefit, but for the benefit of the teacher. The teachers jobs can be on the line based on how the kids do on the tests. How is that a fair evaluation of material learned? Not to mention that it's just a bit of unfair and undue stress on a child, or anyone, for that matter. Then we wonder why kids supposedly have things like ADD and "Performance Anxiety Disorder"! Personally, I'm not shocked in the least.

So please, stop calling school a "job" for kids! When the government tells you what job you must do, you will be graded at that job, ridiculed and demeaned by others when you don't do well, labeled with disorders, and you won't be paid, then you can tell your kids it's their job to go to school.