Elon Musk intends to establish his own university in Austin, Texas, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. However, he wants to start a school for younger students.
The new charity that Musk has donated to plans to launch a school catering to elementary through high school-age children is planning to launch with $100 Million, according to tax filings viewed by Bloomberg. It will teach STEM subjects and has an initial enrolment of about 50 students, according to the publication’s filing, the report added.
The development of capabilities is crucial for businesses wishing to push the boundaries of innovation. The charity, named The Foundation, “intends ultimately to expand its operations to create a university dedicated to education at the highest levels,” according to the document. The university would apply for accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the document said, as reported by Bloomberg.
More details about the school planned by Elon Musk
Besides being “tuition-free,” the school will also provide need-based scholarships if it implements tuition.
According to a report from Bloomberg on Wednesday citing a filing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Musk is looking to start a STEM-based primary and secondary school in Austin. The filing also says that Musk will eventually look to expand the schools to include a University once the primary and secondary schools are operational.
“The School intends ultimately to expand its operations to create a university dedicated to education at the highest levels,” the filing says.
The application also notes that the school was expecting 50 initial students, and the group is currently looking for an executive director. Trustees listed in the application include Musk’s family office lead Jared Birchall, Withersworldwide tax attorney Steven Chidester, and Catalyst family office workers Ronald Gong and Teresa Holland.
Why does Elon Musk dislike the normal education system?
Elon Musk believes the current education system could be vastly improved. And it’s not surprising. According to Mairem Del Río at Entrepreneur, Musk didn’t like school as a child.
“I hated going to school when I was little, it was torture,” confessed Musk, who was bullied as a child in South Africa.
And Musk’s views extend to the university experience as well. “I think college is basically a place to have fun and show that you can do your homework, but that’s not for learning,” Musk said in December 2020. With seven children of his own, Musk has decided to take matters into his own hands.
According to Del Río, “Musk has criticized America’s educational system on several occasions, but instead of just making complaints, he got down to business. In 2014, the billionaire announced the creation of Ad Astra, a mysterious disruptive school with its own system, in which his children and only a select few study.”
“Ad Astra, which is Latin for ‘towards the stars’, [remains] totally secretive. Very little is known about this exclusive school, located at the SpaceX facility in California,” notes Del Río. The curriculum is said to include artificial intelligence, applied science, coding, and design.
According to the portal The Hustle, the goals of this hermetic school are:
Be an alternative to the age segregation model. Elon Musk says that separating children by age does not make sense for education, because students have different interests and abilities that are independent of how old they are.
Focus on problem solving. Instead of giving children ‘tools’ in a vacuum, they should be taught how to solve problems.
Gamification. The tycoon pointed out that he does not have to “encourage his children to play”, since education through games is something natural for children.
