There was a time in my life when I would have given my whole life to school. Nothing else really mattered to me. I just wanted to become the brightest bulb there was. After reaching that point, though, something about me changed. Or rather, I finally reflected on the corrupt and cruel nature of education.
Corrupt? Cruel? What could be so corrupt or cruel about the education system we uphold?
Learning is subjective. How people process information is subjective, yet the education system offers little flexibility. While you may be able to choose which classes you’re in, once you get to middle and high school, these classes are taught in the same way.
The education system treats learning very linearly. But the truth is, the best way for kids to learn is to discover.
Being a kid is a time of discovery, not a time of feeding them information that will only temporarily stick with them, eventually dwindling into their adult years. School is often a weight-training program for the brain, but what happens when the brain is overly trained?
You start to get a distaste for what was once something enjoyable, rejecting the idea of school entirely. School becomes a chore. One that weighs you down more than it lifts you.
Education doesn’t need to be like this anymore. There are plenty of alternative educational options for kids and even adults after high school. The only downside is that these haven’t been widespread enough to be known or trusted by most people.
Being homeschooled is commonly known, but what do you actually know about it? A lot of homeschooling is a hybrid of self-paced and a set schedule, which helps keep students making progress while being able to work at their own speed.
Humans don’t like change, which is a big psychological factor in our decision to stay with the education system we’ve built and maintained for the longest time. However, advancements can be made. To be better, change is needed. Risks need to be taken. There was never a great advancement in society as a whole without risks.
For the next generations to truly succeed, we need to advance their learning with new ways of teaching. An era of rediscovery is what’s needed.
