Elon Musk is not only trying increase the US population by impregnating female employees of his companies, but also building schools for children. Musk’s private school in Texas began accepting applications on Wednesdayaccording to a tweet from Ad Astra School. Beginning in the fall, applications are open to all boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 9, according to the school’s website.
Ad Astra was founded in Los Angeles in 2014 to educate Musk’s children and those of a handful of his employees at companies like SpaceX. The school reportedly closed in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, but is reopening in Bastrop, Texas, for the 2024-2025 school year.
Musk’s tunnel-boring company, The Boring Company, is based in Bastrop, Tesla’s headquarters are nearby in Austin, and SpaceX will soon officially move to Starbase, Texas, about five hours to the south.
Musk’s characteristics and ideology for learning in his school
Musk’s approach to learning has been unconventional, to say the least. Shortly after the school opened, the billionaire told an interviewer that he doesn’t believe in separating children into grades.
“I have all the kids go to the same grade at the same time, like on an assembly line,” is what Musk was quoted as saying in 2015“It makes more sense to offer them education that is relevant to their skills and abilities.”
The school’s website indicates that 18 children between the ages of 3 and 6 (what they call the primary level) and 30 children between the ages of 6 and 9 (what they call the lower elementary level) will be admitted for the upcoming school year. And while it’s not entirely clear why 3-year-olds and 9-year-olds would be taught the same things at the same time, or if that’s still the plan, we’re sure Musk has his reasons.
“Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” the school states in its website. “Ad Astra’s educational approach focuses on hands-on, project-based learning where kids are encouraged to explore, experiment, and discover solutions to real-world problems. Ad Astra offers a progressive learning environment that emphasizes the integration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) into its curriculum.”
Education soaked by political inclinations
It’s unclear how Musk’s personal politics might impact the school since the tech mogul has really leaned into the far-right version of the world lately. Since promoting racist conspiracy theories From extremes to anti-trans prudishness, Musk is probably not the kind of person any average American would want as a teacher for their children. But of course, Musk won’t be the teacher, just the guy who will forever be tied to the school.
The Ad Astra school, for its part, presents a number of clarifications on non-discrimination based on “race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality”. Discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity does not seem to be mentioned.
As he points out ForbesMusk has been buying up land in Bastrop since at least 2021, which has caused some unrest among locals about his presence in the community, including the environmental impact of SpaceX launches and how the company manages wastewater.
The Ad Astra school did not immediately respond to emailed questions Thursday morning. Gizmodo will update this post if we hear back.
