'Dad Musk' with 12 Children... School Without PE or Music Classes, STEM-Focused 'Education Experiment' [MuskXTrump]

⑧What is Musk's Private School 'Ad Astra'?
Established in California in 2014 and Texas this year
Focus on Improving Problem-Solving Skills in Education
Emphasizes "No Social Propaganda in the Classroom"

"The education I thought was necessary doesn't seem to happen in ordinary schools. So I thought about what I could do. I figured it might be better to (directly) create a school myself."

Elon Musk, CEO of six companies including Tesla and SpaceX, said this in a Chinese broadcast in 2015. Musk is known to be a 'dad' with 12 children as of current knowledge. One year before appearing on the Chinese broadcast, in 2014, he established a private school called 'Ad Astra' near Hawthorne, Los Angeles, California, for five of his children. Although it started for his own children's education, after 10 years, Musk is expanding this so-called 'educational experiment' based on his own educational philosophy.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was seen walking with his son, 'X Æ A-12,' on his shoulders at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on the 5th. Photo by UPI

Concept of a 'laboratory-like' school... No physical education or music taught

Bloomberg recently reported that Musk plans to open the Ad Astra private school, which focuses on science and engineering education for children, in Texas as well. While the original Ad Astra was located in California, the new school is being established in Texas, where the SpaceX base is located. After Texas authorities granted initial approval last month, Musk was able to operate a school accommodating 21 students. Bloomberg speculated that Musk created this new school with his young children and the children of his company employees in mind. It is reported that six of Musk's 12 children were born within the last five years.

According to the report, this school operates in a form similar to the famous American private child education institution, Montessori School. It especially runs a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The school’s website states, "Our goal is to cultivate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and designers," emphasizing project-based learning that encourages children to explore, experiment, and discover solutions to problems.

Musk is said to have envisioned a laboratory-like school from the time he first opened the school in 2014. The Washington Post (WP) reported in June 2018 about Ad Astra, which Musk secretly operated for his children, describing it as a 'venture capital incubator' type school where students delve into robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and more. At that time, the school taught coding, mathematics, computer science, and chemistry, while physical education, music, and language education were hard to find in the curriculum.

The SpaceX headquarters and the main rocket testing site located in Boca Chica, Texas, USA Photo by UPI Yonhap News

At that time, the head of Ad Astra told WP that the curriculum was mainly focused on improving problem-solving skills. For example, students were assigned roles representing the United States, China, and North Korea to conduct trilateral nuclear negotiations. The curriculum reportedly did not assign tasks or grades but allowed students to study self-chosen topics in teams.

The newly established Ad Astra in Texas is expected to operate a similar educational curriculum. According to the information posted on the school’s website, it enables students to explore STEM concepts through hands-on learning materials and develop the skills needed to solve problems at their own pace. The website states that the school is accepting applications for children aged 3 to 9 and will open this fall. However, Bloomberg reported that when a reporter recently visited on a weekday morning, the school was closed, no one responded, and there were no students present.

"Progressive indoctrination in schools"?Musk criticizes

Leading global companies and becoming the world's richest person, as well as being called the 'First Buddy' of the next U.S. president, Musk’s educational approach is attracting attention. The STEM- and experiment-focused curriculum appears to be a direct reflection of Musk’s usual educational philosophy. Ahead of this year’s U.S. presidential election, Musk emphasized at a campaign rally for then-Republican candidate Donald Trump, "I think significant reform is needed in (current U.S. school) education," adding, "Priority should be given to teaching children skills useful in life, and no social propaganda should remain in the classroom."

It is also analyzed that Musk’s educational views stem from personal experiences during child-rearing. According to the biography 'Elon Musk' written by famous author Walter Isaacson, Musk expressed concern that American schools were "engaging in progressive indoctrination." He experienced conflicts with his child Vivian Jenna Wilson, who transitioned from male to female, believing that Jenna’s values were influenced by school education.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk (right in the photo) and his child Vivian Jenna Wilson (Photo by Vivian Jenna Wilson SNS)

"Jenna transformed from a socialist to a full communist, thinking all rich people were evil, which intensified our conflicts. The children attended that school (Crossroads, a private school in Los Angeles) until about age fourteen. I thought it was necessary for them to face the real world when entering high school, so I enrolled them in another school. I should have let them complete high school at Ad Astra."

Bloomberg also pointed out that Musk’s establishment of his own educational institution was a backlash against the progressive tendencies in the U.S. education system that emphasize 'woke' education, a concept adding political correctness translated as 'awakened' or 'enlightened.' In August, Musk posted on his social network service (SNS) account, "Many schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves," adding, "This must stop."

Musk’s actions align with the education policies emphasized by then-President-elect Trump during his campaign. In his re-election pledge 'Agenda 47,' Trump stated, "Instead of continuing to indoctrinate young people with inappropriate racial, gender, and political materials as is currently done, our schools must be completely restructured to prepare children for success in the workforce."

Musk’s educational experiment is expected to extend beyond schools for minors. At the end of last year, U.S. media reported that Musk plans to establish a university in Texas that provides top-level education. The plan is to expand STEM-focused educational institutions not only to elementary and secondary schools but also to universities. This university is expected to be an engineering college with a practical, work-oriented curriculum.