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Education is bad (sometimes)
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
This is something Ive thought about from time to time... and as such I dont really have any sources or any evidence, theres no right answer that I know of, so just an open discussion :-). Well anyway, here goes.
Have you ever noticed that most entrepeneurs, success stories and the like didnt necessarily complete their education. Many, many just started up when they were 14, 15, 16 and went for it. I think that a reason for this is the young mind is still developing and still has its own ideas. As George Lucas said - the great thing about kids is that they always think outside the box, because they havent learnt what box to think inside.
While education is great for doing specific things, as individuals more and more I think it can in some respects be detrimental. When I was young I had billions upon billions of ideas for inventions, something Im sad enough to admit Id still like to do
. Except these days, I cant think of anything! I can just think of what Ive been taught! Maybe there is a mental capacity inside of us, and it can only hold so much.
Or does this creative spark die out in all children, and they eventually just think nothing except what they've been taught? I really wish I could roll back the clock sometimes. The things I used to draw. How about this for one - a jet plane built around the turbine engine, not the engines attatched to the wings. Little did I know that many jet planes were already using similar concepts to improve performance.
Supersonic flight in space because its faster than low down to the ground? I had so many ideas when I was young. These days, I have very few. The odd one or two I do have I pounce on, though they're rarely any good these days, and have often already been invented. Earlier today, what about a machine that makes pizza for you
(probably wouldnt be very nice).
So anyway, back to my original point, I think that teaching kids to think a certain way stops them from thinking in their own way, which could be absolutely brilliant. When and where was the last child prodigy? We get the odd one or two musicians, but I think people are going through a production line education where they are molded to fit the boxes, rather than the boxes made that will fit their thinking.
Would also be interesting to see what anyone involved in education thinks (hint hint littlemissy).
Have you ever noticed that most entrepeneurs, success stories and the like didnt necessarily complete their education. Many, many just started up when they were 14, 15, 16 and went for it. I think that a reason for this is the young mind is still developing and still has its own ideas. As George Lucas said - the great thing about kids is that they always think outside the box, because they havent learnt what box to think inside.
While education is great for doing specific things, as individuals more and more I think it can in some respects be detrimental. When I was young I had billions upon billions of ideas for inventions, something Im sad enough to admit Id still like to do
. Except these days, I cant think of anything! I can just think of what Ive been taught! Maybe there is a mental capacity inside of us, and it can only hold so much.Or does this creative spark die out in all children, and they eventually just think nothing except what they've been taught? I really wish I could roll back the clock sometimes. The things I used to draw. How about this for one - a jet plane built around the turbine engine, not the engines attatched to the wings. Little did I know that many jet planes were already using similar concepts to improve performance.
Supersonic flight in space because its faster than low down to the ground? I had so many ideas when I was young. These days, I have very few. The odd one or two I do have I pounce on, though they're rarely any good these days, and have often already been invented. Earlier today, what about a machine that makes pizza for you
(probably wouldnt be very nice).So anyway, back to my original point, I think that teaching kids to think a certain way stops them from thinking in their own way, which could be absolutely brilliant. When and where was the last child prodigy? We get the odd one or two musicians, but I think people are going through a production line education where they are molded to fit the boxes, rather than the boxes made that will fit their thinking.
Would also be interesting to see what anyone involved in education thinks (hint hint littlemissy
). 0
Comments
Indeed, we are taught into the box, as was said.
Typed as thought but their is an arguement for formal education in there, as the arguement I used against it made no allowances for the receptive possibilities. Er, yeah.
Our current education system was designed to churn out unthinking robots for factory work and soldiers by "educators" way back when. It's not yet adapted to modern living.
you can argue that the family should prepare you for family values but ...when families try they are usualy put down by the latest modern thinking.
who had an education where you got to know what working for a living and paying for everything was all about?
i believe at around the age of twelve ...kids should have placements in factories nd offices ...top jobs down to the bottom.
seeing whay window cleaning is like and why most window cleaners earn five hundred quid a week ...what it's like to drive a truck for a thoudsand miles ...clean the local bogs ...work in a bank a hospital etc etc.
at twelve i was very worldly wise ...school tried everything to kill my spirit.
i wouldn't let it ...i'm doing great thankyou and even at my age ...trying very new things all the time ...mostly cos i escaped school.
s'why I never fitted in. Why I was always in trouble... I asked questions.
I also think that education can contribute greatly to someone who already has talent in a field. I'll use filmmakers as an example, since it's the thing I know most about. The first wave of filmmakers to come from film schools contained some brilliant original directors like Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma, but also some who've clearly been reading their Scriptwriting for Dummies book a bit too much (e.g. George Lucas, Steven Spielberg). What role education has played in this is debatable, but in the case of the first two, it clearly hasn't been the creative dampner that some consider it to be. Of course there are plenty of example of filmmakers who haven't been to filmschool, but are still considered brilliant and exceptionally original, such as David Lynch. Then again, someone like Quentin Tarantino didn't have an education in film either, and yet his films read as a collection of the best bits from films he's seen over the years, something you might expect from someone who's been told in a classroom "this is how to make films."
I think a similar case can be made in music. Thom Yorke and Chris Martin are both university educated musicians. One has made some revolutionary music in the past decade, whereas the other has made some technically good music which is perhaps not as original. If education make you unoriginal and stops you thinking outside the box, why does it only do so for certain people. Maybe, just maybe, it's because they weren't original enough in the first place.
Rant over.
you have to though pretty much, i think when these teenage success stories happen, they themselves were not to sure it would all work out
I might not become a famous millionaire by getting educated, but I should have a lot better chance of getting a well paying job. If I'm getting paid decently I can put more emphasize on my hobbies and passions.
The alternative is to get a job doing something related to your passions.
If you want something bad enough, the chances are that you will get it. If school kills your spirit, then you probably would not have made it anyway.
Where does 'spirit' come from. I dont think people are born with it, it is instilled in them, enthusiasm is. And it can be bored out as well. Studies show that teaching very young children a lot things, rather than letting them do their own thing, can make them less curious and actually stunt their development in later life. Is it an invalid argument that the same may apply later on in life as well?
Im not having a dig at schools here, but everyone has huge potential - go talk to some primary school kids and the sky is the limit. Then go speak to some year 12s (GCSE age) students. I think youll find a lot of the latter are just fed up with school and as such become fed up with life in general, trying to get quick thrills out of things.
Ive seen people whove been in this 'fed up' stage, and theyve discovered something that has relit their spark, and they go on with more vigor and passion than anyone, and dont give up. In my opinion passion is one thing in society that is lacking. Who really enjoys their job?
I dont agree that there is a limit to how determined or passionate someone is, someone might be passionate for school, someone might hate it, the world is full of different sorts, yet everyone seems to be treated more or less the same.
after a few years of school they hate 'learning' and asking why....
is it school? or just a know it phase begining? i think its a bit of both and the former acocunts for a lot more