At the very beginning of my teaching career, when there was still so much for me to learn about the intricacies of the education system, I had an interesting parent-teacher meeting. It was actually my first meeting of that kind. The parent in question told me that school is a constant source of stress for everyone involved: children, parents and teachers. One could not tell who has it worse. That, of course, was old news. But I had never heard it stated so bluntly.
Education is one of the central aspects of people’s lives and its importance is often publicly emphasized. Unfortunately, public discourse involving education is also very often marked by criticism of the education system. Thus, one could say that education is valuable, but is inadequate in its current form. It is probably for this reason that there is commonly talk of the need to reform the education system or at least some of its aspects. It seems, however, that all the reforms that do take place eventually prove to be inadequate as well.
We could, of course, say that we live in an ever changing world and that the need for reforms is actually evolution of education. Response to its changing environment. As the world changes, so does the role and position of education within it. We must keep in mind as well that no one is perfect and no system humans establish has ever been flawless. It is the same with education. Thus, it naturally needs to change. Although I agree with this, there is one thing of which we must not lose sight. Before we discuss it, however, let us briefly look at change in this context.
Wise is he who recognises the need for change as it arises. Very often changes have to be made promptly, as a response to unexpected developments. In other cases, with more time at hand, they are the result of careful deliberation. But regardless of the way they are made, we normally undertake changes because we believe they are necessary for things to improve. From daily schedules to jobs to systems affecting the entire society, it is the expectation of something better that prompts us to plan for change. Knowing that something is better entails that we have a broader perspective of things. That we see where we are and also where we do and do not want to be. Which should bring our discussion to this simple question: Why do I go to school?
Yes, the question may be simple, but finding an answer will not be. However, it is of great importance that we provide one. Considering the place education has in our lives, our answer will be based on many different factors, which we may group as, for example, personal interests and goals, political and economic circumstances and others’ expectations. Any combination of factors belonging to these, and possibly other, categories may influence an individual’s answer. The complexity of these answers appears to clash with the necessity of having an education system from which all individuals benefit. As individuals, we naturally want the system to offer us at least some gains. We may consider ourselves as end users of education, who rightfully expect quality service. But individuals are not simply users of education and we should not view education as a product that comes down a production line. Moreover, if we can agree that systems are inherently imperfect, we should not demand and expect a perfect one, hoping that every change is a step closer to our ideal. Instead we should consider our active role in the education system, of which we should always be aware.
Thus, it may be wise to turn our attention away from the system and towards ourselves. We could simply try to examine more closely ourselves as individuals, decide what we want education to provide for our lives and explore the best ways we could gain that, despite the faults of the system. There are numerous options and opportunities for personal gain and growth within the confines of the education system. It is important first that we set our goals and brace ourselves for the journey towards them. In this way our education can become an adventure in which we willingly accept more responsibility for its final outcome. It may well be a thorny path, full of obstacles and traps, but such paths very often lead to significant achievements. This claim is best confirmed by autobiographies of many great scientists and artists, who have had a lasting impact on the world. Let us strive to become one of them and not be content with our role as a dissatisfied customer.
Pavao Translations 