Schooling vs Education by Melissa

Schooling vs Education by Melissa - April 2015 Scholarship Essay

Education, at least education in America, just seems like a rite of passage. We move like a herd of cattle, taking the same path day-to-day in the hopes to survive another day with our peers. As students, we watch some of our peers push the limits for the structure of education while we watch others climb the ladder of success. Where we fall under the chain of command during our years of primary education defines us, influences us into our adult careers.

America has the wrong idea when it comes to the purpose of education. I succeeded in many forms when it came to the public education system. Many believe my success comes from my ability to learn quickly, it’s genetic, I work harder. These may be true, but that isn’t the reason I did well in school; I did well in school because I learned the system, I learned how to use the system to my advantage.

The purpose of education should be to pass on information that will assist you in your future endeavors. However, this has been substituted for what the government thinks every individual with a public education should know. If we don’t want to learn the information, then students will do the minimum to “pass” a course just so we can get a piece of paper and a handshake for our 13 years of education. The purpose of education should be to help those who might need a little longer to understand a subject instead of tossing the student as “hopeless”. Education should be to leave its students in a better situation that the students before them. Education should have a real value. Education doesn’t need a teacher.

Education has a new face: the internet. Students spend hours staring into a bright screen, not to learn from a teacher, but to learn from peers and other ordinary people that don’t qualify (have a degree) to teach young minds. Education can come in many shapes and forms, and is unlimited. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself” –John Dewey. Maybe it’s time to rethink why we educate America.