The education system.

Going to school and then college is thought of as a necessary tool to

educating a child, without the said institutions, a person is usually not thought of as an
educated person, no matter what other qualities he might have. He might have read books
from around the world, but that mark of an institution at times bears heavily on his
documents. I had a friend once who knew someone who had not gone to college but the
books he would read made him way more scholarly than students his own age. His family,
and my friend, would still think it wasn’t prestigious enough as he had not gone to a proper
college.

Why do we take this education system so seriously? Because it has become a part of us. It is
something that is ingrained in our minds, we need to go to school, we need to have a degree,
or at least a diploma. The question though is, do we really? For all of us out there, do we
really require what we study?

We study subjects like chemistry, biology, math as compulsory to our courses, whereas the
subjects we should be studying, like social sciences, psychology, maybe morality, are not
considered compulsory in our courses. Is that not ironic, that growing up in a society where
kids mourn going to school and studying is a burden, that kids are still forced, year by year,
to study something they cannot comprehend? Something they have not the slightest interest
in? Yes, for the basic years, by all means make the child study most of the subjects, but then
let the child seek what he seems to know he is able to do best.

Tests, exams, quizzes, marks, grades, all of these bear heavily on a student’s fresh mind. He
is less excited to be able to learn something new, as he is always worried about his scores. Is
that really educating a child? Should his marks determine where he should go to study and
what? Why do a set of subjects together determine the score of the child and what subject he
specializes in when the subject he likes best is the only one he can score in, the rest of the
subjects bringing him down and hence not allowing him to pursue that one subject? Is that
really fair?

Then our whole lives revolve around our academic system, we can’t make it to a wedding if
we have an exam, we can’t go out because there’s too much to study, etc. etc.

Having gone through the process myself, I can say with certainty that with a lot of students
this becomes a life and death dilemma. I have known some students who have committed
suicide because of the pressure, they could not cope with the expectations from family,
society, teachers and their peers. It was too much; education ruined them and scarred their
loved ones.

Some ionic reactions or integrated equations didn’t save them. And nor will they grant
security for a great future.
Schooling should be an enlightening experience, where fresh, receptive minds go to learn
something new and grow. Unfortunately, the concept slowly changed. Now, we go to school
to go to a good university, then go to a good university so we can have a good job. And a
good job is pursued for a good life. But no! That is not the aim of our lives, we do not need
good jobs to have a good life. Maybe someone starts something on their own, it might not
be the best at first but if the person invests his soul into something he loves I can guarantee
the success rate will rocket to the skies. But not if he has a nine to five job doing something
he dislikes, only for the money. Then he will only feel frustrated and annoyed, his brain and
health deteriorating in a rapid spiral.

Education should nourish minds, make them feel healthier. Our systems should not be
based on such a ridiculous grading system where every body is considered the same. That is
not fair, and I don’t see many students going to school in the future if this is how it remains.

Another problem is how the education system is more of a business than welfare. Schools
and universities charge fees beyond affordability most times and students and their families
are forced to seek loans, only for a ‘respectable’ and ‘accepted’ education.

Well guess what. The definitions of respectable and accepted aren’t constant either. What
basis do you use? We’ve never had same conditions for normalcy or acceptance, then why
here? Why not speak out and say, I’m sorry, I kind of disagree with how you choose to
define my acceptance. If it isn’t wrong, then why is it not accepted? Why do we have such
amazing social pressures coercing us into doing things otherwise we would never have done?

Give it a thought, readers, and maybe we can strategize a better way out.