Paradox of education

From time immemorial we know what education stands for. Our lives as students were not stories told to us, rather we were actors and actresses in the design and application of education as it is now.  The result of the educational system is glaring for us all to see. The question is “did school succeed or, did we succeed as students”? I think we can all fill in the gap.

What is the purpose of school?

Some would say it is for the enlightenment (education) of our mind, social development with the sole aim of making us better people, with ability to harness the potential that is in our future.

With the never ending increase in the rate of unemployment, stale curriculum of education handed down by our forefathers, glorification of paper certificate without substance, myopic focus on life.

I think school or system of education has done more harm than the good it is portrayed that it has done.

If having good command of English is the purpose for which school is set up, then it is energy in futility.

There would always be unemployment, increase in vices and evil generated by indolence and anger.

When hopes are dashed and expectations destroyed, it is internalised and the consequent result is anger and frustration which fuels evil in the society. I believe this is playing out right in front of everyone in our nation.

Many have wasted so many years studying a particular course and being subjected to an inconsistent academic calendar, due to indefinite Union strike actions. Although it appeared justifiable to idle away at home as a result of the strike actions, we must remember that the whole world was not at a standstill. In addition to these delays, they endure several kinds of abuses just to finish the desired course. Despite facing all the trauma in school, they still end up roaming the streets with a future so unsure.I think this is too much for their young minds to bear. The depth of this disappointment is highly devastating.

What do we have to say about the people that we point fingers at and say, “School benefited this crop of people?” What becomes of them after the job is lost or they are retired? You think we only cry when we are kids or when tragedies strike? These people weep, they wail and cry inconsolably. You will think life has ended, and it has really ended for some of them. Where are they going after they have lost the job? What does the future hold? Where are they going to start from? These and many other questions come to mind. If school has truly done a good job as advocated, these kinds of reaction should never have happened.

This is playing out in front of us day and night, we observe them and we seem to resign ourselves to fate that what could anybody do to change the course? We have forgotten Newton’s law of velocity “that every object remain in a state of rest unless compelled by an external force to act otherwise”. Unless deliberate steps are taken, unless parents become knowledgeably daring (by reason of the fact they are confronted with, with the future of their wards) the same fate await their loving, lovely children.

Another kind of school

What about an environment from cradle where potentials are mined? Children from the moment they are of age to attend school, whether crèche, kindergarten or primary school, all they are confronted with are “potential” mining toys, stories about boys and girls doing exploit globally, curriculum centered on risk taking and people management. They are taught the importance of team work and character building. Much emphasis is being laid on independence and great exposure to power of possibilities. Teaching them the good that is resident in failure and how they can harness it; how to embrace failure and turn it to success; how to see life from multidimensional angle not through one course. Showing them that whatever they can dream or see is what they can have.

Such children would not only grow up as adults with a focus, they grow up as adults with a mission. They look forward with great expectation and enthusiasm knowing full well and being fully assured that the future is theirs because they created it. What we thought was grandeur about life will pale into oblivion with signs and wonders brought about by tribe of such great boys and girls.

There is always a rat that will bell the cat for the sake of others in every generation. FutureScopeAcademy (futurescope.academy) sole existence is to Pioneer this acute change. Raising a tribe of great minds and great hands from the cradle with focus and determination to create their future. The best we can do is to create the platform, pull up our chairs and watch as they take on the world.