Education of today has become irrelevant
Not long ago, the way people existed over many generations remained almost unchanged. Students at school were taught rudimentary things that sufficed for their entire existence.
Access to even this limited quantum of information was severely restricted to the school and the teachers there. No libraries, nor contact with 'experts' the teachers made students cram all the information in their heads.
97% of all scientists, ever born are currently living. Thanks to them and the advances in technology and communications, the quantum of new 'facts' that comes into the public domain so significant, that it doubles every 2 years.
Now, anyone seized by a thirst for knowledge, armed with a computer and access to the internet can acquire vast amount and details of facts, opinions, analysis, and techniques on any topic they choose.
Facts by themselves do nothing. Its only when human intellect is applied to facts that meaningful progress is achieved.
While information and techniques for acquiring that information have progressed greatly, the method of educating students has hardly changed. The only visible progress is the use of technology to deliver more facts for cramming and testing efficiently.
This is why school bags are getting bigger and the time available for play smaller, as school boards and professional teachers try to cram as many facts and opinions into young minds.
If one overfeeds the body, it involuntarily repels all desire for food. If one over crams the mind, it simply blanks out information and repels learning. Young minds now hate reading and learning.
Wonder is a natural trait of all humans. The most exciting skills that we humans can acquire are, discovery and learning are destroyed by overloading the mind until the strain breaks the child's spirit, intelligence and intellect.
The greater tragedy is, that people who accumulate a lot of facts and opinions begin to think of themselves as intelligent and intellectual. This is not only non-productive its downright dangerous for the child and the future of humanity.
Those who possess good memories and the ability to regurgitate the memorised information in examinations are classified by society as brilliant. The thinkers, writers, dreamers, innovators, artists, the poets and the mystics are all ignored or are relegated to the background.
What could be a greater tragedy to befall society, than to elevate unfeeling, arrogant ignorance to highest levels of recognition and appreciation and to relegate talent and the soul to the bottom of the heap of humanity?
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