One of the most crucial aspects of being human entails the ability to acquire and process information. Much like every other animal we do this by exposing to our environment. Our culture has devised specific methods for transferring information but seem to be stagnant for more than 3 centuries. What we call Modern Education is nothing more than a persisting relic of the past — a repackaged and hasty solution that aims towards conformity rather than individual creative development.
If one needs to understand how Modern Education works, I would advice a visit to a factory assembly line. Much the same, students are placed on a narrow, constantly moving path. Within a specific time interval, information pours down to the student, irrelevant to ability, comprehension or even desire.
If something goes wrong in the assembly line, nothing can be done to be corrected. Much like a factory, our society treats students on the same grounds of cost-benefit analysis. The defects are left out and eventually are getting brushed away.
As if this was not enough, those who are resistant to this absurd ritual of information gathering are medicated so they can conform. Humans are animals that thrive on activity. Our bodies are build for constant movement, not sitting immobile for hours. If one has an inability to concentrate to the suffocating classroom environment they are labeled as hyperactive — often given medication for ADHD. This is how flawed our system is. Instead of changing our oppressive ways, we poison our children with drugs to make them sit still.
The model of the Modern Class hasn't changed much since the early 1800's. At the dawn of the industrial revolution, factory workers were taught their tasks in specific classes. All wore the same uniform and all ought to digest the given information if they were to be employed and make a living. This model of worker training was copied in education and was followed to the letter. The student was ready to roll right after they left school. Fast forward 200 years later and not much has changed. Most people end up as wage slaves, serving someone else's happiness instead of their own.
There are solutions to this problem and there have been plenty of individual initiatives. The internet is perhaps the most revolutionary advancement towards a better education since the student can take control. We can become our own teachers. Online Education also brings another revolution to the outdated Model. Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, makes an excellent point about this. He pretty much states that students can control their education by functions such as pausing and repetition, something that is unheard to the assembly line system.
Everyone learns on their own pace. With an educational video a student can take as much time as they need to digest the material and even take multiple brakes along the way. Communities can be formed not on arbitrary age but rather desire to learn and level of accomplishment.
The state remains resistant to such changes and for good reason. Governments see students as future sponsors of their model. From a young age, children are taught a specific version of history and culture that supports the state's agenda. This is not some conspiracy theory. This is much like working in Apple, promoting that you and only you makes the best products. If you don't have the same positive spirit as the group then you will be casted away.
While I was in Australia, I met Aboriginal students that taught themselves English and math through the computer. We are talking about people that live extremely remotely and are pretty much cut off from the rest of the world. Yet, they managed to find information without much hassle. Some of them even ended up getting college degrees.
There is absolutely no need for one to attend school in this time and age. All we need is right in front of us. Technology. I often hear the argument that children need guidance — even if they can learn teach themselves in front of a computer. This is nothing but a blind belief that is often mascaraed in fear. What we truly desire is to teach children what to think instead of how to think. This has been the single most important problem in the educational system.
Humans are no different than other animals. Through exposure to our environment we learn how to adopt and prosper. By being given specific answers for every problem we limit our creativity severely. Ken Robinson has given a great lecture about this. More or less he employees studies in order to explain how children are able to come up with more creative solutions when they are young. This ability severely diminishes as we grow older due to restrictive nature of our educational system.
Future generations will look back to our indoctrination model and wonder how we got this all wrong for so many years. Sacrificing so many children's potential for the sake of efficiency is an unthinkable act. A child is nothing more than a vessel of possibilities. We owe to nourish and empower them. They are the ones controlling our future.
