Over the course of the centuries, almost everything has changed over time in order to adapt to never-ending new discoveries, technology and the modern world. Before different forms of transport were invented, most people would travel and rely on horses to get them where they need to be. However, after cars were created, society adapted and changed in a manner to be able to accept cars by building roads and space for them. The same things can be said for phones. Before they were invented, almost everyone wrote letters to send messages, or read books to find information but eventually we adapted so that phones are now a part of our daily lives, making most lives much easier. Why is it the same thing can’t be said for schools?

Real-life Application

School institutions were first invented in the 24th-23rd century BC and we are now in the 21st century and yet nothing of the education system has changed. Students are expected to sit quietly in classes, perform adequately to the teacher’s standards without the help of peers. But when students go out to the real world, one of the most sought- after skills is Team-work. How are alumni expected to qualify for the best jobs when they come out of school, afraid of making mistakes (although mistakes are how humans learn), unable to communicate efficiently due to always being told what they can and can’t do (discarding their thoughts, opinion and creativity) and without the basic skill of collaboration?

Homweork

This brings us to the next point: Homework. Homework was first introduced more than One-hundred years ago, as a punishment. But now it is something that it forced upon students in unbearably large amounts, expected to be completed in short periods of time and, again, without conferring. Most students are told to enjoy their youth, but are not given the opportunity to so much as play sports or extra-curricular activities due to the mountain of work they must complete at home, after school hours, when they should be using this time to recuperate.

Exams

Exams are perhaps the most inefficient part of the education system. Pupils are often told they should be revising on top of completing home-work in order to get the best possible grades in exams that test their knowledge of something they will never even require in real-life. In fact, these exams don’t even test knowledge, the simply see how good one’s memory is. The school system does not consider that there are those entering the exam hall who have different difficulties or undiagnosed disabilities. And even those that are diagnosed, are not fully compensated during the exam. So, this begs the question: how can we change this flawed School System?