Reforming the Education System

This blog post was inspired by a classroom discussion in my Issues in Secondary Education class today. The question posed by the professor (based on some homework readings) was roughly "What skills are students learning from our grade-and-test-dominated education system?" Answers included, "There is only one right answer," "how to eliminate choices," "individual opinion has less value than regurgitation of inputs," "how to follow directions," and "learning is competitive." The professor commented that as teachers, these answers should give us chills. Most teachers teach because they love the subject matter, love children/teenagers, or ideally both. If the only things children are learning in school is the above skills, then the majority of the motivation for teaching is wasted.

Looking at our society, we can see how this education system is developed and the consequences of it. It is true that competition in the classroom prepares students for competition in the workplace, but should this be the norm? Is "survival of the fittest" really the ideal for an advanced human society? Perhaps a better ideal would be "survival of everyone with the help of the fittest." Encouraging and developing the cream of the crop is important for the advancement of society, but surely it can be done in a way that also fosters the well-being of the lower 85% in schools and workplaces. The main things those 85% learn from our education system are to provide answers that those in positions of influence solicit, to accept dominance by over-achievers, and to become set on "one right answer" instead of developing creative alternative solutions to problems.

Don't get me wrong; I am not promoting a discouragement of the success of the 15%. To the contrary, I want to empower the high-potential students, but the current systems is perhaps not the best way to do so. Focusing on grades and tests limits the creativity that comes from engaging with material for enjoyment's sake rather than memorizing answers for a test. An environment that assesses engagement and actual learning in ways other than traditional tests will naturally be more conducive to learning.

Unfortunately, the changes required to reform the education system to this extent would be enormous. But that does not mean we should not try. Getting students to actively engage in learning is the primary responsibility of a teacher, and in the current school structure, that is increasingly difficult. What specific changes need to take place, I don't know. Perhaps I will have a better idea once I am in the field. But for now, consider that changes should be made. If we work together, perhaps we can implement some before our education system is completely stagnant.