Most of us would probably agree that our conventional education system is fundamentally flawed.
The system is built on a centuries-old framework which teaches you to memorize information, follow the identical learning process every day, listen to and obey your instructors, do your homework, study for your exams and get good grades. There is only one right answer.
Be a conformist. And above all, don’t fail.
Yet this system has utterly failed us by design. Students are burdened with overwhelming homework on a daily basis. Ironically and sadly, schooling has taken the fun out of learning and stifled creativity.
Why must everyone follow the same standardized process, attend identical classes, be spoon-fed knowledge that isn’t particularly relevant or value-adding to our lives, only to learn in hindsight that acing school doesn’t necessarily translate into acing your career and succeeding in life?
From a bureaucratic standpoint, the objectives (or unspoken truths) of the education system are to cultivate:
1) Law-abiding, well-behaved citizens who foster social stability, and
2) Productive workers who contribute towards the country’s economy.
Nothing wrong with these overarching objectives of the government. However, it should be crystal clear that:
It is not a government’s priority to help its citizens build individual wealth or health or success.
It is certainly not in their interest to groom a bunch of leaders, entrepreneurs and investors. Otherwise, there would not be enough laborers to keep the operations of our society going. The whole system would collapse. They actually need more average Joe Bloggs than smarty-pants.
And there is practically no reason for them to care about your personal interest and nurture your passion.
But it’s the system, what can we actually do?
Now you may think: Yes I am well aware of this, but we have no choice. People need to follow the system and that’s how the world works. Nothing we or our kids can do about it.
The former part of the statement above is correct to a large extent. In many countries, it is a legal requirement that children attend schools up until a certain grade or age.
The latter part, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. As parents, we have firsthand experience of the education system’s limitations and understand that it does not serve our best interests or adequately prepare us for the real world.
By acknowledging this fact, parents would provide the right guidance and resources to their children to complement what they learn at school in order to enhance their chances of success as adults.
Schools often fail to teach a range of valuable subjects and skills that can profoundly benefit our kids in the long-run. But parents can step in.
For instance, we can look for opportunities outside of the traditional school curriculum to help our children discover and develop their genuine interests, abilities and creativity.
We can expose them to different geographical regions, cultures and languages, expanding their horizons and helping them recognize that the world is vast and brimming with diversity and opportunities beyond the classroom.
We can create an environment at home where reading, solving problems and proactive learning are encouraged and even rewarded.
We can teach them core values, such as the importance of self-discipline, delayed gratification, positive thinking, mental resilience, and how to pick themselves up from failures.
We can show them the concept of trade-offs, the decision-making process, and the allocation and management of resources such as time and money.
We can make exercising a weekly family event, instilling the vitality of physical well-being.
And so much more that we can do to nurture our next generation to become better human beings.
Before your child is old enough to obtain a driver’s license, it’s you, not the education system, who can guide him/her the path to success.
Always Mobilizing.
Mr. AfterSKOOL
