This chapter interrogates the paradox at the heart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, where compulsory education is framed as a “human right” despite its inherently coercive nature. The author critiques traditional, state-imposed schooling for stifling personal agency and reducing education to a tool of totalized paternalistic control. Drawing on historical examples and philosophical arguments, the chapter exposes how compulsory education serves state interests—from nation-building to economic efficiency—at the expense of genuine, self-directed learning. It calls for a radical reimagining of education centered on dignity, where learners are empowered to determine their own educational paths in the here-and-now.