Fleeting Concepts, Strung Together

¤Rant¤

I don't know where you live. I probably don't know who you are, reading this.

Where ever you are, whatever country you call home, whoever you are, if you're born around and after 1994 (ish) or even if you're a bit older, a millennial, I can say with this will apply to you: Our parents, our ancestors, royally screwed themselves and us over.

I don't know what's going on in the world anymore; I doubt anyone truly does.

Education is preached as important - and it is. Dear gods, it is so, so important. Countless children, adults, people are denied education around the world. Those of us in countries that provide education, privately or publicly, is fucking lucky to learn how to read and how to do math. We take it for granted. Something that many educations systems fail to do, however, is teach us how to become contributing members to society.

I've had teachers tell me all my life things like, "You can't get away with [late assignments, not understanding the content, etc.] in the quote-unquote real world, " and then proceed to teach me absolutely nothing about this "real world" I've heard so much about.

I can tell you what caused the World Wars, but I can't tell you a lick about the political standing in my country - and I'm able to vote in the upcoming election.

I can explain the human body, weakness, strengths, poisons, and reactions to you in detail, but I struggle to take proper care of myself.

I can do physics equations, complicated math, but I don't know the first thing about taxes, money, or the economy.

School is important. So why am I being forced to write an essay detailing why a middle-aged woman cheated on her husband, in The Painted Door when I am an 18-year-old who has never truly grasped why someone would cheat, why they wouldn't break up and then pursue other relations ships (Am I naive? Probably). Why am I expected to write an essay detailing a war veterans struggle trying to flee the draft in the '60s, a draft for a war (The United States' war in Vietnam) that held no grounds? No reason? When I grew up in a country that has NEVER seen a war on its land since becoming a country. Why am I taught complex graphing and calculations that are not applicable in real life? Physics at least is relatable, usable and explains the world around us whereas math, calculus, it's trying to explain how an advanced calculator we created works? Why am I taught economics in the 30s, 60s, and 80s, but not taught any of the workings behind it? How about today's economics? I need a job, a home, and postsecondary schooling, but how do I afford it and try not to get played by the bank system I was never taught about?

Schooling in wealthy countries has turned into passing, grades, and testing.

We're not there to learn. We are not there to learn.

This year, my graduating year, I've lost count how many times my teachers have said, "This will be on the Diploma [final]."

Not, "this is what you need to learn." Not, "this is what I'm teaching."

Just, "This is what you will be tested for."

That isn't learning.

This doesn't work.

I can't remember what I learned last semester, a few short months ago. After my Social Diploma, it was all gone. I didn't learn. I memorized vague facts and half bullshitted my two page-and-a-half pitiful essays and mindlessly picked the best sounding answers on the multiple choice. I can't Weber what I learned last year in my Math 20 and Chemistry 20 classes which were pretty damn necessary for their 30 level counterparts. I don't even remember Grade 10.

This isn't learning.

"Maybe I'm not studying enough?"

Yeah, that's fair. This year I dropped the ball because I'm at school all day, and said "fuck that" to doing more school work all night and every weekend. It's 100% on me that my GPA is at a 54 and two of my three classes are below passing grade.