Beyond high school I think should be optional without penalty. If you learned your skill in your field while you could have been in school should be just as valuable.

Some people are canals and some rivers. Canals must be directed their flow, controlled to properly get the end result. Some people are rivers and naturally move how they will, flow with path of least resistance given the land around the river. Canals need school, rivers don’t but do it anyway most of the time.