Our Educational System is Deeply Flawed…and Here’s Why
Some things need to change.
The high school examination in China started in 581 CE during the Sui Dynasty. It was meant to encourage social mobility, meant to be an opportunity for the poor to hold positions in the government.
What is it like now?
Depression, anxiety, and even suicide…Yes, we have some news coverage, but what exactly have we done to change the status quo? Nothing.
Students spend up to 12 years studying the same content as everyone else and end up developing the same “interests.” The high school examination has nothing to do with how good of a student you are. Rather, it tests your ability to memorize knowledge and regurgitate on your exam papers.
We are too afraid to let go of this tradition, simply because it is a tradition. Even if it’s not so great.
“We don’t need no education
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall.” — Pink Floyd
But we can’t just blame this on history and traditions. Education all over the world has the same problems.
I am a junior in an international high school in China, and most students at my school are applying to universities in the US, UK, or Korea. It is an understatement to say that my peers are highly stressed. Several have depression or anxiety. Some were advised by doctors to take gap years. Others attempted suicide. Our school has taken several procedures to help relieve stress and there are plenty of student clubs that aim to solve this problem.
But the root cause lies in the educational system itself. Or more accurately, in our deformed society.
Most colleges say that they review the applicants “holistically,” which means that “every part of your application matters to help inform their decision.” They look at your GPA, your standardized scores, compare you to your peers, check your family background, and evaluate you as a whole.
Common terms that come into play when discussing college applications are “spike” and “well-rounded.” If you have a “spike,” you are an A-student, occasionally getting an A- or B in English or Literature, but has a 5 in AP Computer Science A, won several international and national computing awards, and developed a face-recognition program for your school’s student check-in system. (Sorry English students, this is an example!!) If you are “well-rounded,” you are the 4.0 student, the class president, president of NHS, and 4 other clubs, a varsity team captain, won several awards in piano or violin, loves outdoor activities, and helping the elderly or disabled children. You are a kind and considerate human being and can pretty much excel in everything.
Most students get to this point like uh…where’s the third category?
Introducing the third category, specifically and uniquely named “everyone else.” And you fit right into this category. By the way, congrats, you have found a bunch of other students who are just like you.
Is there anything wrong with this large group of students?
Let’s do a quick search about how long it took people to find their passions.
“It took me 30 years.”
“I’m an entrepreneur in my 60s.”
“Fauja Singh ran his first marathon at age 89, went on to be a torchbearer in two Olympics, and became the first 100-year-old to run a marathon in 2011.”
And lots of other people haven’t found their passions at the age of 30. 50. 70.
Everyone has a different timeline. Some people are quick to find their life-long interests. They were given a guitar at a young age (because their family could afford one) and became a famous musician. They owned several electronic devices (and possibly broke some of them) as elementary school students, which helped develop their passion for computer science. Their parents were artists, so they also loved painting as young children and became a painter when they grew up.
But some people are slow. And that’s ok.
What’s not ok is that it seems like the college application process does not allow for such variations. The educational system does not allow for such variations. Our society does not allow for such variations.
Our society labels slow and even autistic learners as stupid and lazy students. The students teachers place in the back of the class just so that they don’t have to see these students’ faces with pain and confusion and feel bad about their teaching ability. The students whose parents get called in every once in a while, whose parents feel humiliated by their own children and scream at them with vague criticism which include but do not limit to “when can you grow up” and “stop making stupid mistakes.” Stuff they can’t even do. More on this in future articles.
Slow learners are slow not because they want to, but because of their educational and family environments, and even how their brains are structured. These are factors that are often outside of their control. It requires a detailed and specific explanation in order for somebody to maybe truly grasp how a particular learner is shaped. Unfortunately, an admission officer is too busy for that. They want to know everything about your 10+ years of life in less than 10 minutes. Maybe even 5.
There is a Chinese proverb about a farmer who thought his sprouts grew too slowly and pulled the sprouts taller so that they can grow faster. Guess what? He ended up killing all the sprouts. Our educational system is the farmer. Who cares about variety, creativity, and individual circumstances? We want results.
It seems as if colleges don’t want students who are still in search of their interests and passions. They want the people who know what field they want to go into, what subject they want to research, which professor they want to work with…Their holistic review is for them to place you into categories like “Literature,” “Physics,” “Chemistry,” “Athletics,” and “Arts.”
It seems as if nobody realizes how rushed these decisions are for such important matters. Many students start college life and enter the workforce, certain about their goals for their 80 years of life and what they want to pursue, based on just 18 or 22 years of experience, only to realize that their true passions lie somewhere else.
It seems as if our society has shaped the educational system to be a theatre for students all around the world to act and be in a role they barely have any personal connections with. It is truly a joyful show, but under the masks are tear stains and scars.
This needs to change.
“About a year ago I found myself in what I call the ‘point of no return’. The point where you realize that most of your life’s choices were not really yours but based on assumptions and prejudices so deeply ingrained in the mind that feel like a second skin. The moment when you are standing face to face with your illusions, watching your certainties collapsing like a castle in the sand. That moment hurts. A lot.” — Tania Kemou
Are your passions really YOUR passions? Or are they just reflections of what your teachers or parents want you to do? Are they part of the show you put on for colleges, society, and the world to see you as a passionate and driven student?
Key Takeaways
- Everyone has a different timeline. Some people find their passions and life goals earlier than others. Some people are slower. There is nothing wrong with being slow.
- For students: be yourself. be confident. have faith in yourself.
- For educators: be supportive. be understanding. be open to shifts in from a rigid mindset.
- Food for thought: what are some improvements we can make to the educational system? How do we better deliver education? What can communities do to support students?
Warning: this article is based solely on my own experience and thoughts, and is not meant to be an attack on any educational institute in particular. Feel free to comment and share!
