Problems Faced in The Education Sector

Various problems plague the Education sector. It is nearly impossible to list and then elaborate on each one of them as they are all fairly important factors. However, one that has a huge impact in my opinion is the fact that the whole process is outdated. The formal education system was developed in the United States in the early 19th century. We are still a victim to the process established more than two centuries ago and it is understandable that it consists of archaic concepts that no longer apply to modern society and its requirements.

We are a generation that is largely dependent on bite-sized information due to the advent of social media and therefore, find it difficult to sit through classes for courses we take. Additionally, due to the consumption of visual aids such as YouTube, it can be argued that textbooks are slowly but surely becoming inadequate and irrelevant.

In regards to the testing process, it is not an accurate depiction of a student’s intelligence to have letter grades dependent on exams taken annually or semi-annually. Not every person can do well in a test but that does not mean that they are incompetent individuals if they don’t prove their worth in a time-pressured exam. With respect to teachers, they are told to follow a very strict curriculum that must be completed during the time allotted to that course. Any deviation from that pre-assigned syllabus is seen as a flaw of the teacher and is seen as a failing on their part. What that also does is that it makes students complacent and it prevents them from actually partaking in active learning. They are told what to study, where to study from, and are strictly discouraged from individualistic learning, as it will affect their performance in their exams. Information is simply learnt, regurgitated on tests, and then eventually forgotten. Howard Gardener stated that there are nine different types of intelligences.

To subject these different kind of intelligences to the same formal procedure seems to be like asking a fish to climb a tree. The fish will never be able to accomplish this because it is a being that lives ad thrives in water. The environment is not conducive to its survival. Similarly, subjecting a student to an environment that is detrimental to their growth is unfair. It can also lead to mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression. I believe that technology can be a very helpful aid in grasping ideas that are otherwise more difficult to understand. In my own personal experience, I had much difficulty with algebra and I struggled to keep up with the rest of the class. My pace was completely different. What helped me in this situation was Khan Academy videos. The visual depiction of concepts, which were otherwise foreign to me, became very easy to grasp. This might simply boil down to the fact that our visual memory is stronger. Whatever the case might be, I am a firm believer that there are many ways to learn apart from regular classes.

Another possible solution is to find research papers and e-books online. This will prevent students from spending a lot on learning and the selection of books they can choose from is endless. Additionally, using applications for different magazines of their interest on their phone makes the learning process easier on the go. There is also the option of push notifications which ensures that users are up-to-date with their area of intrigue. Magazines like National Geographic and Time make the best use of it. In my opinion, technology is a brilliant tool to use for modern-day education. Gone are the days when schooling was a process restricted to schools. With the pace that technology is progressing, it would be ignorant of us not to take advantage of all the opportunities it has created for learning. Therefore, I believe that we should venture past what we are taught our entire lives to truly progress because excellence is never achieved until there is holistic knowledge.