We spend so much of our time in school systems we don’t even bother to ask what’s the point of going to school? Especially when you consider most people graduate from a school system without actually picking up any practical skills that can be used after formal education.
Seriously though what’s the point of learning at all if everything gets crammed into several moments of intense pressure just to be forgotten as soon as time on the exam clock is up? Couldn’t we be do better with our time?
In my questioning of what the point is anyway, I started to ask what could we do differently but get to be effective anywhere, especially in a place where everything is so fast paced leading into digital literacy.
The essence of school is to learn and in that regard what would be the most important skills you would aim to teach if you so had the power? This is a question that kept me up on plenty a night and even now as I open up I’m not sure it’s the perfect answer but I do believe it’s the most sustainable answer.
I believe we need to teach children how to read and write. You may argue that is that all we have been doing but I would rebuttal and say we have been doing it wrong.
Reading isn’t about speaking aloud what is on the pages, I believe it’s about understanding and analysing whatever we read. In other words I believe reading and all the various forms reading encompasses is about grasping information that the writer has laboured to create. Hence, analyse and make informed choices based on that.
Writing on the other hand involves more than simply being a photocopy machine. It should involve the process creating something new. This will teach them to come up with solutions to problems instead of just pointing the problems out.
The trick with this idea is to allow for the one reading or writing to form their own thoughts based on what they find and to also think freely for their selves and create new ideas. Whether we teach them to read math, chemistry or literature we must ensure that they are able to decipher what they read and create change with their ideas.
I select these two because each school is different and will have it’s own system within which to work. All these schools will have the aspect of wanting children who are literate and as such the importance of this idea can’t be over stressed.
We are in 2020 with the world constantly changing before our eyes but our education system does little to change and that is scary. I’m afraid we are building a world for only the fortunate to inhabit and yet the tools to create a quality education system are right before us.
If I had the ability to decide how the education sector gets set up I would ensure the theory meets the practical as all the children become literate, proactive citizens of society that we can all be proud off.
Until tomorrow may we all question our roles in the systems we are and how we can help prepare them adequately for the future they look to live in.
Take care be blessed and share love with all those you come in contact with and remember tomorrow isn’t promised. Appreciate right now for it’s all that we truly have.
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