Why kids shouldn’t go to school
I’ve been through the school system for a decade and a half and come to the realisation of the education evolution.
Schools always been something I’ve been relatively good at, but now in tertiary it’s become highly evident that you a) you can’t coast through b) grades don’t define your life and c) you’re an idiot if you think that they do.
What I mean by this and something I believe needs addressing as we near another year of schooling, is how we define success for the younger generations. School originally was designed to teach us all the fundamental things such as history and English (important), maths (important), science (important), physical education (important), and the arts (important).
However, as you start to elevate past 3ft in height so does the aim of the ‘importance’ of education. No longer are we exploring everything that we once were when we were younger.
Education becomes waist up, extending to the point where we are only exercising one side of our brains.
This system, which is so drilled into us, leads us to an understanding that this is what defines our success. Will we be ‘good enough’ to get a job? Will we be ‘successful enough’ to become a leader of a firm or create substantial change in the world? If we can’t achieve these things, we are told no, and we are told at a young age.
As we are in the age of the internet — the information age, a lot of what we have learnt and are continuing to teach our kids has in a sense become redundant. All of what we learn in school is important and it’s not about that, but rather how we are teaching and testing. What’s the point of memorising all the native trees in New Zealand when you can have the answers on your smart phone in 3 seconds.
We have defined success for so many students by how well they are able to regurgitate information which is now readily available at our fingertips all the time.
My opinion, though highly likely unpopular, I want to share, as the way we teach and nurture our kids is so fundamental. Which brings me to success in 2016. Our kids are our future and for those that sucked at school, but ruled in rugby, or can dance incredibly, how are we fostering the positive attributes and skills that they bring to the society? Maybe I write this purely out of the fact I am a romantic type of person, but how can we foster this sort of creativity more in schools with the high negative connotations it comes with at such a young age?
Furthermore, above anything else we should be fostering good self-esteem. If kids know they are valued and cared for, it removes a sense of fear of failure.
A lot of this comes from the upbringing by the parents, but how is it possible to cultivate a culture of this when the school system they’re in for 40-ish hours a week is so rigid? Thus, this segways into the fact that there is an inevitable amount of influence that this has on young, impressionable individuals.
Before I get not nice comments from friends that are teachers/academics, let’s get something straight first:
- I respect you. Teaching is a massive feat and I’m not sure how I’d manage to do your job the way you do (massive ups to anyone who’s reading this and has ever taught me at school/university — you rule, and I appreciate you).
- It’s not teachers I’m against (or that I’m against anything at all), it’s more that I feel we aren’t teaching in the year that students are living in. — And that the things we are focusing on are way too emphasised than things that deserve equal lovin’.
- Although, yes, we are all technically numbers in a system (my uni ID is 9 digits long, what is that?), and I understand that a lot of teachers teach because they love to play a role in how young people turn out (there are some teachers I am so grateful for regarding this, don’t get me wrong) — it’s the system which sucks and is a little bit screwed.
Moreover to my main point, though, are we moving too far from the real essence of education and learning?
- Are we creating true stable foundations for our future leaders, scientists, athletes and artists?
- Do the systems we have in place look at the people, not just the statistics?
- What does education look like in 2016 so that we can be revolutionary game changers in the next 5, 10 years — or nah?
- Is the testing we have in place accurate enough to determine whether something that is taught is cemented, or is it subjectable enough to question?
To summarise the 4 minute rambling of my thoughts, here is a gif from one my favourite moments for one of my favourite films. It doesn’t require facts and figures, rather the exploration of the mind — but without that, we will not, and do not progress. It speaks for itself but here are my last thoughts to leave you to ponder:
Education, be what it may, is a wonderful thing. How have we and are we designing it in a way that brings together all elements of humanity to further progress our thinking, movement, and steps into the future?
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Here’s an ironic A+ for reaching the end of the post. If you’d give this 4 minute read a good grade — the ❤ in the corner is your friend. I hope this post was a little too controversial and that we can get a bit of a conversation going. Or not. But maybe that’s a great idea and we could really say some super positive or crappy things. Always strive for things that set your soul on fire. — A x
