Life has been going through one of those really sucky phases that we all face from time to time the last few days.
The youngest of our two dogs has been really sick and the weekend has been spent visiting emergency rooms with her and trying to find the cause.
It’s still not clear what’s wrong although it’s almost certainly liver related and she is along way from being out of the woods.
So as I was worrying (yes, even Certified Life Coaches that say worrying is silly, worry from time to time!) about her and thinking I didn’t want to write a post, I got one e-mailed to me from Bud Hennekes a client of mine.
To be fair I’d previously asked Bud if I could use a post he originally published a year or so ago. When I read it I was really impressed with the quality of writing and the core of the message and thought you’d like it too.
A Quick Note from Bud: I wrote this post nearly a year ago, and have since spent a year in college. While I have matured immensely over the past year, I still agree with the heart of the post. Being in college for a year, has only amplified my feelings towards the current education system. At the time of this writing, I am working to take a year off from my studies and instead pursue my passions.
WARNING: This post goes against social conditioning: read if you dare
As my high school career is slowly coming to an end, (I graduate June 11th) I have found myself particularly reflective on the value I have received from high-school.
I end my high school career with a sub-par 2.5 G.P.A, having never received a prestigious academic award, and a quick glance at my attendance record would reveal numerous absences (OK 32 days just this year.)
If I listen to what I have been socially conditioned to believe:
Sub-par grades + no awards + poor attendance = the end of my life, right? I beg to differ.
Chasing The ‘A’
For most of my life, along with millions of other students, I have been taught to believe that the secret to a successful life is to get outstanding grades. Get those amazing grades and everything will work out. Slowly over the years however, I have discovered this premise to be completely false.
Luckily, over the past few years, I have been fortunate enough to immerse myself in a variety of empowering perspectives and thus have come to understand that we are 100 percent responsible for our life. We can be as happy and as successful as we choose to be. Our attitude, not our grades, determines our success.
I have been fortunate enough to recognize that education goes beyond just the classroom. Life is our greatest mentor. Unfortunately, I’m one of the lucky ones.
Myself, along with millions of other students, have failed to apply ourselves, not because we’re not smart enough, not because we don’t care about our future, but because we are tired of being dictated by a system of letters.
Continually brain washing students into believing good grades are essential in living a successful life, has had some disastrous consequences:
Students are more stressed then ever. Cheating has become increasingly rampant. Students spend an excessive amount of time obsessing over getting perfect scores (after all they’ve been told they won’t have a job if they don’t.) In fact, a classmate of mine routinely stays up past 2 A.M in order to stay a float. Excessive? I think so.
What’s even more depressing about our current education system, is that it leaves millions of “average” students behind. Millions of kids with incredible potential are left to die (educationally speaking), never realizing their true potential.
Many of my current classmates, each of whom could literally change the world, are paralyzed by fear, and are instead choosing the path of security: That is get good grades. Get a job. Be happy. Unfortunately, that’s rarely how it unfolds.
We can live our purpose today.
I’m not suggesting that our current education system doesn’t do any good, it does teach us the basic necessities; However, much of what we learn in school is not practical in the real world.
Where are the courses on blogging? Where are the money management courses? Where are the classes dedicated to eradicate poverty? Where are the classes that help us find our purpose?
Our current education system places too much emphasis on the A and not enough emphasis on unleashing the promise that lies in each of us.
Education Through Reading And Experience
One of the most startling shortcomings of our current education system, is the lack of relevant reading. We are forced to read (A.K.A sparknote) ancient text that we often find difficult to understand. All this does is encourage a distaste for reading.
I’m not suggesting that ancient texts such as Shakespeare don’t have any value, however what the students read should be up to them.
“But wait! Then they will just be reading the latest trash.”
To which I reply ” Yes, but at least they will be reading.” Obviously, I think the quality of reading is important, but the the passion to read must come first.
Our top priority must be to instill a passion for reading. The progress of humanity depends on it.
A number of my friends routinely say, ” I hate reading”
And I always reply, “You just haven’t found the right book.”
For reading to complement education like it needs to, the books we read must be relevant to us. Not our teachers, not our parents, but us. Each book should be likened to a puzzle piece completing our soul. Obviously teachers may have ideas of what we may or may not like but the end decision must lie with us.
Our current education system is putting too much effort into things that don’t matter. Busy work, perfect grammar, memorization; all of which does nothing for us 10 years down the road.
Over the past 4 years I have read close to 100 books, with only a handful of those books being required for school.
The books I read outside of school have completely transformed me and have greatly affected my philosophy, my attitude, and who I am today.
Education is about unleashing one’s confidence. Education is learning from failure, it is growing from experience. Education is discovering your passions and pursuing them.
Education is not rote memorization. Education is not analyzing books that have no meaning to you. Education is not wasting your time on subjects you hate. Education is not being paralyzed because you’re afraid to fail.
Obviously, there are subjects we all need a basic understanding in but past that we shouldn’t be forced.
Having attended an international school in Shanghai China, I can honestly say I have learned more from bringing running water to a rural village in China, traveling to Russia, and making friends from around the world, then I ever have in a classroom.
Education is meant to be enlightening. Reading and experience are the key.
Finding Your Purpose
Education is meant to help us find our passion, our purpose in life. But unfortunately, our current education system fails miserably.
We’ve been told:
You have to go to college to be successful whether it’s through an online college or traditional school. After that you have to go to grad-school. Make sure you get all A’s or you will fail.
Instead of embracing education many students (including myself), have adopted a mindset to just survive.
We’re so used to being told who we can or cannot be, many us don’t even know who we want to be. All the education in the world is worthless if you never unlock what makes your heart beat.
Again, I have nothing against college or even grad-school for that matter. In fact I believe both can offer tremendous benefit to our being.
The problem lies in the fact that we’ve been told that you have to do this, you have to do that, in order to become successful.
Who says life has to be a linear line?
The traditional life time line: High School: College: Grad-School: Job ( you most likely hate): Retire: Die
Why can’t it be: High School: Find Your Purpose: Love Your Job: Live your life. Die Happy?
The latter sounds more enticing to me.
Education is all about growth, it’s about experience, it’s about creating authentic relationships. It’s about being human. It’s about connecting with humanity.
Our current education system is inherently flawed. Times are changing. We must stop obsessing over becoming “book smart” and instead focus on unleashing our passions.
Without living out our passions we just add to the clutter of the world.
When we choose security, we sacrifice our passions, killing part of us in the process.
I have tremendous faith that the answers to today’s problems of the world: poverty, war, and disease, will be solved by the youth of today not because they are smart but because they follow their passions.
Enough Is Enough
I know I speak for millions of students around the world when I say:
We’re tired of being told we’re not good enough. We’re tired of doing mindless work that only adds stress to our lives. We’re tired of feeling unworthy just because we fail to meet the expectations of the A+ poster child.
We’re tired of being told who we can or can not be. Shouldn’t we decide that for ourselves? We need to be inspired. We need to be encouraged. We need to spend time doing things we love. We want to change the world. Is that too much to ask?
So many students fail to realize their potential because a simple grade tells them they have none. They receive a D and thus feel they are worthless and have nothing to contribute to this world. This defeats the whole purpose of education. Education is meant to build not destroy.
In no way am I suggesting getting good grades is a bad thing; that would be foolish. Getting good grades is not the problem. Allowing grades to dictate one’s life is because grades don’t guarantee success.
Passion + Determination + Positive Attitude = Success
I’ll give you an A if you transform the world
What are your thoughts on our current education system? What do you think must be done? I encourage you to share your comments in the comment section below.
While I don’t have all the answers, it’s obvious our current education system needs major reform, until then however, it can proudly boast a fat D- on its fridge.
Editors Note: In no way is this post attempting to bash the educators of our world (whom I am eternally grateful for) but rather the education system as a whole.
Author Bio: Bud Hennekes is the new writer behind the personal development blog PluginID. His hobbies vary depending on the day but more often than not he enjoys: reading, writing, conversation, meditating, and changing the world.
Tim Brownson is a Certified Life Coach and has been unsticking people and helping them reach their true potential since 2005. If you would like to know how he can help you
The education system absolutely needs to be reformed. I just don’t know how to do it across the board. I know that I’ve spent countless hours on subjects that I never used again and didn’t care about to begin with. Why should we all be forced to know chemistry or calculus? We don’t all have the same strengths and so ‘failing’ at subjects aren’t with in our purpose or interest does nothing except lower our self esteem. If there was more of a focus early on about the plethora of possibilities open to people today people would have the opportunity to figure out who they are, what they want,and how they can impact the world that much sooner. this would allow people to miserable for less time.
What a revolutionary idea! Great job with starting the conversation, Bud.
Keith Johnstone (an improviser) once wrote that “Adults are atrophied children” and that education is a big reason for that. It took my well into my graduate degree before I was able to realize that.
Lots of people inside and outside the educational system know, agree and want the upgrade. But where to start and how.
elaerning has been seen as a potential solution.
PS there are even nice videos on Youtube about this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnh9q_cQcUE
@ Liz – The Jamie Oliver program has hit me so hard with how difficult change is to implement. Even when people have the obvious staring them in the face they still struggle to see it.
@ M – I like that quote, it’s bang on the money imho.
@ Peter – That reminds me of the Did You Know? clip which if anything is even more powerful – Thanks for sharing.
http://snipurl.com/vftli
Thank You!
I don’t remember the source of the quote…and so it is heavily paraphrased.
“education is not about filling the bucket..it is about igniting the fire”
unfortunately education seems to have forgotten to teach us HOW to think, and spends way to much time not only filling the bucket but cramming it full and jumping up and down on it to compress it and make room for more.
When we encourage people to think and ignite their passions, they find what really matters to them and then pursue it like a wildfire…. then they can make a difference in the world.
No way its bud! HA! I’m soo grateful for that guy taking over pluginid. This is just great. I’m so happy to have someone to have the same perspective. This is just so true. I’m going to give it to all my teachers! ;/
Passion + Determination + Positive Attitude = Success
I agree 100% The educational system puts too much emphasis on trying to fit the student to the model when the reality is that a significant percentage do not fit the model.
I was lucky enough to go through school and be blessed with teachers who put passion at the forefront of my education.
It’s a student-centric model that sadly hasn’t been adopted by too many schools.
I can’t remember the last time one of the kids in my life got excited about something they were studying at school.
Teachers need to focus more on passion – that’s the key to sparking a life long love affair with knowledge and learning.
I have recently posted on my blog that if there was one thing I could revolutionize in the world, it would definitely be an education system. Things need to change, that’s for sure. Awareness, purpose driven life, self – discovery – those topics must become a part of what we teach our kids. Great post Bud!
Talking about passion as a main ingredient to a successful life, there’s another one: creativity.
Whether it’s creativity which helps to find passion or passion which fuels creativity doesn’t matter. They are both sorely neglected in most educational systems.
Very convincingly – and ‘amusingly’- presented here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
Weirdness. I was just thinking of writing a post about what I’d wished they’d taught me in high school, junior high, grade school etc. I don’t want to completely knock my education, because apparently I learned a few useful things along the way.But I’m thinking:
Instead of teaching me how to use the jig saw in wood shop (a machine that terrified me and I have never once used again), why not teach me the whole righty tighty lefty loosey thing (I later learned it from a boyfriend as an adult), how to use a hammer and screw driver and what not. Why bring out tools that can easily slice off fingers before bringing out the tools that I might actually use in life?
Instead of teaching me how to sew (I’ve never used this skill), why not teach me: how to unclog a toilet, how to cook (I need to do that every single day), and how to replace a fuse, among other things.
Oh how to change a tire would have been nice.
In terms of real “it helps you get a job” education: how to teach myself–so I can continually learn. This might have replaced study hall. I figured it out on my own, but not everyone does.
Hey Bud and Tim,
You know, I often wonder about education as well. I’m a bit torn on it – I think that more important than some of the things I’ve learned in school are the processes, and also the self discipline and time management
Of course, not everyone is like me and values those things – and not everyone learns self discipline and time management in school! I think that there’s definitely room for improvement though, and I am seeing a *slow* shift towards more “real world” relevant coursework – but perhaps grading is still far behind, and perhaps the concepts of grades itself needs to be reconsidered
What is the source of the hatred of adults for children that means they inflict school on them?
Nice piece, Bud, and with a lot of passion. Tim, thanks for republishing it!
Bud, have you come across Ivan Illich’s book “Deschooling Society”? It’s a bit academic in tone, but I think you’d find it interesting. It was written in the 70s so dated in some respects but also very forward-thinking, and very thought-provoking about how school as an institution shapes and damages society.
I spent most of my teen years bored, miserable and bullied at school. I was a straight-A student, but I actually wish I’d spent more time figuring out what I enjoyed, and considerably less time worrying about getting things “right”.
When we have my own kids (a little way in the future yet!) my fiance and I are planning on homeschooling/unschooling. Quite a few bloggers (Dave Navarro, Naomi Dunford, Pace and Kyeli) are already on that route — and Johnny B Truant posted about his son Austin and his own thoughts about unschooling recently.
With all the small-biz, internet-biz, liberating yourself mindset, isn’t it time we applied that to our kids too?
Agree, agree, agree!! And I have two sons in their early 20′s who would agree with this wholeheartedly too! So many tears and so many bad feelings about grades in school… Thanks for your perspective :)
@ Mick – LOL, that is some metaphor you painted there mate!
@ Wolf – That is my favorite TED talk ever and one anybody interested in this topic should watch. His book ‘The Element’ is equally good.
@ Lana – I’m with you – almost. I’d get the health care system right first. In a country like this nobody should ever die because they cannot afford proper medical care.
@ Deborah – I agree about passion. I don’t speak to many or even any kids that are passionate about school, yet they are all passionate about other stuff. Often even that is knocked out of them by adulthood.
@ Alisa – I think it’s even more basic than that. Why not teach kids how to think? Seriously, how many kids do you know that have been taught to reframe etc?
@ Sid – I sure hope you’re right and there is a shift that I’m not seeing.
Evan – I love that reframe!
@ Ali – I think it’s sad that it has come to that though. Any Governments first reposnsibility is toward its citizens. In my mind the two basic human needs in that respect are health and education, and they are the two that are most neglected in some countries.
I know some people think defending their citizens in #1, but if we taught our kids properly we wouldn’t need to be marching into war at the drop of a hat! (rant over)
@ Lisa – At least they’re almost free!
Wise head on young shoulders…
Holy crap, Bud… this article made me want to pee in my pants from joy. I’m sorry for that imagery, but I don’t think anything else accurately conveys what I’m feeling from reading this. I too am fed UP with the education system. I’ll hear a lot of people say what you get from school is what you make of it and I do agree with that. It is, however, difficult to really find out what you want out of life (unless you’ve discovered that already) when you’re in an environment that is pressuring you to follow a pre-set path.
I do think that ancient texts have value because their core messages still apply to the present. Not much has changed under the sun, just the ways of expressing them. It’s when you have a teacher or a professor standing over you to dissect every aspect of that book into oblivion… and then tell you that you need to interpret it the way THEY believe it should be interpreted that ruins the whole experience. All while dangling a letter grade in front of you like a carrot. So perhaps it isn’t about the ‘right book’ — although this is true to an extent — but the mindset you’re in when you’re reading it.
The education system isn’t entirely to blame of course — we need to take more initiative to do better in order for the education system to function better. But before we get there we need a lot of awakening to do… something I feel this post does a good job of.
Hey guys and gals: I would have loved to have replied to the comments quicker but I’ve had something called school keep me busy ;) Don’t worry I’m working to change that. :)
@Liz: Good point Lizz. Again, the point of this article wasn’t to say that I have all the answers, but rather to raise awareness on the issue. I honestly feel that the dialogue needs to happen first before any lasting change can begin to take place. I’d be a fool to say education hasn’t helped me get to where I am today (I’m undoubtedly blessed) but at the same time I’ve spent hours upon hours outside the classroom educating myself in subjects that I am passionate about.
@M I’m glad you finally realized what it was you’re capable of. I know so many people who aren’t “book smart” but could really make a difference in this increasingly chaotic world.
@Peter: Agreed my friend. The point is something needs to happen now. The solutions will obviously not be perfect but there is no point waiting for the perfect moment that will never come.
@Mick: One of my favorite quotes is by Mark Twain ” I never let schooling get in the way of my education.” You’re absolutely right. We need to catch fire as you said so yourself.
Bud, you don’t have a problem with the education system. You have a problem with the mind set of a lot of students.
I love going to college, because it encourages me to think otu of the box, learn new things and gives me the opportunity to develop myself more as a person. I don’t go to college to chase after the A, I see it as a way to get my grade, so I can become a doctor.
Education doesn’t have to be forced studying and chasing after A’s, it can be fun.
My life time line:
high school – college, have lots of fun with friends, develop yourself as a person and have even more fun – grad school, work hard, but on something you love – get a job you love – never retire, just die.
@Alex Hey! I stopped by your site earlier and left you a comment. Thanks for the support at PluginID.
@Deborah: Again, there are MANY amazing teachers out there, the problem doesn’t lie in the teachers but rather the system as a whole. Obviously there are some teachers who shouldn’t be allowed to teach but at the same time I feel as many of those who give their lives to teach really do want to help students as best as they can. Glad you were one of the fortunate ones.
@Lana thanks :)
@Alisa: As I mentioned before, to say I would be doing what I am today without a traditional education might be a bit of a stretch. It has taught me a handful of valuable lessons. But much of my transformation has occurred solely through the chasing of my passions, and a ton of outside reading. Ultimately it is up to the person to decide how badly they want a proper education.
@Sid: Great points. I do think school can help you with organization and self discipline.. but consider this: If you’re being disciplined to do stuff you could careless about what is that really saying? Obviously, there will be times in life we must do things we don’t want to.. but tolerating as much as we can’t stand won’t help anyone in the long run.
P.S For those who read this in the future. I’m not particularly interested in whether or not you agree with me, (ie good post) but instead I’m interested in what you think NEEDs to be done. :)
@Stefan Interesting take on things. Thanks for your thoughts. Can you HONESTLY say college teaches you to think outside the box? Just curious. I’m not saying it isn’t.
Also: I don’t go to college to chase after the A, I see it as a way to get my grade, so I can become a doctor.
^ In that case I do believe a more “rigid” education is required. Much of education depends on what you want to do in the long run. You can’t teach yourself how to be a doctor by only reading books. Glad the college experience has worked out for you so far man.
Great stuff Buddy boy!
You are wise beyond your years.
I know it sounds a bit cynical but I have to ask:
Do you not think Big Government is PURPOSEFULLY carrying on a sub-par education system (both here in the UK and the US?)
After all, what would a controlling, fear-and-control-obsessed entity want with millions of inspired, purposeful, independent dudes and dudettes running around?
And wouldn’t it prefer conditioned, similar, non-creative “yes people” to do its bidding?
I’ve considered this a lot, and I swear that it’s blindingly obvious that indiscriminately teaching maths, science, geography and history (etc) does not work.
Additionally, teaching money management, doing what you love, finding your passion, and “how to be happy” WOULD work.
But what the current system does do is produce lots of people who will pay for university, work for government and big business, and generally follow the rules and be a good human being.
Inspiring young people to do what they want, and be creative, and dream big and break all the rules… Well, those sorts of people don’t *need* government, do they?
They are gonna be the people who CHALLENGE the current notion of what government does for us… and probably decide that we only need them for very basic tasks (health, welfare, schools, prisons etc) and NOT as a patriarchal entity controlling our moves and thoughts!
Hmm… Maybe I’m off piste here. I love your article, but I swear to God it’s done this way on purpose. What do you reckon peeps / Tim / Bud??
Carl,
Personally I don’t know if I’d go that far. But what you say definitely has some merit. It’s a tough situation man. Anyways I better go shower so I’m not smelly for class ;)
Bud,
I think it depends on the state of mind you have whether college is stimulating you to think out of the box.
(To illustrate: I am in med school)
We recently had a patient in our lecture hall and he had a disease (called: ) which was a reason for him to not be able to move his body every once in a while. He woke up and he couldn’t move. So he had to scream for his father so he could call his work. The next day, he just was able to move again. When I was thinking about it, it reminded me of what jesus in the bible did right? He made a paralyzed guy move again. Pretty out of the box?
Another example. We had a conversation in our study group how we could make society more aware of the obesity-problem. How could we make the people understand why it was a bad thing and how could we stimulate people to start exercising and eat healthy food. Everybody came with the standard answers (taxes on fat food, marketing campagnes, blabla), but I was thinking to myself. What if we gave everybody a small shot of insuline, in that way, they will get a hypoglycaemia (some sort of attack people with diabetes get) and understand how awfull diabetes is and why they should be aware. It could be never done with ethics and all, but it was out of the box.
To answer your question: No, I don’t think college is stimulating really hard to think out of the box, but I also don’t think not going to college stimulates you. There are lots and lots of people who don’t go to college and still have an awfull job and an awfull life.
It isn’t about college or not going to college, it is about who you are and perhaps even more: how you are. Are you willing to make something of your life? Are you willing to look for opportunities? Do you take time to answer the big questions?
Thanks for the reaction Bud, a lovely discussion :)
Bud! Man, I could have written a similar article in 1967 when I graduated high school. (I referred to it at the time as the “robot factory”.)
There were differences, of course, in the sociopolitical aspects of the times. But, the effects were the same.
I could always get decent grades if I was interested, but my interest seldom carried through a full school year.
Part of the problem is that there are no real metrics for gauging creativity, passion or individuality. So, teachers are stuck with “standardized testing” and not “what can this person contribute?”.
If we are told that we must fit in to a narrow band of social behavior, we deny many people of their basic freedom. Could this account for gangs, drug abuse or the rise in mental illnesses? What would happen if public education encouraged exploration and adventure in learning? If creativity and innovation were the standards that we valued? If helping was more valued than taking?
I once considered becoming a teacher, but they are bound by the same chains as their students.
Enough of my rant. Loved the article.
@Tim – My thoughts are with your family (including Dogs).
@ Stefan – You bring up some interesting points that prove in no way shape or form is this debate black and white. Students attitude, teachers abilities to communicate effectively, quality of material taught, types of teaching methods and a host of other thing come into play.
OTOH, here’s where I have to disagree. Firstly, you are in the perfect environment to do what you want to do. I doubt however if you wanted to be a dancer, actor, artist etc you’d be thinking the same way because the path to do those things isn’t so clear and certainly not as encouraged..
School is aimed at (for want of a better description) left-brained people and I want my doctors to be trained in science.
I think the gist is though that you may be a much bigger exception than you realize, you’ve taught yourself to think out of the box in spite of being in school not because of it.
We can teach kids to be more creative and be more aware of what you’re aware of, but on the whole we don’t, we just muddle along as is.
BTW, I was 15 when i left school fwiw.
@ Sanford – Thanks man!
[...] Education Sucks: We were all thinking it. Was only a matter of time before someone came out and said [...]
[...] Education Sucks: We were all thinking it. Was only a matter of time before someone came out and said [...]
Okay, I am hoping not to start a war here, but I have a few opinions to add. First off, I suppose I must say that I am a teacher. Now to many of the points, I whole-heartily agree. I feel that there is way to much emphasis on grades. Many of you bash your teachers and you need to look higher than that. We are told by the state all of the content that needs to be included in your education. Many of us would love to teach in the moment or be allowed to stray to something that spontaneously comes about. Unfortunately, we (teachers) are tested on how well you do. The state tests are our grade, which is dependent on how well the students do. If you fail, we fail. When we fail, the state mandates what we need to do to change the grade. We are often as ‘controlled’ as you the students. I really wish it were different because some of the ideas mentioned above would be great to include in the school’s curriculum.
But, along with that I must add something also. I was never an “A” students and I became a teacher because I thought they were doing it all wrong and it could be so much fun. I love working with kids and I wouldn’t change my career for anything. But, where are the parents. How come there is not one mention of parents except what you are going to do as a future parent by not sending your kids to school. As a teacher and parent, I must say there are great kids that come out of public education. But these students have one thing in common–parents who care. Parents who see that the schools can’t teach their kids everything so they teach some. I learned money management from my parents. I learned tools by working at home. I learned to cook at home. Now, I am on the top of the list for wanting to change the school food. I hate eating this stuff, but again you think schools control that? The state and food industries have got us where we are as far as nutrition. But as a parent, I teach my kids about nutrition by cooking nutritious meals at home, by allowing them to pick the menu one night a week and cooking their menu when they get older.
What really needs to happen in this society is an education reform, I will agree. You are fighting the same battle as the teachers. We don’t agree with the content all the times, but we have to teach what the state wants if we want to keep our job. As a parent it is my job to fill in the blanks. It is my job to help my children find their passions and they will use their education to refine them. Life sometimes involves things we see irrelevant, but they truly are not. I want my kids to experience chemistry so they can discover that its not their thing. I want them to try the handtools, but as a parent I will make sure they are ready before they get their because I don’t want them to loose their fingers either. Please don’t feel that all of these wonderful learning and passion finding experiences are left solely to the teachers. You are sisters/brothers, aunts/uncles, friends, co-workers, etc and you can make all the difference in the world. Statistics show that it only takes one person to make a difference in your life. So, you know that poor little girl down the street. You know the one. The one who’s parents are never home, the one that has very few friends, the one you know is not doing so well in school. Bake her cookies, better yet, bake cookies with her. Play ball with her, tell her she is beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside.
One person at a time we can change the world.
Hi Dawn, If it is parents’ job to make up for the many inadequacies of schooling, it is not hard to understand why parents don’t want to send their children there in the first place.
Yes, teachers are diminished by schooling. But they stay in and support the system. Perhaps its time that teachers helped the home schooling movement.
The world has inadequacies. Take my local grocery store to which I have to shop or drive 30 miles. If it has to be all or nothing, which you are saying with school or homeschooling, then my choice is to either shop their or start milking my own cow, butchering my own meat and growing my own grain and produce. But, what I am trying to emphasis is a partnership. I grow the produce that I can, stock up on meat when I do get a chance from somewhere else and buy from the grocery store the things I cannot do. It works well for me.
On the other hand, are you saying that by home schooling my children, there will be no inadequacies? I know several who home school. Some do a wonderful job and others use their children as laborers. Right or wrong, there are inadequacies. So, my child’s school isn’t perfect. There are teachers that do great and some who don’t. There are some things covered and others not. Same as in home schooling. That is why I send my children to school and home school to fill in the blanks. I know my child’s school only has them a short time each day and I only have them a short time each day. That is why I feel the need to do both. I am hopefully, creating a more well round child who will become a well rounded adult.
Just out of curiosity, I would like to hear what you feel the teachers should be teaching and what the parents should be teaching. Some of you claim that if parents have to teach “righty tighty, lefty loosey” then the school is failing. Some of you feel that chemistry is a waste of time for the schools to be teachers, but I bet others do not. How can schools accommodate what all parents feel are important? Now, I will say that the schools could be improved by teaching more life skills, but what would go? If you feel things are important to be taught then I think that you should let your congressmen know because that is where the change has to happen.
Jim Trelease, who is an author and parent, but not a “teacher” puts it in perspective when he says the following quote in his book, The Read Aloud Handbook.
“Before putting all the responsibility for a child’s education on the school, it might be helpful to consider where he or she annually spends the most time.
900 HRS IN SCHOOL
7,800 HOURS OUTSIDE SCHOOL”
Not at all. I am saying we need to collaborate to build education that respects children.
I’d start by getting rid of high school.