Blue Pages

Education

What are your qualifications?  You probably have heard that question occasionally because I know I have.  Perhaps it may be used to apply for a job that secures your future until you get on a hospital bed.  Other times it can be an assessment on whether you can talk to someone with 'worthiness'.  I take this test frequently and usually fail; I have even tried to reference a life philosophy from a Literature Class to attempt to sound intelligent but it is not heard. 

The main generalization that schools push is that you NEED to have ethos to be successful.  Sure, it sounds legit but do you really need to sit for hours and listen to someone with a degree ramble on a topic you have little interest in?  Is that how people learn, by being put on a grading scale and slowly weaved from your creativity? 

For me, I have learned more things by being a busser than sitting in the humid classroom.  I listened to life experiences and cleaned up other people's crap.  However, it taught me how to treat guests with dignity (while they are present) and suit their needs until they leave.

First, they expect a clean atmosphere so they can unwind and forget about their difficulties.  The expectation is to be lead to a table right away;  even if a child puked on it a few moments ago.  As long as it looks clean, it is adequate.  Then they look at the menu as their stomach avoids the prices marked next to the entrees and order their semi-fresh food.  The cooks scramble to slop together the reheated frozen blocks in 15 minutes. 

I cannot cook over-easy eggs right so I wish those workers would get more credit.  The food might not be great but they are ordered to cook quickly with ingredients that they cannot control.  The people with education should create 'National Cook Day' where the chefs treat the guests like servants and make them cook instead.  Also, the guests should wash dishes too.  Without clean plates, there is no entree.  It's a great idea;  especially coming from me. 

Now, I have an assignment for you and you can do this with your $1000 cell phone that is slowly giving you insomnia.  Look up the top ten richest people in your country and see what type of education do they have.  Let me guess... A doctorate in Communications, masters in psychology, and a minor in performance arts.  I bet I was close. 

The point is that schools should focus on the pupils are interested in, not throw some derivatives or language theory at their faces (unless if they like studying those subjects).  If they like space, take them to NASA.  A music passion, have them meet a professional on their instrument.  A care for people, have them work part time at the library or health care center. 

Schools should not cram knowledge if the person is not going to use it.  They should focus on the people that want to learn and impact the world. 

I transferred from a few schools due to moving and my high school was the most organized and optimized for learning I have seen.  The standards were higher, taking Precalculus as a senior was considered 'lower average'. 

The staff were friendly but they had to adjust to the strict curriculum and ignore the lack of empathy the students were trained to have.  I have gotten used to saying hi to someone and have them respond, "You are a waste of time."  It was a puzzle of what I did wrong... I showered, brushed my hair, was fit and healthy, smiled, got good grades, cared about other people more than myself, idk.  It dawned to me that those people were snobs and I was socially awkward. 

School is an institution, well...life is too.  But changing it to a more free world is YOUR CHOICE.  Crawl out of the shadows and don't let your past swallow your future.