What would you change about the education system?

If you could change anything in the education system, what would it be?

I would change the way they handle reading, forcing us to read classic novels and over analyse them has made not made want to read outside of class. A bit more freedom would be nice, when they made us do reading projects over the summer we were allowed to choose from a "requirement list".

I should note that I don't actually work in the education system, so what I'm gonna say is based on bits and pieces I hear from people that do, plus what little I get to see from the perspective of someone who works inside school buildings, as well as my experience in the school system back in the day, and this is USA-centric, so it may be necessary to take it with a grain of salt.

I'd just like it to do what it's supposed to. My view is that an education system is supposed to do two things: give people the ability to think objectively/critically, and teach them the (practical) skills needed to succeed in life. Accumulation of knowledge is not so important as is the ability to apply what you know. Especially in the age of the internet where raw information is usually easily accessible.

And I don't feel that the education system in the U.S. does that. Rather, it seems to me that, like possibly a lot of things in this country, schools are treated as if they were businesses. Their primary concern doesn't seem to be equipping young people for the future, but instead stuff like standardized test scores and graduation rates--things that give the illusion that students are getting a quality education, but aren't necessarily indicative that they are. Test scores and graduation rates are merely the "product" that they're selling. Now, one could argue that funding schools properly would fix all of that, and I would agree that schools could use better funding (I hope that Phil Murphy decides to do so when he is sworn into office this month), but I don't know if the extra money would actually go towards fixing education problems and not just like.....fattening someone's paycheck who doesn't need a bigger paycheck, or funding some new construction project(s) that nobody asked for (they legit did this last year in the town I live in/the school district I work in).

That, and it needs to be more fun. People are much more willing to learn and it tends to stick a little better when they enjoy it.




......this is admittedly just the rant of an idiot nobody, given that I haven't offered any specific solutions to anything, but y'all shouldn't be expecting much from me y'know

Schools should hire more teachers that care about students and their future. Like in Dead Poets Society (which is a movie and takes place in a private school but still) Mr. Keating puts heart into education and he teaches what's important, using poetry and many other ways to stimulate the students, encourages them to be the best they can be and leaves them with enduring values. While some of the teachers I know looked super miserable. If you're going to be a teacher, put some heart into it, it's a noble job.

Make education a little fun like Nah said. I enjoyed and even loved reading the required readings, well most of it anyways but writing research papers over it was not fun.

I also think schools are too competitive with sports or dumb GPA rank, it really doesn't encourage anything except an obsession over winning.

The school buses could be less crappy, need to up the budget on that. It was hot, crowded and I had to wait an hour sometimes for my bus to arrive. My bus driver was nice though.

I've noticed 2 things in from my perception of schools nowadays.

1) There seems to be too little diverse ways of learning in schools. Kids don't all learn the same way and I can say that if I hadn't had a more interactive/discussion education I probably wouldn't be doing as good. The thing is that while yes a good amount of students do learn the same way, there's another that doesn't pick up on things. Some learn in the classroom, others in the shop, some in experience, some from books and others from [X] method. I'm not saying catering to every single one since money and stuff is an issue (unless they get their stuff together), but having a helps for students that are having problems (like a testing center at my college) would benefit a bunch of students.

2) Schools seem more about a quantity of students and workers rather than the quality. It is understandable to dish out a bunch of peeps since there's a huge demand of workforce, but at the same time students are missing out on certain learning skills that are important not just to their education, but also in real life. For example, I see knowing what a Wrench is isn't smart, but actually understanding how to use it is a basis for smartness. The issue this is in relevance to schools is kids see the tools and learn "what" they are and even "how" to use them, but there's the problem of "why" you use it and "how" you come to the conclusion of using it. Self thinking and being able to put the pieces together helps a person not just be able to do the work, but also take charge of their abilities and solve problems with skills they've acquired.

Now I agree with Nah on the budget thing if it would be used well, (Though I honestly don't know how that could work to be honest) and I agree that there is a need for teachers that are there to make students learn and acquire skills rather than going to the next group.

If I can use myself as an example for a minute, I went to college with no knowledge of coding and only slight comprehension of a computer. I made a 50% on my first Math exam and math was my best subject. Two things helped me out. The teachers trying to not just get you to learn but be able to self think and problem solve, as well as a testing center for peeps like me that have problems taking tests in a classroom environment. Now I'm doing very well and I owe it too the flexibility that's been given to me. (Though I have put effort in so that's a factor as well)

So...yeah, schools, you need to learn this.

We need to do away with exams. They simply are not an effective way of measuring a student's abilities in a subject area. They don't test application of knowledge or understanding, they only really test ability to regurgitate information and, I guess, to function under extreme pressure.

I'll be back with more later.

Change number one: stop changing the education system (for a time).

In the UK teachers are forced to change direction every time a politician (who have rarely any experience) steps into education chair and wants to make an impact.

I agree with and want to expand on Nah's point about teaching practical skills a bit - I don't want to say subjects like history or maths beyond what we need to function in daily life are unnecessary, but there should be less of a focus on solely teaching kids stuff like that and more of preparing kids for life outside of school.

I understand the point of those is to introduce and expose kids to a wide variety of subjects, so should they pursue higher education they have an idea of what they are good at and what they are interested in, but the majority of what we learn in high school has no life application and a lot of people do not pursue careers where they need to use algebra or comprehend Shakespearean regularly - in that sense, the school system fails in teaching kids things that are actually useful. Kids leave high school and are expected to function as "adults", but many don't know how to pay taxes or how to vote or even why they should vote, so why not incorporate stuff like that in the curriculum? Not everyone has parents who can adequately pass on that kind of crucial knowledge.

gimmepie said:

We need to do away with exams. They simply are not an effective way of measuring a student's abilities in a subject area. They don't test application of knowledge or understanding, they only really test ability to regurgitate information and, I guess, to function under extreme pressure.

I'll be back with more later.

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What do you think would be a good replacement? Exams aren't necessarily bad, but the content of exams can be better in a lot of cases. I've taken exams that put my knowledge into theoretical application very well, but I guess it can be argued that some people cannot put what they know into writing adequately no matter how a question is designed, or function well under pressure.

Juno said:

What do you think would be a good replacement? Exams aren't necessarily bad, but the content of exams can be better in a lot of cases. I've taken exams that put my knowledge into theoretical application very well, but I guess it can be argued that some people cannot put what they know into writing adequately no matter how a question is designed, or function well under pressure.

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Formative assessment should play a greater role in determining final grades rather than the huge focus we have on summative assessments like exams right now. We obviously don't have to do away with the concept of more standard testing completely, but we do need to look for ways to assess an actual understanding of the content rather than just memorisation of information. It's less of a problem in maths, but in subjects with some depth like history or politics, I don't think just being able to repeat the words you have learned cuts it.

Aside from a greater focus on formative assessment though, I'm afraid I'm not totally sure how we could best do this just yet. It's a complicated issue and I assume that's why we still use an inferior method of grading.

Another thing I would change is the "No Tolerance for Bullying". They create an illusion with this policy that leads people to believe bullying in schools isn't existent anymore, but it's still a problem. One kid I know had to leave public schooling because of people singling him out, the school was aware but made it clear it wasn't their problem. Another kid a couple grades below me, who went to a nearby school, committed suicide.

While I don't know a direct solution, the "Zero Tolerance" is a lie. I dealt with it in elementary school, the teacher turned a blind eye to what was happening, and at some points encouraged it. When it finally turned into an actual fight, I was the first in trouble.

Bullying won't ever be eliminated, but maybe reduced if teachers or the administration actually cared.

I'd change the bullshit concept that if you don't live in the immediate area of a school you're currently attending, you'll be transferred to the nearest school in the area, because that concept is, as aforementioned, bullshit. I've been put across a big city through a couple of minor cities to a low-count school by the system when there is a just as good school less than a mile from my house, and the same happened to eighty percent of kids in my neighborhood.

Less industrial teaching with the focus on obedience and factory type of work and more focus on teaching kids to learn. You can pump all the information you want into their heads, at the end of the day nothings going to be there anymore.

It seems like "modern" teaching still makes kids less sensitive towards the special things that would spark their interest in the learning process, leading to worse results than necessary while also making it harder for them to "take a risk", which is pretty much the premise of finding new knowledge.

I think they should allow more flexibility on allowing kids to pick the subjects they want. I was doing horrible in High School until I got into a program that allowed me to choose different subjects in whatever order I wanted. There were still some required subjects, but with this system, I started doing much better and ended up graduating on time (I was really behind on credits before).

I'm not saying that every kid needs a system like that, but it would really help the ones that do, and it shouldn't affect the others in a negative way.

Edit: Oh, and less focus on crap that they don't really need to know. Like in 6th grade we were forced to focus on a bunch of muk about Egypt. Sure, it is interesting to me now, but if I want to learn it, I can go study Egypt any time I want at my own leisure. Apart from some trivia games or if you wanted to become an archeologist, then why in the world would you need to know grand details about Egyptian culture and beliefs? :X

Another thing that ticked me off is that we were forced to do something with music from 4th to 6th grade. We got the choice of either playing an instrument, or doing singing. I'm really not a musical person at all, and I know damn well there are many other people out there that feel the same way. So they could have at least given us a 3rd option of an art class, or maybe even allow us to just sit in our normal classroom and read a book. :/

gimmepie said:

Formative assessment should play a greater role in determining final grades rather than the huge focus we have on summative assessments like exams right now. We obviously don't have to do away with the concept of more standard testing completely, but we do need to look for ways to assess an actual understanding of the content rather than just memorisation of information. It's less of a problem in maths, but in subjects with some depth like history or politics, I don't think just being able to repeat the words you have learned cuts it.

Aside from a greater focus on formative assessment though, I'm afraid I'm not totally sure how we could best do this just yet. It's a complicated issue and I assume that's why we still use an inferior method of grading.

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I agree - I think integration of both is key, and for the most part the distribution isn't too awful. Homework, projects, field trips, essays and presentations all make up a fair bulk of final grades, but it does heavily depend on the instructor.

Exams don't have to be terribly designed multiple choice questions or "define this term" SA - a lot of instructors I've had specifically told us simply defining or regurgitating information from the textbook is not good enough, especially in exams with essay topics or short answer questions. Most of them do design exams to test comprehension over memorization, at least in my experience.

The bigger issue I see with exams is that some people simply don't test well, and the pressure/environment does not allow them to fully communicate what they have learned (and the time limit doesn't help), but like you said, testing is a more efficient way to assess students, even if it may not be equally effective for everyone.

Schooling in it's current form is useless. I am no better for going through highschool than I would be having not. Sure, I wouldn't be able to do pre-calculus problems, and may be less efficient at writing a 10 page essay, but when I actually use any of those skills in life, I will light my home on fire and donate all of my money to Donald Trump.

How to improve schooling?

First, testing and exams need to go. Answering a bunch of multiple choice questions on a sheet of paper isn't a good way to gauge grasp of a subject. Replace it with hands-on activities, projects, presentations, etc.

Second, at minimum, half the shit they teach you need to be moved to optional classes you can pick up to help you towards your desired career. Math only really need to go up to geometry/algebra I. Students should be able to comfortably read anything they're given and have the knowledge on how to figure something out that is currently outside their grasp (Sorry, but Brit Lit is NOT the solution, Ed system)

The kind of classes I wish I had to take are thinks more like Banking, Job and home hunting, how to keep to a budget, Cooking and healthy eating, Computer literacy, etc and so forth. Hell, even driving and basic vehicle maintenance (Changing a tire and all that stuff)! Skills people will actually use from day to day.

Instead of getting taught things that would've given me a jump start in the real world, I got taught fuckin' chemistry. Thanks US Government! I'm sure the periodic table will really help me get a job!

And then there's college in America. A soulless business that only cares about GPAs and graduation rates, not actually giving people good training to their profession. And not to mention most colleges stateside will set you back fucking 30k a year so after you get out you can spend the next 20 years of your life paying the additional money you make over a grocery store job back to the government! YEAH!


Disclaimer:
Yes, I am very jaded towards the US education system, and some of what's stated is just a college age kid blowing off steam about the system.

My university puts a larger focus on project work and continuous assessment over examinations but the latter does exist. I agree with this approach. Exams are necessary, and so are written papers because as much as it is important to ensure students are able to apply critical thinking, it is also necessary to ensure students are able to morph their knowledge into legible points of thought.

There's no point in knowing the intricate workings of quantum mechanics if you cannot explain it to another. You will die, and your knowledge will die with you. Knowledge and ability both need to be transferable to those around you for innovation, I would say.

I'm not sure how the education system in the US or other countries function, but where I have attended schools, I have never had a Physics or Math exam that did not involve critical thinking. The issue, as far as I've seen, lies in teachers that insist on spoonfeeding equations and thought processes rather than teaching students to come to their own conclusions.

I had an amazing Physics teacher for my A/Levels examinations. He had us derive every equation we would use in the final exam. This is a skill I use even now in university.

Arsenic said:

Schooling in it's current form is useless. I am no better for going through highschool than I would be having not. Sure, I wouldn't be able to do pre-calculus problems, and may be less efficient at writing a 10 page essay, but when I actually use any of those skills in life, I will light my home on fire and donate all of my money to Donald Trump.

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I can agree here completely.. I took school like a joke, slept in every class, was usually baked out of my mind, and got through with a 2.9-3.4 Didn't study much either. I didn't learn much either.. Hmm, I wonder why? Now, with the age of technology, most kids even adults get most their information from the internet.

First, testing and exams need to go. Answering a bunch of multiple choice questions on a sheet of paper isn't a good way to gauge grasp of a subject. Replace it with hands-on activities, projects, presentations, etc.

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I wouldn't say they need to go, but they shouldn't be used as much.. Most shcools each subject does them weekly or bi-weekly that's too often. When schools go over a section (sometimes 3-4 topics) then have tests a week later, that's too soon. They need to stretch that time out make sure the students grasp the subjects.

Second, at minimum, half the **** they teach you need to be moved to optional classes you can pick up to help you towards your desired career. Math only really need to go up to geometry/algebra I. Students should be able to comfortably read anything they're given and have the knowledge on how to figure something out that is currently outside their grasp (Sorry, but Brit Lit is NOT the solution, Ed system)

The kind of classes I wish I had to take are thinks more like Banking, Job and home hunting, how to keep to a budget, Cooking and healthy eating, Computer literacy, etc and so forth. Hell, even driving and basic vehicle maintenance (Changing a tire and all that stuff)! Skills people will actually use from day to day.

Instead of getting taught things that would've given me a jump start in the real world, I got taught ****in' chemistry. Thanks US Government! I'm sure the periodic table will really help me get a job!

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The problem here is each school would have to find experienced personel in those fields as well as them be good with children/teenagers. I for one don't see this happening. Its not finding the people that's the problem, it's the ridiculous amount of money schools would have to spend to have all these other classes, which would either increase our tax rate or they'd somehow fit it in with sacrafices of other things we need or don't need, our governments just about what makes them the most money while investing the least amount. In Illinois, it costs for a student to go to a public school. What the fuck?

I for one wouldn't mind if some of my tax money went to an education program like this tho. Makes so much more sense to be teaching students a trade or certificate type program as part of their credits if they choose than to teach them unecessary subjects they wont need in the real world, but students could still choose to take those classes if they choose. This would give them more possilities from the start for a job, or they could continue to pursue their career by going to college. Lots of jobs now require certificates or degrees. Why not give the student 3 years of training 3 hours a day for whichever field they choose? That would actually be a reasonable plan for the system to implement but they lack the empathy and care for the population other than linking their pockets.

And then there's college in America. A soulless business that only cares about GPAs and graduation rates, not actually giving people good training to their profession. And not to mention most colleges stateside will set you back ****ing 30k a year so after you get out you can spend the next 20 years of your life paying the additional money you make over a grocery store job back to the government! YEAH!

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Grade school gets you an education, at least they're delusional enough to think it does, and college is to pursue a field/job. Most fields are useless and have little to no jobs leaving lots with a degree they can't exactly use or you go 30k in debt for a job that pays $12-13 an hour, which still isn't exactly a living wage here, especially trying to support a family. College will only benefit the rich that can actually afford it. Welcome to America! Land of the system with a giant strap on!

So, this came up just recently in a conversation with some people, and I think it warrants a mention here.

I think it's a ludicrous flaw in the way we educate that we as a society expect people to know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives by the time they reach about 16 if not earlier. Before we are even adults, we are expected to make decisions that will likely impact us for the rest of our lives. The next decade of your life - if not longer - may very well be determined by the classes you choose going in to year 11 at school. Yes you can change careers, but this could easily cost you a great deal of money if you need to return to tertiary study to make the switch and it could be very taxing if you're stuck in a job you despise all the while.

Even for those of us who know what we want to do at a young age, there's many branches within most fields and even then some of those will likely require different training. I knew by thirteen I wanted to teach but now I intend to focus my efforts on being a dance coach, that's going to require very different things than if my focus was still on classroom education (mind you I still plan on finishing my degree when I'm not sick anymore). Someone might want to work with computers, but designing hardware, game design and web development are all very different. Someone might know they want to do something with cars, but there's electronics, mechanics, engineering... you get the idea.

The current system puts too much pressure on us to set our futures in stone when we as people are constantly changing.

gimmepie said:

So, this came up just recently in a conversation with some people, and I think it warrants a mention here.

I think it's a ludicrous flaw in the way we educate that we as a society expect people to know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives by the time they reach about 16 if not earlier. Before we are even adults, we are expected to make decisions that will likely impact us for the rest of our lives. The next decade of your life - if not longer - may very well be determined by the classes you choose going in to year 11 at school. Yes you can change careers, but this could easily cost you a great deal of money if you need to return to tertiary study to make the switch and it could be very taxing if you're stuck in a job you despise all the while.

Even for those of us who know what we want to do at a young age, there's many branches within most fields and even then some of those will likely require different training. I knew by thirteen I wanted to teach but now I intend to focus my efforts on being a dance coach, that's going to require very different things than if my focus was still on classroom education (mind you I still plan on finishing my degree when I'm not sick anymore). Someone might want to work with computers, but designing hardware, game design and web development are all very different. Someone might know they want to do something with cars, but there's electronics, mechanics, engineering... you get the idea.

The current system puts too much pressure on us to set our futures in stone when we as people are constantly changing.

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I was one of the millions of kids who wanted to make video games for a living. Of course, I learned that it is an over-saturated field and that most schooling for it is useless anyways. That lead me to being in highschool and not knowing what I want to do.

I still don't know what I want to do! I'm chasing an IT degree in college right now just because I know I'm decent with computers and it's a good paying field, which helps give me time to figure out what I want to do with my life.

In public schooling, I think more effort should be put into helping kids figure out what they want to do. More opportunities for internships during school hours, trips to a multitude of different trades and jobs (though trades might not pick up in the States, that goes against the expectation that we'll get ourselves in debt to the govt for a decade or more via college), and other such things to let students see the vast variety of things they can do with their lives.

Bring students to training fires with the Fire Dept and let them help, same with the PD. Have kids spend a day in an office with workers who volunteer to show students what their job is like. All this stuff helps people see what they can do, and maybe figure out what they want to do.

But Cynic me will say it again, doing this probably wont catch on in the States, because then colleges wouldn't make as much off of people who end up swapping majors or whatnot. The United states of $$$ ruins lives again.

Arsenic said:

I was one of the millions of kids who wanted to make video games for a living. Of course, I learned that it is an over-saturated field and that most schooling for it is useless anyways. That lead me to being in highschool and not knowing what I want to do.

I still don't know what I want to do! I'm chasing an IT degree in college right now just because I know I'm decent with computers and it's a good paying field, which helps give me time to figure out what I want to do with my life.

In public schooling, I think more effort should be put into helping kids figure out what they want to do. More opportunities for internships during school hours, trips to a multitude of different trades and jobs (though trades might not pick up in the States, that goes against the expectation that we'll get ourselves in debt to the govt for a decade or more via college), and other such things to let students see the vast variety of things they can do with their lives.

Bring students to training fires with the Fire Dept and let them help, same with the PD. Have kids spend a day in an office with workers who volunteer to show students what their job is like. All this stuff helps people see what they can do, and maybe figure out what they want to do.

But Cynic me will say it again, doing this probably wont catch on in the States, because then colleges wouldn't make as much off of people who end up swapping majors or whatnot. The United states of $$$ ruins lives again.

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Yeah I definitely can relate to that. It took me five years to decide a profession and that was after I realized I couldn't do the biology stuff for being a doctor (a job mind you I had decided in my last year as a high school student). I'm in a better field now at least for my skills, but yeah, five years of work and doing nothing really can take a toll on a person's confidence level.

Though for your second part, school do that the problem is not all do nor is it consistent enough or is more of a simple tour. While it isn't the school's job to decide a profession I can agree that offering more areas to observe and spark an interest would help.

Also, yes some colleges in the US do that. Usually it's the bigger ones or ones with terrible programs that don't do it. Since again it isn't their job to decide that and all they can do is show a tray of stuff and say "pick one". I get the argument more for highschool since that's where you move forward and get a good footing, but overall college is more or less a last resort in deciding a profession since you are spending a pretty penny to be there and adding to the debt isn't a good idea.

I haven't read everyone's comments yet, but what I would change about education.. Is how students are recognized for their differences. I have grew up with some neutral/positive teachers but also quite a few biased ones. The ones I hate in particular are the ones that don't invite the student for any feedback or concerns.

My good-for-nothing programming teacher in high school didn't bother to teach us any real world programming and despite my efforts to ask for better work or simply trying to show interest- it all went in vain.. Some people shouldn't be allowed to be teachers simply because of some degree- and I understand depending on the school- the curriculum isn't always easy to change from the teacher's side.. Any who I lost interest at that time in a field that was really one of the best opportunities to use my unique thinking and skills. Schools can kill creativity, so they need to be more encouraging of students to give proper feedback. Arrogant twigs they are..

Another thing I think is important is schools being better equipped with identifying students with learning disabilities. This can make a huge impact on an individual's entire life if caught early, but many of us on the autism spectrum don't get noticed for many years if at all.. despite sometimes very obvious or questionable signs... So better equipping teachers with the ability to have a better eye for students who are struggling.

How would you feel if everyone made it to be that you're just lazy, stupid, weird or childish when there was a legitimate problem all along? You end up growing up believing this nonsense, sometimes hating the world, and by pure luck maybe just maybe you decide to perform some mass shooting which is more unfortunate for the entire community as well as the shooter. Fortunately and unfortunately many people in these mindsets usually take their own lives first. World can be cruel.

So many problems with today's education system aside from trying to prevent students from being able to think for themselves that it makes you wonder of what the original intent of public education was in the first place.

From undeserving teachers to plain ignorance/arrogance.. We need a more open platform. I think if smart individuals turn to how Open-source platform works and tailored some unique journey for each individual we can better accommodate everyone's future.. And maybe just maybe people will eventually realize we don't need leaders or an economy to keep things going..