COL 150 - My thoughts about the educational system

     I think there are many things wrong with the educational system. I mean if you look at the time frame from how kids act today compared to how kids acted before there is an extreme difference. I believe that there is indeed a problem with our system of education and what is it you may ask? Well, I'm here to tell you. Well, firstly, students are sent to schools to prepare them for the real world which is changing very very fast, but school systems haven't really changed much for over hundreds of years. 

     In fact, I'm sure many people can agree that the current system of education was designed in the industrial age mainly to turn out factory workers. This industrial age mentality of mass production and mass control still runs deeply in schools today. This problem is called industrial age values. Students are educated by batches and govern their lives by ringing bells. All day long students are taught to sit down, turn in their class work, stop talking and most importantly follow directions. 

     At school, students are awarded for doing exactly what you're told. This is an example of industrial age values that were really important for factory workers and their success depended on following instructions and doing exactly what they were told. However, in today's world, how far can one get by simply following instructions? The modern world which we live in today, values people who can be creative, who can communicate their ideas and collaborate with others. But children in today's society don 't get to develop such skills in a system that's based on industrial age values. 

Another problem in the educational system is the lack of autonomy and control. This means that you are more controlled by what others do, think, feel and adapt accordingly. At school, students experience a complete lack of this. Every minute of a student's life is tightly controlled by the system, but in today's world if you are doing independent work then you are managing your own time. You're  making your own decision regarding what to do and when to do it. 

     I believe that the school system is sending a dangerous message to school which is that they are not in charge of their own lives and they just have to follow whatever is laid down instead of taking charge and making the most of their lives. One of the things I hear from a lot of students is that school feels like a prison. I believe that autonomy is indeed important for students to understand and its no wonder they are bored and demotivated by school.