General

The Practicality of School Education: A Critical Look

Today, people frequently discuss the need for educational reform because of varied reasons. The most significant factor is the suitability and reasoning of following a definite curriculum. 

Many students wonder – Why do schools teach useless things? They are convinced that there is a serious gap in utilizing the teaching plan in the US educational system. 

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why students ask – How can I write my essay? The system isn’t perfect, and it teaches irrelevant things that don’t develop competence properly. 

In this article, we will explore the formation of a curriculum whose transformation needs to begin through integrating life skills.  Also, we will look for ways to encourage active learning which should be beyond textbook knowledge. 

Conditioning Over Learning: The School System’s Flaw

The US education system isn’t perfect and it requires serious progression. Some teens and adults claim that the knowledge in high school is pointless because they are not required anymore in real life. 

Children learn subjects that do not offer any practical use in real life. They want different kinds of information, but outdated curriculums offer irrelevant facts. 

Thus, youngsters claim that after their graduation from school, they didn’t manage to find their way of improving vital aptitude and gaining the knowledge they needed.

Ideological Influence on Educational Curriculums

One of the commonly underestimated factors is the ideological influence on almost every educational curriculum. 

The school boards do not want to change anything in their educational systems. As a result, learners have to memorize outdated facts, use inefficient methods of teaching and studying, etc. 

DO YOU KNOW?
Despite a 150% increase in per-student spending since 1970, there has been no improvement in K-12 outcomes. 

The Disconnect Between School Content and Life Skills

At times, curriculums are bad because they are not connected to the life skills of students. They are commonly focused on theoretical knowledge rather than practical knowledge. 

The management boards do not allow too much practice to improve student’s education. So, it turns out that graduates have pretty weak practical skills that are related to what they will need during their lives. 

In the meantime, there are pointless abilities that will never be used in life or the workplace. They frequently learn what they are supposed to be able to do, but the lack of practice makes those theories irrelevant.

Passive Learning vs. Active Engagement in Education

The school system frequently implements practices when children are not active participants in the knowledge-acquiring process. They become passive learners only memorizing facts and stats without understanding its importance. 

This issue is partially related to an uninteresting method of teaching that has changed according to the contemporary society that is rapidly moving towards adopting technology. 

Another point is when teachers rule all the time and give no autonomy to learners. Thus, the whole process of instruction becomes passive as well.

Finally, few teachers fail to engage learners in practical education. Here are the common reasons for this failure:

●  No freedom of choice;

●  Lack of practice;

●  Too complicated assignments;

●  Outdated methods of teaching that seem to tire both students and scholars;

●  Irrelevant curriculum;

●  The skills with no relation to the situations that may pop up in real life, and so on. 

The Reality Behind Textbook Knowledge

Now, let’s face the truth. Oftentimes, the things learned from textbooks strongly differ from the real-world application. This issue takes place when children learn irrelevant information or subjects. 

Chances are you have noticed that some textbooks provide overly complicated explanations, and youngsters cannot comprehend them. A lot of theories cannot be proved in reality, so learners receive false knowledge. 

The Overemphasis on Memorization in Schools

The main downsides of most instructional systems is the overemphasis on memorizing various things rather than understanding them. It’s a huge mistake and a common outdated teaching method. 

This is the problem of the US, Chinese, Japanese, and many other educational systems all over the globe. Students have little chance to think analytically and logically. They simply memorize and retell facts with no actual comprehension.  

The combination of a new curriculum joining hands with teachers who implement creative teaching methods will pave the way for transforming educational systems. 

The graph below is an eye-opener because it indicates that among other reasons educators continue to work because of meaningful work. 

Just-In-Case Learning vs. Just-In-Time Knowledge

Now, we need to review two approaches in teaching that are frequently applied. Let’s start with the wrong approach first. 

It is called just-in-case learning. Teachers stuff kids with the knowledge that “may possibly become valuable in time”. Yet, there is no confidence in this assumption. 

On the contrary, smart teachers apply a very effective method called just-in-time-knowledge. It focuses on the development of analytical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. 

For example, learners receive a task that must be researched right now in the class. They need to surf the Internet to find, assess, and use relevant data. They receive valuable information that is really useful.

The One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Education

The negative approach of various educational systems is to suit one plan or strategy for all subjects. They believe that only “universal” teaching approaches can suit all children. They don’t take into account the individual peculiarities of children. 

They may have different needs and studying styles. As they have to undergo a system that doesn’t suit them, youngsters suffer. They cannot obtain the required knowledge or life skills.

The Pitfalls of Standardization in Schooling

Students fail to acquire the right academic knowledge because of standardization in schooling. Here again, management sticks to a conventional approach that does not serve the present-day expertise. 

Even if it’s something new and effective, it doesn’t mean it can suit the study styles of all children. As a result, youngsters fall behind in the program just because of this serious drawback.

Creative Thinking and Self-Motivation: The Missing Elements in Schools

The curriculum relevance suffers because there are severe gaps because of lack of creative thinking. Another bigger reason is the lack of self-motivation which is often taken for granted. 

Many learners are deprived of the possibility to think independently and creatively. This issue commonly kills their desire to learn or grow interest in any subject for a long time. 

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Luca Thorpe

An all-round and proficient writer whose writings are well-researched, authentic, and engaging. He provides guides for niches such as technical, finance, green energy, technology, automation, and many more. His comprehensive approach to every draft and his unique writing styles always succeed in making the readers happy.