EVERYONE has been to school, right? I’ve been to one once. I’m in one now!

Parents send their kids to school to prepare them for the real world, but the problem is the real world is constantly changing, while our schools haven’t changed much for hundreds of years! At school, I have to keep working hard for (roughly) 5 hours, with only two short breaks each day! Even when school is over, I have to do my HOMEWORK!!

The key problems with our educational system are industrial age values, inauthentic learning and no room for passion. 

Firstly, industrial age values.

The current educational system was designed in the industrial age to make FACTORY WORKERS!

Children are taught to follow instructions such as “Sit down.” and “Get your writing books”. When they hear the bell ring, they either need to go into class, or leave the class. Children are rewarded for doing what they’re told. Those values were important for industrial factory workers, but how far can you get by simply following instructions today?

The modern world values people who are more creative and unique or can communicate and collaborate with others. But we don't have many chances to develop those skills in school.

Next is inauthentic learning.

Most of the learning in schools isn't authentic because it mostly depends on memorising things. Such as maths basic facts. I already know how to do the sums. I just haven’t memorised them, so I can’t finish the sheet in time. Because of that, I get a lower grade. That doesn’t seem right!

Learning should be so much more than simply making kids memorise stuff. But that's the only thing teachers measure, and grades are the only thing parents value. But what do grades mean other than how much you’ve memorised?

Finally, no room for passion.

Our system has a very tight standard that every student must learn the same thing, at the same time, in the same way as everyone else.

This doesn’t respect one of the most important things about being human; the fact that everyone is unique. We all have different passions and interests, so it's very important that a child is able to find theirs. But there is no room in schools for the most important questions in a child's life - “What am I good at?” and “What do I want to do in life?”

There were so many great people that failed in the educational system, such as Winston Churchill and even Albert Einstein! 

I struggle at school because there is so much focus on structure, and memorising facts; neither of which I feel passionate about.

Thanks, outdated educational system. I really hope that someday it changes for the better.