My first point today is the stagnated state of education compared to other aspects of
society. Life has changed a lot since the 1700s, hasn’t it. I’m not dressed in petticoats
with lead powder on my face or in someone’s house scrubbing floors. Their
entertainment was painting and wax sculpting, while mine fits comfortably in my pocket.
But our education system, the cornerstone of society, has remained largely fixed for
decades. Sure, classrooms are now fitted with projectors, whiteboards and plastic
chairs, but its structure is still the same – 5 hours of class with a couple breaks in
between. During these exciting hours of education, a teacher stands up front and talks
on about the subject while students take notes. While this might have been OK when it
was invented in pre-industrial Prussia, it’s high time we take a closer look into the
factory model of education. Somewhat unsurprisingly, this model of education was
widely considered a form of indoctrination. The goal of education at the time was train
competent workers, thus students were force-fed meaningless information that would
provide them with just enough to function in a factory, ingraining obedience, and
compliance from the very start. But today, in 2023, we can’t keep producing machines
that just turn up on time and speak perfect textbook French. Excusez-moi, mesdames et
messieurs, but taking into consideration the political polarisation, the climate crisis and
the cost of living, we need thinkers and innovators, not just another cog in the capitalist
machine. Education reform is desperately needed so that modern society can adapt to
adversity and dilemmas that we are sure to face.
My second point is the inadequate applicability of K-12 education in the workplace. Did
you know that statistically 98% percent of what students learn in school is not applied in
daily like or in their careers. Yet, in the 2023 financial year, the Australian government
has put more than 29.1 billion to support state education services. This does not even
take into consideration the scholarships that many institutions provide to ensure those in
need get the education they need, the many government-funded extracurriculars that
provide our children with enrichment, the millions of dollars that parents spend on
private and tertiary education. Why are we as a nation investing so many resources into
a system that yields such low practical returns? The recent rise in AI and technology
further highlighted how maladapted the education system is to provide the newer
generation with information and skills for the workplace.
Students in the room would be familiar with the phrase “in university they won’t be this
nice”, but when students, especially those is high school, are treated like adults, they
typically perform a lot better. When students are taught to use negotiation skills within
reason, this not only better simulates the workplace environment, but also helps
students build emotional maturity from a young age.
Perhaps the most troubling consequence of our education system is the alienation and
disillusionment it fosters among students. Many students come to hate learning
because they hate school. This is a problem. Human beings are born with an innate
curiosity and desire to learn, but our current system often stifles this enthusiasm.
This normalized hatred of learning has profound implications for both individuals and
society at large. When we should be nurturing critical thinking and mental development,
we often find ourselves squandering these opportunities for rote learning and repetitive
homework instead. It's time to question why a system meant to encourage growth and
curiosity often results in the opposite.
Punishment and discipline in schools
1 solution
So many ways to fix this – few of those options are
- Teachers’ education
- Those that are attracted to the industry
- 50% of current teachers wanna quit
- Mastery based
- STINA Waldorf
- Finland – no private