Where Education Meets Life
The first education system was created as a place for people to learn specialized skills, such as reading and writing, which were applicable to their society. The focus then shifted to a basis for military training. In ancient Greece, young men were trained to be prepared for physical activity. This is because, at the time, this is what was needed in society, in terms of specialized skills. Education evolved because the needs of society evolved. When looking throughout history, education acts as a catalyst for progress, based on the various conflicts occurring at the time.
Motivation to learn, in early civilizations, was through harsh, physical discipline. We would hope that today we have advanced enough to be motivated by our own desires for success, once reaching adulthood. However, our motives are still twisted. We tend to only look at the short term successes of our actions, rather than looking into the future. When in High school, students fret about getting into college. They use this as a marker for their success. College, however, is temporary. We have gotten away from the original intent of educating the public; to create well integrated members of society, who will benefit it as a whole.
We are programmed to always be preparing for the next thing.
High school is preparation for college.
College is preparation for a job.
Due to external pressures, people get sidetracked by what schooling was made to do. This is where Mark Twain spoke some truth, when he said, “I never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
Today, there is pressure to be an expert in every field. Not only is this impossible, but it also leaves room for mediocrity. When one is stretched so thin, there is no chance for them to excel. It is impossible to be great at everything. This is why there are different career fields, based on specialized skills. Schooling and education creates a pathway to test out these different fields, allowing young aspiring students to find their place. However, when there is pressure to succeed in all aspects, it is impossible to find your own place.
There is a dichotomy between education and schooling. The relationship between these two seems simple, seemingly impossible to have one without the other. However what happens when one abuses the power of these entities? Both, as concepts, cannot have power. It is those who take advantage of and manipulate that give it potential to become impactful. It is hard to see one without the other, since often they go hand in hand. School is often seen as the outlet, in which education can be obtained. See, you cannot talk about education without discussing the methods in which one will reach this pinnacle of knowledge. When used correctly, it creates a window of opportunities, each allowing students to take risks and be their own leaders, while having the proper support to do so. This, however, is the ideal. In most cases, especially in today’s fast paced world, where quantity is valued over quality
The separation between these two entities is the key to creating a more well rounded, growing society. Education does not end when you leave school. If approached correctly, it is something that should continue throughout your whole life.
Education, should have a lasting effect on us, and how we act. If properly educated, we will have all the skills to advance in society, as a generation. This is because we will be progressive enough in our thinking to make change, while also knowing how to interact with one another, civilly.
I was once in Starbucks, cramming for an AP test. I was noticeably struggling until an older man walked over to me, white ceramic coffee mug in one hand, piece of pound cake in another. He interrupted my mindless studying to confirm his suspicions that I was in fact studying American history. Only then did I find out that He had taught that exact course, only recently retiring to a position of a part time sub. He kindly asked if I had any questions. With just one question, he had been transported back to his teaching years, telling me about Powhatan settlements as if he had been there himself. Somewhere in the midst of his rambling, he had taken the seat across from me. He egged me on to ask more questions, clearly eager to keep talking. When he talked, he wasn’t just rattling off facts for the hell of it, but he talked about these events with such passion, that made me want to keep listening. It is now a month later, and to be completely honest, I do not remember even half of what he told me. But I remember that he came up to me when I was struggling, and used his skills to help me. By using the knowledge he gained from his focused in his area of choice, he was able to benefit others.
When I told my mom about my strange interaction, I called him the smartest man I had ever met. Now, I never saw his test scores, never checked his GPA, nor did I know whether or not he was the president of his class. But that didn’t matter, because in that moment he had the courage and confidence to share his knowledge with an unknowing stranger.
This, to me is the power of education. It is the spreading of knowledge to better others, not competing for a status. He was able to hold a conversation, effortlessly with a stranger, while sharing his passion. While we didn’t share the same interests, and had nearly nothing in common, I was extremely fascinated by what he had to say. I was more invested and interested than I would be in any history class, simply because of the way he spoke. The combination of social skills with knowledge makes for powerful change. This conversation alone shows the benefits of diversity in ideas, in a flourishing society.
We think of education as content. A string of facts, that are forgotten, as soon as they fulfill their purpose. As young students, about to enter college, content is at the forefront of our minds, because this is what we need to get the grades, to get into the school. We don’t learn the content because we desire a higher level of knowledge, we do it to impress others. If this is how we think of education then ‘education’ virtually pointless.
If education is enlightenment, then we are always being educated. Education is gained through our interaction with others. It is the exchange of knowledge, and outreach of assistance that spreads. Once we recognize that school is not the sole outlet for education, we allow ourselves the opportunity to spread ideas and reach this pinnacle of enlightenment.
