“Education System Who Really Benefits”

              

            The education system in America for centuries; places children and youth in structures and limits some children not to receive all that education can give them because of the structure.  We are all unique individuals with different ways of learning and have different needs, many ways of expression especially in the urban areas of the communities.  What can be done to break the cycle of a system that does not work for all individuals?  In viewing this system which has failed many of our children and youth today in America, where some are unable to achieve high accomplishments, express themselves and take pride in  their work.  As Arthur Jiddu Krishnamurti asks a question “Why do we go to school, why do we learn various subjects, why do we pass examinations and compete with each other for better grades?” (Krishnamurti 1).  Some individuals get lost in the shuffle along the road to their dreams, mainly for the lack of passion in school that is given to a student as an individual.  Ted talk Ken Robinson in “Bring on the Learning Row” shares how “every education system in the world is being reformed at the moment and it's not enough. Reform has no use anymore, because that's simply improving a broken model’…[ It]...’is not evolution, but a revolution in education. This has to be transformed into something else”.  (Robinson) It should emphasize looking more at the needs for each individual and their surroundings.   

In most of America’s schools system today, children are introduced to a mechanical system on a daily bases.    We all can remember that first day of school in our adolescent years, placed in  a classroom setting with an assigned seat all the same age level, but not at the same intellectual level.   We are then introduced to strangers which is the teacher and classmates, then that first day children can be excited, scared, shocked, happy, “very nervous” (Mad World) and curious on that first day.  In school were taught to achieve high, pass the test, “sit and listen”(Mad World), be still and obey.  When a child is needing more help because they are struggling academically or there is a language barrier.   They are then placed in  either Special Education or English Second Language.  Taken from the group structure and might feel confused, maybe something might be wrong with them and they’re probably too young to understand what is taking place.  In Special Education the problem is not enough help  1-2 teachers and fifteen children needing different help, for many different reasons.  This contributes to a lack of funding from the school district.   Garity described it as children with ‘good organs in a sick body” (Garity), says its like  “throwing money away” (Garity) it’ s not a great investment to meet the children’s needs individually.  So you have a  child that is healthy but lacking the proper resources to be able to accomplish their academics.  Children will then  suffer from “no child left behind” because as they are passed on to next grade level without the support, funding or help in speaking and writing the native language English fluently, it will cause someone to lose hope for their future and give up.  How then can a child be expected to understand what they are reading or learning if they have not learn the language.  How then would they be able to pass the tests required.

Children are developing from years and years of schooling, for some children it no longer stimulates the mind.   It becomes “so competitive you kind of lose the enjoyment of learning”. (Mather) In 2002 from the U.S. department of Education was “No Child left behind” rather than help all children achieve, this overemphasis on standardized tests will label more minority children and their schools as failures. “It affects what students are taught, the tests they take, the training of their teachers and the way money is spent on education.” (GreatSchools Staff)  Standardized tests can be biased, statistics reveal that many American’s in public schools are failing our students, teachers and parents, particularly in urban areas. “Life is much more important than merely to prepare for examinations and become very proficient in mathematics and physics.” (Krishnamurti 1)  There is more to life in the real world then passing tests, exams, being above the class and the things we are taught are not used everyday in life. You know longer can enjoy learning and expressing yourself everything becomes stressful in school.

Life changes in middle and high school a child can lose interest in school, if the academic level or passion of a teacher has not shifted to help that individual, its a very crucial time in their life to adulthood.   We are losing youth at a very young age rapidly, because the world is pulling at them with excitement, pleasure, enjoyment, but kids are not realizing some things they will suffer for if they make wrong choices.  Is “education merely to help you to conform to the pattern of this rotten social order, or is it too give you freedom - complete freedom to grow and create a different society.” (Bliss)  School is not captivating the heart and mind of the youth, in the real world  some are struggling with  their home live’s, violence, peer pressure, teacher’s loss of passion, self-confidence, and academically even just all the hustle and bustle of everyday life.    At this age are even younger the teenager is then labeled as disobedient, trouble maker or even placed in detention constantly in the office, when they are not learning supposedly like everyone else is being taught.  Teenagers tend to “emerge from a prehuman harmony and was able to take the first step into independence and freedom” (Fromm 683).  Meaning we look at teenagers strange because they’re no longer follow the directions as given, parents and adults then say “what got into that child, they are rebelling, and “they think their all grown up”.  Teenagers start refusing the structure of the classroom setting and start experiencing choices.  The structure of the school system is suppressing individuals, some are refusing it because they are not able to learn in this environment.  I was one of those fortunate teenagers that loss all interest in education and I think for me it was all the different teachers, curriculum, lack of compassion in their teaching, friends seemed more fun, school becomes  boring.   It was probably at a time that there was a lot going on at home and I wanted to run away from it mentally.  My grades were good, I spoke English fluently, testing was easy for me, but I lacked confidence and became bored with the system and dropped out at tenth grade.  Growing up and lacking certain things in life where “it is very important while you are young to live in an environment in which there is no fear”, but fear will grip you day in and day out where you can become isolated and gravitate to what feels good at that moment.  For me it was friends and hanging out, they understood me and I understood them someone was listening.

Many may reject the system and have to come back later in life, trying to succeed all over again because it did not work the first time for some.  It’s never too late to try again there is a saying “If at first you don’t succeed try and try again”.  To come back and learn and get the high school diploma is the “function of education to prepare us while we are young to understand the whole process of life?” (Krishnamurti 1)  Yet it felt many of us, that everything we had learned previously did not help us with life skills, deaths, emotional pain the day in and day out things you deal with on a daily bases.  When I decided to come back to school years later in my twenty’s now with two kids, nothing previously had prepared me in school to raise a family, being a wife, getting a job and having my own household to care for.  “You learn from everything, there is no guide, no philosopher, no guru.  Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning.” (Krishnamurti 3)  I truly believe this because I was taught by being shown compassion.  I had a sister in-law that taught me how to care for a baby, found an apartment and cook.  Even as a teenager the community centers helped me to prepare for a job, I didn’t learn that in school.  I lacked in so many qualities for my real challenges in life, nothing I learned in school helped me cope with these struggles or challenges to come in my life.  

The school system needs to ask why do we lose kids along the way, what’s captivating their attention span.  What can we do to change the environment where they sit day in and day out and how can we prepare them for life's challenges.   Most of the education we learn in school will not be useful in our everyday life. I now look at my daughter twenty one years old with an intellectual disability but is very motivated and because of “No child left behind” she was required to pass algebra with help and she graduated from high school.   We applaud her in her success and achievements with her disadvantage, but in all that learning our daughter cannot count money to help her in her every day living.   So I ask “why do we learn various subjects?” (Krishnamurti)  She had to pass algebra to be able to graduate high school.  Will they help us through life and will the burdens be lighter?  Education growing up does not prepare us for life skills, it would be great if they taught us how to use a checkbook, making lifetime decisions, planning ahead for your future and being prepared for life.  I received my G.E.D. in my twenty’s it was not that hard for me, I had the goods I just needed time to express in an environment I felt comfortable with, not in a “hollow, alienated, and alienating verbosity” “which [is] detached from reality.” (Freire).  I was a very shy alienated little girl in school till I became a teenager that rebelled in the system.  I can say I learned some great social skills and I love the culture ethics which I learned while I was young, but I did not have teachers in school that were passionate enough to take the time to see what was going on with me.

Schools today will change when you look at the needs for the child as an individual, also when teachers remember why they choose the career to teach and valued their gifts.  Setting goals allows a child to choose what they want to achieve.  “Most people never define who they are as a personality type until their 30’s”.  So for [children] to be defining who they are at the age of 14 is almost a huge evolutionary jump.” (Time 5)  We need to “redesign our school system to help students achieve greater success in less time.” (Livingston)  This would help them to stay focused, a clear view, have a long or short term vision, improve their academic performance, increase self-confidence and be motivated.  “Students are grouped not by age or grade level but by their levels of knowledge and skill.” (Livingston)  Children have many learning skills; visual, hands on, verbal and creative ways.  If schools took the time to adapt to the children’s need, it could help them not to lose focus and take pride in accomplishing their goals.  Children are growing faster today with technology at it’s peak, we can barely keep up with them.   We can help them by believe in them, to take those steps to improve in the little things so we can become greater and less fearful.  When I started messing up in school, I tried to go into a John O’Connor Tech School in San Francisco, but because of my missing school so much I was not allowed to enter.  I think that it would of been a great school for me to refocus, it was a trade school that was visual learning and hands on.  I was refused that opportunity and I know many others were too. “There is nothing worse than failing to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond [a] student's’ control.”(teacher community) Meaning if I would of had the opportunity, teaches that cared enough to take the time, been able to make choices in my education I could have probably tried harder to accomplish those goals.

If children are kept in this systematical system we will have more children dropping out, being bored and looked at as failures.  Something has to change it “is not evolution, but a revolution in education. This has to be transformed into something else”.  (Robinson)  Some day I hope to see many more schools that help children with their abilities, embrace their language, compassion for an individual and acceptance from others.  Children should embrace their uniqueness and who they are to as individuals and take pride in themselves, not have to rebel because their sinking and no one sees them.  We can learn from one another and I hope  it starts when they are young. What can we do to help change a system that does not work for all individuals.

Cite:

http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/quality-teaching/61-no-child-left-behind.gs

http://www.teacher community.org