16 reasons why our education system is producing idiots!

Prathamesh KriSang

10 years ago

One of the most wasted time of my life has been during my phase of education. Probably 20 years of my life. And thankfully, I did not learn a lot of things which saved me later. This might be one of the most rebellious post I have ever written and that should explain how strongly I feel about it. I won’t blame my school or college. They were doing their job, probably coming down from the same education system; we can’t expect them to break out of it.

The idea to post about this came when I was thinking about a couple of friends who are passing out of their Masters & PhDs, struggling to find a job. I wonder how much time and money is wasted in the quest of a piece of paper that ultimately no one cares about in todays world. Countless of my talented friends are doing nothing that they love. And that thought makes me angry. If we keep producing average people at such a great speed & scale, we are creating a whole underworld of desperate pass-outs without direction. BEWARE!

A few of you who might have already done your higher or probably highest studies would get offended, and that’s cool. But when a major chunk of our workforce comes out of these colleges without any skills and when companies have to spend more money to train them to be ready for work. It shows something is seriously wrong in this world.

For your reference, “Google doesn’t even ask for GPA or test scores from candidates anymore, unless someone’s a year or two out of school, because they don’t correlate at all with success at the company.”

I myself have never asked any of my interviewees about their mark list. And mostly found that failures performed well even under stress, learnt fast and they were never afraid to make mistakes.

With each passing day, I am convinced our whole education system is pure bullshit. Luckily, I never allowed myself to be a victim to most of these pointers below.

The only thing that I am good at and I love is designing & making films. And I was never formally trained for it. Besides I suck at everything else that I was formally trained at. I almost of hate it.

Being a little rebellious in nature, I always did things that were not allowed. And, that was a right decision.

Tell me if any of these points below are not responsible to produce criminals in our society at large!

Meanwhile, we have lost a lot.

1. Our education is against nature.

From 2100 million years ago till today. We evolved from a single cell to a fully functioning human. We learnt through trial and error. We learnt how to accumulate, record and understand information. And that was to learn from our past and move ahead. Then for centuries wars came, rulers ruled, people lost their purpose and we started producing slaves for the free world, unknowingly.

2. They never taught us how to ask “WHY?” about everything.

That’s the only question that has brought us where we are. The only time we again start asking the question WHY? is when we are finally out of our colleges and left in a void. On our own. Unemployed. Unskilled. Back to reality.

If only we had learn’t to ask ‘WHY?’ before taking decisions in our lives.

3. It never made me believe that I can amount to ‘something’.

I remember once one of my professors call me ‘black sheep of my family’. That got stuck in my head. But I also found it interesting. It meant maybe I was different.

But one thing I strongly feel for is my best friend (won’t name him here). He was set-back by one year because he could not pass one of the exam. His confidence was shattered and as much as I know him, he is still trying to recover from it. Still unemployed. Still trying to figure out.

I never had to step down a year in all my educational phase, but my friend had to. And it was NOT his mistake.

4. They made me believe I cannot learn without being taught.

A lot of students have always needed some kind of external coaching to make it through exams. But the purpose of coaching NEVER extended beyond that. I have heard a lot of people around me say, “are bhai, koi to chahiye na sikhane wala” (There must be someone to teach) After 18-20 years of school & college, can’t you go on the internet or out there in the world and learn things on your own? It is free and open to all. Just do it.

5. They made us believe that failures deserves a punishment. And punishment was better than forgiveness.

Oh, where’s the discipline if there ain’t any punishment. If they fail to do their homework or make a mistake or do a mischief, that’s one hell of a solution. This shakes a kids ego and later makes him believe that punishment is a better solution to failure. And the circle continues generation by generation.

I never did my homework. Never regretted it. Got punished everyday. And not doing the homework was worth it.

6. They taught a fish, how to climb a tree.

I hate history. I hate to learn foreign language. Period. But no! You couldn’t make it through this hell if you did not learn it. So shut up and learn how to use your chop-stick when you were born to invent the fork.

7. They taught me that money can buy you a better education, not talent.

Ofcourse, you can’t run an institution without money. Can’t get educated without going to that institution. And ultimately, can’t get a job once you come out of it. What the hell should I pay for? Being a filmmaker, I come across so many talented and creative people who are extremely under-exposed, trying to figure out their bread & butter.

8. We never knew that life is about being happy, and not about passing the exams or being better than the other kid.

Our standard for being a happy and successful person in life was to be a good kid, with good marks and obedient. It was 24 years after I was born that I realised that it was actually ‘being happy’ that really counted. Early enough.

9. They taught us that competition is better than friendship.

Copying (helping a friend) is a crime. It might get you suspended. And those securing themselves with all sides in the exam halls and being selfish are applauded as sincere and worthy of success.

Exams are ridiculous! Testing kids for what they have learnt only shows how confident you are about your own system.

10. They taught us that ART is lesser than Science.

One of the exchange program groups I know told that people don’t value ART related exchange programs so they have to design their programs around SCIENCE. Coming from a village, I myself never had any opportunity to be mentored by some good teachers in ART. So technically, I was dumb at studies, sports and arts. I was good for nothing.

11. They taught us learning was more important than understanding.

I could never gulp down the textbook as it is! Kids who could were good girls & boys, scoring good grades. All of us, others, were suppose to be good for nothing. We learnt trigonometry. We couldn’t understand why?

12. They taught us that obedience was normal, and following your heart was illogical.

Obedience can lead to HORRIBLE things! Eichmann who had a major part in executing 6 million Jews on account of Adolf Hitler’s orders was surprised to know that Jews hate him, and in response wrote, ‘The orders were, for me, the highest thing in my life and I had to obey them without question’

Had he learnt to listen to his heart, he might as well had played a part in saving these human lives instead.

If you still think being obedient is civilised and gentlemanly, read this horrible psychology experiment.

Thanks to my family, I could break out of the stereotype and do what I loved.

13. They made me believe that a mark list can secure me a job. They sold me a LIE!

And they sold the same to you!

14. They believe their system is more important than your natural talent.

Yes Tommy! “Our institute doesn’t give a shit to any extra-activities you do out of college, you need to pass this exam, attend lectures and obey our orders”

15. They made us believe I am ‘nothing’ without that mark sheet.

How much do they value that piece of paper. I still haven’t taken my passing certificate from the University. And probably never will until someone asks it as a document. I don’t remember even one professional holding on to that degree certificate after 1 year into his career. If atall he gets a job or is brave enough to set-up a business.

16. They made us believe that text-books were the ultimate source of TRUTH.