The UK needs to shape the new generation into critical thinkers, not rote-learning machines
The UK education system is on a constant downward spiral. We are in the 21st century, but the system is stuck in the past. It has been following the system that was developed years ago. Even though the medium of delivery has improved, the underlying mechanisms are still based on the ones used in ancient times.
The first Renaissance, in the Classical world of ancient Rome and Greece, created a divide between the Middle Ages and modern history. This event gave birth to the modern age of technology which made gene engineering, robotics and other then-impossible phenomena achievable.
So how did it come so far? It was not only because of the logical minds of scientists and engineers but also because of the creative minds of da Vincis and Michelangelos.
Scientists and artists, both, brought about change from the state of ignorance to the state of knowledge. Based on how the past has excelled to this point, the present education system needs another wave of change to produce more creative visionaries. However, instead, the education system is merely developing exam-passing machines.
The UK education system only teaches the new generation to become successful rote-learning robots. It is not helping children discover who they truly are as unique individuals.
Parents force young children to make career choices early on in their schooling years. They have repeatedly embedded a false notion in their brains: science is the only feasible choice. Children are not given the freedom and space to explore and experiment with new fields in life.
Unfortunately, in this day and age, educational success is seen as a new product in the market that everyone is rushing to buy. Teachers and mentors need to incorporate the idea that education is not a must-have commodity, but a value that will develop their intellectual and emotional capacities.
So, who is to blame for this serious fallacy? Students can not be blamed. We can only blame ourselves and generations before us who have not yet rectified this problem.
The current education system was designed for the Age of Enlightenment and the Age of European Empire, when there was a straightforward one-way line of communication i.e one gives orders and one receives them.
The past system focused only on reading, writing and mathematics. Mastery over these three components was judged by their results, and not by the hard work, effort and learning that took during the process to achieve those results.
The bottom line is that no matter how advanced teaching and delivery methods are, the reality of our education system is based on the past. We need to realise that our times have changed, and building upon the obsolete systems is no longer fulfilling the purpose.
The time has passed now. We need to move on.
We need to stop chasing grades
How do I get a first-class degree? Many educators and academics are often asked this question.
This just shows how education has been reduced to letters and numbers on a scale. It also demonstrates that students only care about grades and at any cost — whether learning took place or not.
We need to replace this mentality by encouraging our children to become critical thinkers, to take risks and make mistakes, and to come out of their comfort zones to face their fears.
The biggest blunder that the education system could make is promoting errorless learning — and it has been made. There is just no such thing! We constantly discourage and punish children when they make the slightest mistake. This is not right. We need to give them the freedom to make those mistakes, then give them time to identify and rectify those mistakes in their own way. Ordering them to be correct all the time will only elicit fear in future challenges.
We have to let them learn by trial and error.
Mistakes, accidents and trial and errors have led to some of the greatest discoveries in the world. In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin when he was working on the flu virus and he accidentally produced a mould which repelled bacteria.
Bill Walsh, former head coach of the American Football team San Francisco 49ers, discussed in his book, The Score Takes Care of Itself, the importance of focusing on the process of learning rather than outcomes.
Your grade will take care of itself, stop trying to reverse engineer it. The answer to students seeking a first-class degree.
The education culture has replaced the essential process of discovery and exploration with the obsession of attaining higher and higher grades. It has eliminated the chance to help children reach their full potential or according to American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, reach the stage of self-actualisation.
Educators and students need to realise that a first-class degree does not guarantee success in the real world. In fact, the real world lays more emphasis on critical thinking, innovation and team-work.
We need to shape creative thinkers
The world is evolving at a pace faster than you have ever imagined. We must, by all, means introduce an education system that would allow children to train their minds more creatively.
Higher education programmes such as a Master’s degree allows for more inventiveness and collaboration. We can see that the fields of creative arts are following the right path of learning. John Williams, a classical guitarist, stated that good teaching is about helping and acting as a source of inspiration to each other so we can all find our passions and destinations.
We need to create an inspiring and free environment for the next generation. We need this environment to produce experts, polymaths and independent thinkers for ourselves and our world. It is high time that our education system should align and pace itself to our present time.
