The other five men appeared to be proudly independent and saw no real need for ABE. They made comments such as the following.

“You need Grade 12 to be a doorman, now.”
“I was a man when I was 12 years old - working on the land.”
“I have a worldly education.”
“There are no benefits in going back to school.”
“I am successful so far, why do I need an education?”
“Education corrupts people. Educated people have their hand out for the almighty dollar and they forget their fellow human beings. We are destroying the planet.”
“Everything is becoming computerized, there is no concern for people. Older people are not being protected.”
“The welfare system is a system of social control - it's like serfdom in medieval times. Instead of giving your produce to the lord of the manor, you check in once a month to an office so they know what you are up to.”
“I wouldn't go to school. People would know I was dumb.”
“We really need job-training to counteract credentialling.”
“Why go to school for four years? What's at the end of it? I know people with 2 year college degrees and there's no jobs for them. They do what I do.”
“I'm an independent handyman type, I like practical "how-to" things.”

In addition, some of them quoted "pride", "temper", and "impatience" as reasons for not participating.

Some of these men rely on others to perform literacy tasks for them. One of the men has "a lady-friend who was a teacher" and, "she helps me out." Another depends on his wife and "camouflages" his poor spelling by just "squiggling" his writing. One man had considered taking a course at the local college but had no transportation and the scheduling was wrong. Despite the bravado however, two of the men seemed to weaken at the end of the interview. As the writer was leaving his home, one of the younger ones said, I know I'll have to go back [to school] one day." The other one said, "Where would I go if I wanted to go back?" Both these men had had bad school experiences and the bitterness had carried over and stayed with them in their adult life.