Many things in our schooling system are incredibly futile. For instance, we’re still teaching Latin and Greek, even though it’s an ancient language that has been dead for centuries. We should replace Latin with French, German, and Spanish. Why is Latin and Greek taught in schools at all? It’s time to re-think how we teach students. This article looks at the futility culture that exists in our schooling system.
One of the futile things in our schooling system is accountability. In the United States, we’re almost entirely obsessed with growth and proficiency levels. But by avoiding serving too many students who are difficult to educate, we can make ourselves appear successful. However, what is more futile is putting too much pressure on teachers to perform at an incredibly low level, and focusing only on a few important skills.
In addition, we need to stop measuring everything. Using test scores to determine success in any subject is a futile way to evaluate our students. A grade is only a snapshot of what a student knows. It doesn’t take into account the value of a human being’s life. We need to foster the concept of human development, not measure it through arbitrary measures. For example, teaching math in a classroom of 100 students is not humanistic.
The current educational system does a poor job of helping students recognize their unique potential. Our schooling system privileges some kids over others and extends rights to some citizens that aren’t even born with. This finagling causes a higher cost than we need for education. It sits outside the reach of policymakers. If that happens, we’ll end up with a bloated education system.
