Everything in America has undergone several changes over the years. But one thing has remained mostly unchanged, and that is the education system. The current Education system was brought over from Germany in the 1800s. Back then, the system was molded in a manner to instill obedience and a sense of nationalism in people. It was also created in a way to show that the government had power over the people. That is why the main exercise was to follow orders without questioning the system.
Over the years, scientific research has shown the shortcomings of the current education system. The human brain receives and retains information better through visual representation rather than words. The standard tests of the education system also limit the exhibition of intelligence amongst students. Students with scientific thinking feel the need to expand their knowledge and skills beyond the boundaries set by classes and homework. Even though assignments and classwork may suffice in providing a foundation for studies, their constraints can limit the performance of students inclined towards science-related subjects.
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Standardization of Tests
Some of the limitations of the education system might get controlled when students are looking for homework answers for science. But grades of standardized tests do not always translate into success in the real world. The categorization of good and bad students through tests have been proven to be false through many examples. There are many real-world examples of great scientists who did not perform well in school. Albert Einstein was extremely fond of maths but did not perform well in many other subjects. Many of the present world leaders in science confess on Twitter that they often got a C in science subjects.
What people often fail to see is that these tests have financial and political motivations more than educational purposes. The education system has been turned into a product by these tests. They are intended not only for the students but the teachers and trainers as well. And yet the students who receive the top grades often earn a limited salary. The only thing these tests can accomplish is that they can tell how much information a student can retain from the classes and homework of a particular subject. These examinations fail to quantify the emotional intelligence and scientific aptitude of a student. Tests cannot reflect their creative skills or original thinking.
What Matters in the Real World?
Many of the world leaders in various fields performed poorly during their education. Bill Gates left law college to pursue business. Steve jobs struggled a lot in school and dropped a semester in college. His high school grades averaged a 2.65 GPA, which means that he got mostly B’s and C’s. There are many other examples of people who are at the top of their field but did not perform well in school.
One thing all of these people had in common was that they did not restrict themselves within the education system. They encouraged themselves to think outside the box and apply their methods to study and learn. Just because they did not follow the school curriculum with the best grades does not mean that they skipped on education. Almost all of them attended the finest universities and got specialized degrees in their respective fields. But they showed that performing well in tests is not a prerequisite to achieving excellence in education or life. They also proved that underperforming in school tests should not bring down a student’s morale. Instead, they should accept it as a challenge to prove those people wrong who brand them as bad students.
Self-directed learning can be more valuable if applied correctly. Not all students who get bad grades dislike learning. Many of them have a lot more awareness about the world than the A grade students. They love reading books and searching for knowledge on the internet. They also know how to accept failure and learn from their mistakes. Instead of memorizing classwork and homework, they choose to follow their passion and gather knowledge and experience. Such students draw up their theories and experiment based on that.
Unfortunately, one cannot change the education system, but they can adapt to their ways to expand their knowledge. Intelligence can exist in many forms, so parents and teachers should recognize them before branding the student “bad” just because they got low grades. If a child shows signs of scientific aptitude and prowess towards alternative learning methods, he or she should be encouraged. Students should understand that their future does not depend solely on the grades given at school.
