Name three things that have changed in the past 100 years. Over the past decade, the world has revolutionized its ways in almost every aspect. Cars evolved from the Ford Model T (literal wagons) to battery-powered cars such as Teslas. Food production has cut and introduced many different options as the whole world has become allergic to gluten in unison. Now name three things used in everyday life that have not changed. When I first pondered on this, I was stumped. There has been such a great shift in society, leaving the 90s behind, the current world is enveloped by the era of consumerism that we are in. It’s hard to start thinking about where the world would be without change. Constantly having to invent new things, the majority pondering this would think “Everything has changed.” But that is wrong.
For over 100 years the one outstanding factor in society (mainly America’s society) that has not shown change is the education system. Students begin school early in the morning and leave a little past noon. In school, students are routinely cycled through required subjects with a state-developed learning curriculum. Students who want to design clothes are confined in science classrooms where a door over the next Albert Einstein is stuck in English class. The American education system fosters like-minds. Only once a student hits college do they truly get to gain a deeper understanding on a topic of their desire. But even then, students are taking courses that further distance them from their goals.
After 100 years, there are bound to be societal differences such as less physical/harsh discipline, no more segregation, and larger schools. But the idea of all children learning the same thing—especially all throughout high school—has persisted. Yes, it is most important for a child to go through a basic education such as basic math, history, and English. Each subject strengthens a different part of a future adult in the workforce (partially the problem), not all courses should be necessary though. Personally, I want to be an English teacher… What am I doing spending my time learning about quadratic equations and how to calculate the area of random lines that make out a flower pot. Striving educationally, is Finland; ranked one of the top in the world. According to Student 4SC, the country’s education system focuses on critical thinking and creativity. “Students are not taught to remember facts, but to know why some of these facts are true.” stated in “U.S. Education: An Outdated System” by Student 4SC. Finand’s method encourages students to find new ways to answer and ask questions.
It’s all about memorization! The one overarching factor that has damaged these last 100 years of education is “rote learning.” Rote learning is memorization and repetition-based learning. A student learns new information, studies it, prepares and studies it, then is tested on it. In the next unit, all is forgotten. The routine develops surface-level foundation information on these topics; never truly venturing into the application or philosophy behind what one is truly learning. Things are thrown at an individual to remember but never to apply or to think about differently. That’s why high school to college to the workforce is such drastic changes.
Students (in America especially) need a change in their education system; one that fosters each individual student’s desires and one that encourages growth. The “system” should aid in growing, not construct through force.