At what part of our education do we stop taking tests and start learning?
If Einstein’s quote, (Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results) is right, then educationally we are about to go insane. We have heard on the news, on the net, in the papers and from every direction imaginable that there are now fewer and fewer places for university entrants (a shortfall of some 200,000 this year alone) and even if they do get in to a University what will they do when they graduate? We have also heard that we are trying to push all of our students through a one size fits all education process, which does not work. Surely then, the sum total of our children’s education is to pass tests in order to apply for fewer places in further education so that they can have the daunting prospect of no work in the field they have studied for. INSANITY!
My fourteen year old daughter came home today and was explaining why she did not like science. Part of the problem was how much time the teacher had spent explaining how much of the information was going to be in the test and not teaching Science. At fourteen should we not also be learning how amazing the world is that we live in? Learning how to get along with each other and cooperate? How to play team sports and discover the limitless resources of our mind and body? Don't get me wrong, of course we should be learning Science, Maths and English and as many academic subjects as we can, but not simply in order to extract the leanest amount of information to pass a test and not at the expense of experiencing life or learning for the shear joy of it.
The problem is that the retention of information through this method of learning is not for everyone. It’s the reason why on the onset some appear to have a greater IQ than others. It is simply the ability to retain information when fed it. Sadly many young scholars are now clued in and are asking the teacher what they need to pass the test. Even more startling, parents are holding schools and teachers accountable for not giving their children that specific information. Not for not teaching well, but for not giving specific information relevant to a test. Now some might say well of course, we go to school to go to a better school to go to a university and start a career. If that is what you think you may want to reread the beginning of this blog.
What happened to going to school to learn? To learn the things that we love to learn and the things that make us excited and passionate. Learn the things that we then are still talking about and cannot wait to get back to? It’s different for everyone. But from this learning comes ideas and from that comes confidence and from that come creative ideas and lets face it, it’s creative ideas that will get us out of this mess not tests. If you want a test just look at the mess we are in worldwide? That should be test enough for anyone to solve, not SATS or University entrance exams.
Go to this link, especially if you have children and take 20 minutes from your day to watch and listen and learn. Then if you dare, become passionate about your children’s future and learn with them. Challenge them and yourselves to learn more, more of what makes you joyful and passionate not what might help you pass a test.
Live Passionately, Ask Why!
Sir Ken Robinson, bring on the revolution.
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