Dear Education,
Yes, I hear you thinking, why do we need a ‘love letter’ to education. However, the moment you have access to education and you are fortunate enough to get said education, you take it for granted very easily. And no, in my opinion there is not one educational system that is superior or perfect, because that it almost impossible. Especially when I’m looking back at my own high school experience for example, there were so many things that could have been better and that were simply outdated. Still, I’m able to get educated which is unfortunately already something not everybody on this earth can say.
At the moment I’m reading the book ‘Ten survival skills for a world in flux’ by Tom Fletcher. I’m not done with it yet, but some of the problems that many educational systems have are very well described in the introduction already. Nowadays people are leaving education with so much more anxiety. With this comes the fact that they have a way better understanding of the factors that are beyond their control such as climate change, economy and pandemics. While some people from the older generations believe that there is nothing to worry about, the younger generations are getting more and more on their plate to worry about. No wonder that their anxiety and mental health is getting worse. The fact that this generation thinks more about making the world a better place, also puts them into a more fragile spot and it gives them a bigger sense of fragility.
You often hear the phrase ‘those who adapt fastest will win and those who adapt slowest will lose.’ That is basically just how evolution works, it is as simple as that. Although it seems as if our education often didn’t hear about this. Let’s give you an obvious example from my high school which most people probably have experienced as well. The internet is becoming more important every single day and the use of technology (and having some knowledge about it) is a basic skill that is needed in today’s society. We most certainly don’t all have to be coders, but we should have some basic knowledge on the things that will help us survive in the future.
People who leave education after graduating most of the time don’t feel ready to tackle the world outside. And yes, it is true that the most important things in life are not taught in schools but are learned throughout life. However, learning methods at educational institutions should evolve with the reality that the ‘real’ world and life brings. Let students use the internet and their phones for certain exercises, because that is what they will do later on as well.
But this is still a ‘love letter’, it is a ‘love letter’ to being able to get a certain education, to students and people in general who are trying to improve and modernise the education systems by asking themselves and thinking about what they really want and need in life. But most importantly this is about lifelong learning. Mahatma Gandhi once said ‘live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as though you would live forever,’ which is something we should all keep in our minds and hearts.
Time is one of the most valuable currencies we have and it is fleeting. Try to share it with people you care about. You are learning something new every single day even if you might not be aware of it. So maybe also look at the little things, because they often bring you the most joy.
It is great to also think about your least developed skills and how you could improve them. Ask yourself what can I learn to become the version of myself that will make me feel more content and sets me apart in the future. What do I really need to know?
All my love,
Anna
Dear Anna,
With great interest I’ve read this “loveletter” on “Education”.
I think that you are right, that you state, that education is not only happening in schools by teachers or at home by parents. And you also wrote that it’s a process of life long learning.
In schools managers will always try new and different things to “educate” the pupils…but the Greek Philosopher and Mathematician Euclides 400 BC already said: “Most ideas about education are not new, but not everyone knows the old iedeas.” You also wrote about the importance of the factor “time”. I once read an interesting text about this topic:
“Time cannot be influenced by mankind. It gives each of us a beginning, and an end, and this makes us question the significance of what comes between. But if you can create something time cannot erode, something which ignores the eccentricities of particular eras of moments, something truly timeless, this is the ultimate victory!”
Best wishes,
Ed.