One of the most harmful consequences of our outdated educational system is the idea of an “end.”
No matter how inflated education is nowadays (I’m dying to see what the education industry will come up with once MBA’s fall into the commodity category), it always establishes graduations. When you graduate it means “you are done.”
Note: I also think that a degree lasts as long as the marketing heads of an institution think they can charge you, not as long as it should, but that’s a whole other post.
Most people that go through a degree in its entirety, develop some sort of rejection for information and culture. They believe that that’s what their degree was for, and now they can “relax.”
Disconnecting relaxation from growth is a serious disadvantage. When learning is limited to a specific period of time, it becomes a burden instead of a pleasure or a need.
Coming home from a walk yesterday, I saw many people graduating and partying in the street. I can assure you, you could see the expression in their eyes: “I’m never picking up a book again.”
Sad.
True education does not need to be imposed, does not expire and it certainly does not have any finish lines.
True education is a component of our everyday activity.
I know that most of the readers of this blog don’t have this problem, but most of the people outside of the online community of learners do think this way.
Those are the ones that need to embrace a holistic vision of intellectual growth.
Spread the word.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, Carlos!
I *love* this post!
The lines “True education does not need to be imposed, does not expire and it certainly does not have any finish lines.” and “When learning is limited to a specific period of time, it becomes a burden instead of a pleasure or a need.”
I have always said that I have the “heart of a student” and am “unhappy unless I learn something new everyday” so it’s so refreshing to see your explanation of the importance of constant learning!
Love is a strong word
I agree, there shouldn’t be a defined end to “education.” In fact, we should all strive to continue learning for the rest of our lives. It doesn’t have to be under our chosen discipline, and it certainly doesn’t have to be in a classroom. I have found that I learn more through life experience than I ever did in a textbook. Great insight Carlos!
AWESOME stuff Carlos. keep it up!
What a fresh way of looking at things.
When it’s common to feel that a degree is “just a piece of paper that shows you can be taught something,” it should be a warning sign that something isn’t right. If a degree is meant to prove the ability to learn, then perhaps degree programs should be developed which focus on learing and communication skills rather than a model structured around specific industries or career paths.
I believe in the power of collaboration to make continued learning and development look cool and desireable.
Collaboration might work, true that. But for now, I think that competition in the community is what is making us learn constantly.
We’re raised to hate learning.
We’re taught to learn for the sake of accomplishment (grades, $$$, etc), rather than the sake of knowledge and personal growth.
The education system makes learning into a competition.
It’s a shame.
David
Community Manager, Scribnia.com
The problem is, it has succeeded so far.
Its sad that this does happen to many people, I can say that I don’t *think* it happened to me, since I have learnt many new skills since finishing my Bachelors, but I do think that learning in the area I graduated in slowed very significantly since it wasn’t my career path ultimately. Makes me a little sad, but there is so much to learn about life and what to do in it that you’re spoilt for choice.
Hi Carlos,
Good observation this.
My personal theory is that in every education system, there are 90% of the class who will go through a study course, so that they have an official stamp from the system and don’t have to study again. And then there’s 10% who imbibe the best of what is on offer, at every opportunity.
My only point of disagreement is with: ‘most of the people outside of the online community of learners do think this way.’
Some of the most interesting, learned and curious people I know are not an active part of the ‘online community’. Oh sure they know what’s going on, to keep pace with trends and to spot what to learn or change. They don’t spend much time online because they don’t need to be reassured about what they know.
Frankly, a majority of the online community I have observed over the past year, engages largely in superficial playback, rather than applying the abundant opportunities to learn to their own life and sharing those experiences.
So the end of education serves the same purpose as the end of a jail term. What we do with the freedom and our life thereafter, is largely upto us. Scary huh!
Cheers,
Anita
Sorry Anita, I did not mean to say that the people outside the online community of learners are not capable of being long term learners, nor I’m saying that everyone online is a long term learner.
There are long term learners online and offline. And in both cases they are minorities. But the people offline is not reading this
Very much agreed with you, but I also think that those people who dislike the idea of learning are not those who think critically or deeply even when they’re in school. Those who like to learn will learn in school and continue to read, learn, absorb information after they’ve graduated. Those who never cared about learning in the first place will only be in school because they have to and will only pass their classes/exams because it’s required for whatever the next step is: getting a job or making money or doing something they like more. I don’t think school changes the minds of many people in terms of learning.
Some people will always love to learn; some people never have and never will.
True, but they learn SOMETHING. They are forced to learn, so they do it. Otherwise most doctors would kill most of their patients. But yes, I agree with that you are saying, the mentality comes before the school.
The modern educational system is primed for collapse. I would love to see a move towards a more apprenticeship-based model.
I also think that there’s no real end to education. Anybody will tell you that employers value on-the-job experience more than a stupid degree, as it’s more applicable.
This video is a great breakdown of the flaws of our education system. Highly recommended viewing for EVERYONE on this site.
Isn’t it strange that the entire education system is pretty much dedicated to university entrance from day one?
I’ve watched that video, Ken Robinson is one hell of a speaker.
Well, it’s not that strange, it works in many aspects of society. It’s the escalation of profit. First you have a bike, then you have a two-door car, and then you get the Volvo.
I’ve always believed in having a “lust for learning” and encourage that thought. There’s so much to read, and see, and know – not only should we never stop learning, we should never stop the love of knowledge gained. Nice post.
Hey Carlos.
Good call here. You are right about how many folks present themselves after getting a degree, which is by showing that they have no interest in continuing the topic they were covering. It sure is a sign of a problem, because that is obviously not the way to get people wanting to jump toward something.
Continued learning sure doesn’t have any finish lines, so placing them in may be commonplace as we see it, but it isn’t as smooth as it could be.
The holistic view sure is an upgraded way to go. People tend to start catching on to upgrades, so it should be increasing in usage.
Thanks for this.
Another great post Carlos.
In university I got to know a few of my professors pretty well. They used to lament how little students wanted to learn. In every class there would be students who would ask questions like, “Is this going to be on the exam?” or “What do we need to remember from this lesson?”
Most students focus on maximizing their grades with the minimum effort. Thinking and real learning seem to be such a small part of education now. Learning is not about facts to be memorized. It is a life long path of personal development, contemplation and self discovery.
Our fast food consumerist cultures have made us mentally and physically lazy. We don’t want to work and we don’t want to learn.
In all honesty, I too focus on maximizing grades with the minimum effort, but because of different reasons. If my reasoning says that what I’m learning won’t be useful and it’s just “fill-up” content, then why bother? But once I leave the classroom, my learning doesn’t stop. The problem is for those that make the minimum effort inside and outside the classroom.
I agree.
I think most people have this same mindset. The “why am I learning this and am I ever going to use this mindset.” I had it in college. I aced tests, quizzes and papers but retained very little. What was the point in retaining it if I was never going to use it? In addition, I think application goes hand-in-hand with memory. How many skills have we learned, but never used, that we still remember?
Moreover, I think these people take this mindset to the extreme. They think books are full of junk they’ll never use. Some textbooks are really abstract-not all-and people have a hard time seeing a purpose in them if they don’t flat out say, “I do this, use me to accomplish this.”
Besides, there are multiple ways of learning,not everyone learns the same way. I’ve spoken to people that don’t like to read and say they’re through with their education. They ask me why I read and I ask them why they don’t read. Their reply: they know everything they need to know to solve their problems, get a job, fix food, etc. So why?
I can’t argue with that. I mean, thinking is a skill that’s needs to be exercised and so is the brain BUT people don’t even exercise their bodies or even take care other habits I’d consider important so what can you say, those are only my values?
What got me reading again? For one, my university paid me $400 to try out the speed reading program they were putting together and I wanted to try out my new skills. Plus, some guy gave me a copy of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” When I finally read it, I got some sort of high. After that, I saw the endless power of books.
But back to the post. I think it helps to point out what it’s for. The purpose, whixh there are many. When people don’t see a purpose or a reason, that’s where I think it stops. You’d think the reasons were obvious but they’re not always so. And even when they are they still have to resonate with a person’s values.
For example, let’s use food as an analogy. I used to eat to stop my stomach from rumbling and hurting. Otherwise, I didn’t see much other purpose for eating, other than sometimes it would taste good, or eating for comfort. Then last year I was hit with the concept of eating to live, which totally made since to me. Growing up, nutrition was the last thing on my mind. As a teen, I thought the only thing I needed was calcium, protein and vitamin C. Now that I’ve grown in consciousness, awareness, and the holistic view of how everything works together, I see the purpose and I’ve made it important to me.
It is sad though that some equate graduation with the end of education. It’s similar to the way some people see martial arts. Some think that it’s over once they get their black belt. But most black belts I’ve spoken to say they barely started to make sense of everything around maybe the 2nd or 3rd degree of black.
Only the unsuccessful ever ‘complete’ their education. Education is something you should do for a lifetime. There is always something new to learn.
Great post!
You are absolutely right. We are in a constant state of learning and I try my best to take an advantage of it.
I work in I.T, there is one assurance with I.T, nothing stands still for long, learning is part off all things, but society forces students to go on degrees they don’t need, however, you have to respect someone that’s committed a percentage of there life towards a subject of importance to them or their chosen career.
That said courses are driven by government targets for specific age groups and over the years you can’t help thinking education is longer in pursuit of achievement but more in the pursuit of funding targets.
My respect for someone’s commitment comes depending on their reasons to do it. If in reality you DON’T want to learn, and you still do it, I’ll respect you even less because you’re doing it because you “have to.” They are sheep. If you commit because you have thought it through, then you’ll learn constantly.
I never wanted to be another mass produced student. But in the end, that is what I’ll be.
If there’s one thing I have learned in High School so far, it’s that you can’t force people to want to learn. Day after day, I see classmates enter classrooms, bored out of their minds, just wanting the day to be over. For what? So they can go party, hang out in malls, play games, all that jazz. They’ve associated ‘learning’ with ’school’, and ’school’ with ‘boring’. They think that all they have to do is suffer through school to get into college, where they can then suffer through to get a diploma with which they can get a job. It’s deplorable that this is what learning has been reduced to; just an unwanted means to an end.
I wanted to be able to go to a school where I would be able to learn on my own, and with others who also wanted to learn. Instead, I have to endure myself through a system which is designed for those who do not want to know knowledge, who do not want to understand the world. I have to go, day after day, into a place where teachers operate like factory workers, treating each student impersonally; else, succumbing to brown nosing tactics and favoring ’students’ over others. I have to graduate next year knowing that I wasted 4 years of my life in a place where I never learned anything; that it instead took up time and effort which I could have better spent honing my own skills and studying topics far beyond the school’s curriculum. But to the school, I’m just another student that needs to be taught. This is what happens to the students when the schools are retooled to teach those who don’t want to learn.
Anyone can be taught, but it takes motivation to learn. Most of my classmates are hedonistic; unwilling to learn, unwilling to work. If it weren’t for the current school system forcing them to get good grades and for capitalism forcing them to be productive, they would do nothing but what they impulsively wanted at the instant. Their lives are completely ruled by petty things like relationships, sports, etc.; and to them, learning gets in the way of their fun.
And life should have fun in it. It should have things like love, laughter, happiness, and other things that we pursue for the sheer enjoyment of it. But to think that this is all what life is about is foolish. To reject knowledge in order to enjoy things now instead of learning in order to always be able to enjoy things is also foolish. But, as things are, it seems that most of my peers are incapable of being able to manage. They’ll drift along in this education system, struggling to stay afloat, and finally grab a diploma to drag themselves out. And with that, the schools think they’ve succeeding in teaching them. But my peers will take another look into the school systems and think, “I am NEVER going back in there again!”
And I will too, but for different reasons than my peers. For I will celebrate the last time I would have to spend trapped in a place where I could not learn. The day I graduate will be the day I can finally learn.
I’m sure there’s, at least, one more person who think like you there. As long as you acknowledge that, this is brilliant. Kudos to you, Reyn.
The problem is, like earlier said, is that it works for everyone else, apparently. Why else would it have lasted so long into the 21st century? It doesn’t have to be an efficient system to be good for the society that we’re pushing students into.
Reviewing my post now sort of makes me feel like an superiority-complex-toting egotist at best. Still, the introspection is helpful in making sure I don’t sound like some ranting dogmatist later on. I think it isn’t really going to help, though. Oh well.
Also, neat site you have here. I should link this to my friend.
I love this idea. I call it your emotional education (I recently wrote about it) and I think it lasts forever. No doubt, it’s great to have a degree but I believe that it can become outdated and is almost part of social hierarchy, cultural integration (everyone goes to college, etc. etc.) and a passage into adulthood.
I was just speaking to my dad about how much I love reading. I gobble books up and always have. In college, I remember for four years I couldn’t read for pleasure because I had so much assigned reading and writing my brain was fried for anything I wanted to read. I enjoyed some of the required reading of course, but now I read almost a book a week! Then I realized, college is where most people read then they stop afterwards. It shouldn’t be like that and I think a balance of both is important.
It’s such an interesting topic. Good post, Carlos!
I completely agree with you, it’s so sad that culture and learning it’s relegated to the period in which most of us are not enough mature to appreciate it.
Good observation. My question would be: is there any other way?
Well there are surely other ways.
The actual problem is that education si not really education.
I would call it programming, manipulation.
That’s what they do on us.
They build our vision of the world so it will be hard to break our self imposed limits.
They want us to become robots, not humans. They want us to be efficient and strong, not also intelligent, aware and free.
Think about a world in which everyone would use the brain in its full potential and comunicate with other people in a better and more sincere way.
What would happen?
Sorry – I don’t buy into conspiracy theories.
The truth is, the government is not that dumb and not that smart. It is formed by people that have gone through the system as well.
i don’t agree, they’re very smart at doing what they want. they’re not smart enough for us.
Where I was in Spain i quite liked the government there.
Here in Italy where i’m now i’m more than disappointed, people here is exasperated.
There’s corruption everywhere, but sometimes it pass the limit of decency.
Education in Italy is getting killed.. they cut founds continuosly… Only God knows what do they do with all that money they cut on health, education, social security.
This is not conspiracy, this is reality man
I think we’re all thinking about education and learning this winter. I wonder what’s in the air? (I also just wrote about this on my blog in early December)
Have you read Richard Rodriguez’s “The Achievement of Desire”? It’s an essay I read back in my freshman English class that has stuck with me strong for the past 6 years. It’s such a sad story about achieving the desire of a degree, but not desiring learning.
Of course formal education is necessary in our current society, but I sincerely believe that my life would shrivel to nothing if I didn’t continue to learn, read, and expand my horizons. But my big question is, how do you make sure (on a daily basis) that your brain isn’t shriveling up? How do you keep yourself engaged and passionate about exploring new ideas?
I would love it if you could point me to this essay! Would love to read it.
Formal education is necessary? For what? I never graduated and already accomplished more than most of the people of my age that I know.
It’s hard for me to respond that how. I just do, and most people that do it as well, would also have problems answering to that question. If you don’t have the passion, that’s hard to “install.”
Richard Rodriguez’s essay: http://www.thinkingtogether.org/rcream/archive/old/F2004/Comp/rodriguez.pdf
As for formal education, I wish it weren’t true, but depending on what you want to do with your life and if you want a particular job, a degree may be necessary. For example if you want to be a clinical psychologist, an undergraduate AND a graduate degree are absolutely necessary. If however you want to paint, sing in a band, consult, or create of any kind then by no means is a formal education necessary.
I think what really bothers me is that companies are getting lazy in their hiring processes. There are so many people out there now with college degrees that the first requirement listed in most job descriptions is: Bachelor’s degree required. — Even when experience could easily be exchanged for a degree (as is especially the case with graphic design and art director positions at many companies).
Admittedly, I swore never to write another paper after college…and here I am with a blog…but I’ve never minded working so long as it’s on my rules. Learning’s been the same way. I want to read the books I’ll get something out of, not the books schools/teachers/board members think are classics. Reyn says it very eloquently (though admittedly a little dramatic for my experience): “The day I graduate will be the day I can finally learn.”
Exactly, like I said: true education is not imposed. It’s hard to be motivated by it. When you are, it’s usually by chance.