Educere - Ezra Lee (Cambridge Rindage and Latin, 11th Grade)

There is a paradox within modern classrooms and schooling where education is meant to be a catalyst for freedom and creativity but instead only stifles individuality. Education is supposed to be the key to success - the weapon that allows you to accomplish anything you want. But it has unfortunately failed to achieve the initial purpose. Education is the process of giving and receiving knowledge to prepare the youth (or any age group) for the future. Given that the future is ever-changing, the goal of education is to shift with the changes in the world. The purpose of school has changed with societal shifts, but its goals of fostering knowledge have always stayed the same. 

In recent years, however, school systems have failed to achieve their mission of change for the betterment of our society. The issue is that public education was created around the same time as the Industrial Revolution and was intended to teach its students to be “docile and agreeable workers.” 1 While this system of teaching uniformity might have been beneficial 200 years ago, there has been little update to the modern schooling system, which has led to many problems in current schooling. While the technique of a teacher standing in front of a classroom in the 1860s might be worth considering education, in current times, it only limits the primary goal of education: preparing students for the ever-changing demands of contemporary society. 

1 Schrager, Allison. “The Modern Education System Was Designed to Train Future Factory Workers to Be ‘Docile.’” Quartz. Quartz, 29 June 2018. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

In exploring the shortcomings of modern public school education, three key issues emerge: discrimination, insufficient preparation for the real world, and the enforcement of uniformity. While education has produced notable positive outcomes over time, its potential is far greater than what it has achieved in schooling because it has the potential to open doors for people and has failed to do so. 

In examining the paradox within modern classrooms, where education, meant to unleash freedom and creativity, ends up stifling individuality, we confront a major issue. While education is hailed as the key to success and limitless accomplishment, we have to wonder: How does education wield such profound power? 

Moving forward, we will look at three of the most significant flaws—discrimination, lack of real-world preparation, and enforced uniformity—highlighting the urgent need for reform. Despite positive outcomes, education falls short of its potential, especially in opening doors for all individuals. 

The first way education has harmed our society is through discrimination against African Americans, women, and ethnic groups at different times in history. The lack of access to equal, and often any education for these groups has kept millions of people from achieving their potential and has held the human race from advancing due to the ignorance of primarily white men within the system of education. Fredrick Douglas, a slave who escaped to New York City in 1838 when he was 20 years old, wrote about his journey of education in 1845 in his autobiography Learning to Read and Write. 2 In his book, he shares how learning to read and write was both a blessing and a curse, but that education introduced him to the prospect of freedom and ensured he never forgot it until Douglas achieved it. Citing his autobiography, Learning to Read and Write, Mr. Douglas reflects on his acquisition of knowledge and his circumstances, noting that “education and slavery were incompatible with each other.” 3 This is because, as shown through the time Fredrick Douglas was enslaved, “I heard nothing without hearing it [freedom], and felt nothing without feeling it.” 4 This quote demonstrates how education and slavery were incompatible given the mental freedom and discovery that comes with education. The intertwining of knowledge and subjugation becomes precarious when we consider the historical trend of justifying enslavement by asserting the inherent inferiority of a particular group. However, as proper education refutes such unfounded claims, a paradox emerges. The educated oppressed, armed with knowledge, engage in protests and articulate logical arguments against the injustice they face, only to find their pleas often falling on deaf ears. Fredrick Douglas’s acquisition of knowledge allowed him to publish three autobiographies and found an abolitionist newspaper. 5 

2 The Life of Frederick Douglass.” UNCF. 6 Jan. 2022. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

3Douglass, Frederick, and Frederick Douglass. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1983. 13–13. Print.

4Douglass, Frederick, and Frederick Douglass. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1983. 15–15. Print. 

5Ibid 

Through the lens of figures like Fredrick Douglas and Mary Wollstonecraft, we witness the dark side of education when used to oppress rather than liberate marginalized groups. In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, a European feminist during the French Revolution wrote the first feminist book titled A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. In her book, Wollstonecraft shares her frustration about the lack of female education at the time and her anger for the justification being that women are naturally inferior. In her book, she writes, “The neglected education of my fellow creatures is the grand source of the misery I deplore, and that women, in particular, are rendered weak and wretched by a variety of concurring causes, originating from one hasty conclusion.” 6 The conclusion, according to Mary Wollstonecraft, is that women are considered naturally inferior to men. Based on little to no facts, this conclusion keeps women from achieving their full potential. The exclusion of women from education is another example of the extreme marginalization of groups that have prevented millions of people over time from learning. 

6Wollstonecraft, Mary, et al. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman ; &, a Vindication of the Rights of Men. London: Renard Press, 2022. Print. 

As Mary Wollstonecraft and Fredrick Douglas show, education is a key that can unlock many doors - most importantly, the door to freedom. While discrimination has at times kept our society from achieving its full potential, we have made improvements toward bettering education through more inclusive and accessible learning. The discrimination in education cannot be taken out of context and it is important to note the ways in which the restriction on learning has happened with other historical events. Still, with proper education, this prejudice and unfairness would not have taken place at all. Bettering education is not a panacea, but it does allow the opportunity to learn from some of our most significant wrongdoings. 

The current educational system additionally fails to prepare students for the real world. If you look at a computer or a vehicle of transportation from 150 years ago, they are so different from their modern counterparts that they’re nearly unrecognizable; but if you look at the difference between a classroom today and 150 years ago, they have many of the same features such as the same use of desks, students spending the majority of the day seated, being directed to learn in stressful environments, and the path to success being memorization and regurgitation of information. 7 This lack of evolution in the classroom raises many concerns and issues worth investigating. 

7 Boyce, Paul. “Schools Are Outdated. It’s Time for Reform: Paul Boyce.” FEE Freeman Article. Foundation for Economic Education, 18 Aug. 2019. Web. 18 Nov. 2023.

Ray Dalio, an American billionaire investor educated at Harvard University and Harvard Business School said, “School typically doesn’t prepare young people for real life - unless their lives are spent following instructions and pleasing others. In my opinion, that is why so many students who succeed in school fail in life.” 8 Despite being a successful student and finding monetary success later in his career, Mr. Dalio acknowledges the failures of the schooling system and notes how modern schooling fails to prepare students for the world unless their sole job is to work for and please others. This argument makes sense in the context of what school was created for - to prepare students to work in factories. 9 In fact, the ideals that schools are founded on directly contradict those of the modern educational purpose. Dalio, despite being a successful product of the system, acknowledges its limitations, particularly in preparing students for a world that demands more than adherence to instructions and the aim to please. 

8“AZ Quotes: Quotes for All Occasions.” AZ quotes. n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

9 Schrager, Allison. “The Modern Education System Was Designed to Train Future Factory Workers to Be ‘Docile.’” Quartz. Quartz, 29 June 2018. Web. 15 Nov. 2023. 

Mandela's assertion that education is the most powerful weapon to change the world aligns with Dalio's concerns, suggesting that the purpose of education extends beyond mere conformity. Nelson Mandela, the first South African president, made many remarks on education. His view was that education, if done right, can create the most essential forms of change. In his 1990 speech at Madison Park High School, Mr. Mandela stated, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”10 Nelson Mandela, one of the world's most well-known men for his ability to create peace, argues that education should provide practical skills that allow change. If harnessed to its full ability, education, above anything else, can change the world. He says that the importance of education cannot be underestimated but has often been overlooked. This oversight has been detrimental to millions of individuals and our society. 

10 Project, Borgen. “Top 9 Nelson Mandela Quotes about Education.” The Borgen Project. Borgen Project https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/logo.jpg, 21 Nov. 2019. Web. 15 Nov. 2023. 

Education is meant to free the mind and the heart and allow one to understand one’s interests. However, school today does the opposite. Students are put in rows, told to raise their hands if they want to speak, and are restricted in ways that limit creativity, individuality, and personal expression. If school were intended to prepare students for the future, it would help students to think independently, innovatively, and creatively, in order to solve today's biggest problems. The current stress put on memorization and standardized testing hinders the development of individual thought. Rigid and “to the test” curriculums stifle creativity and discourage innovation in terms of problem-solving. Education should be an opportunity for students to find and as a result free themselves - but instead, it becomes a game of how well students can intake and regurgitate information. 

Education comes from the root words educare and educere, where educare means to mold and shape into one thing and educere means to bring out. The purpose of school however is not educare which implies the forcing of all students to fit into the same “cookie-cutter” shape. Rather, the purpose of school should be educere, meaning to bring out the creativity and individuality of students in the school system. 11 

11 Bass, Randall V., and J. W. Good. “Educare and Educere: Is a Balance Possible in the Educational System?.” Educational Forum, The. Kappa Delta Pi, 3707 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, IN 46268-1158. Tel: 317-871-4900; Tel: 800-284-3167 (Toll Free); Fax: 317-704-2323; Web site: http://www.kdp.org; e-mail: pubs@kdp.org., 30 Nov. 2003. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

Allowing self-expression and creativity in education will best prepare students for the real world. Encouraging learning that supports individuality and problem-solving will allow our generation and future generations to solve our most pressing problems such as global conflict and climate change. These are issues that require critical thinking and collaboration. Ensuring that schools practice critical thinking and problem-solving will prepare students for the future and give them the tools they need to face it. 

Finally, school systems often fail to meet the diverse needs of students and their differences. Students are so different that if you try to force a single style of education onto them, it is bound to fit almost no one. John Dewey was a 20th-century American scholar and educational reformer who wrote about his concerns about the educational system. In one of his books, Experience and Education, he writes about the intersections between learning, experience, and traditional education, as well as the hands-on approach to education. He shares his frustration with how the school system has created uniformity where it should celebrate differences. In his book, he says “The gulf between the mature or adult products and the experience and abilities of the young is so wide that the very situation forbids much active participation by pupils in the development of what is taught.” In this statement, John Dewey is describing how forcing students into a singular educational system can only lead to the failure of institutions to properly educate students.

John Dewey's quote from "Experience and Education" holds significant relevance to the essay as it encapsulates the central theme of the drawbacks in the current educational system. Dewey's concern about the widening gap between what is taught and the actual experiences and abilities of students highlights a critical flaw – the imposition of a singular educational system. Experience and Education was published by John Dewey in 1938, displaying how this problem has been prevalent for nearly a century, if not more, and how it is still not addressed. Dewey’s argument was furthered by Albert Einstein, a theoretical physicist many consider the smartest man in the world. He said, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”12 In this quote, Einstein complains not about education itself, which has the ability to free the mind and the body as it did for Albert Einstein, but rather about the schooling system, which, as it does for millions of people worldwide, only let him down. Albert Einstein was a genius but wasn’t assumed to be one when he was a kid and was criticized for his short temper. 13

12 Institute, The linguist. “Great Quotes, Albert Einstein Quotes about Education.” LingQ. n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

13 James, Ioan. “Singular Scientists.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2003. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

The uniformity of the school system has failed billions of students worldwide and has led to them believing that they are stupid or useless when in fact, the school has only kept them from discovering their true potential. Incorporating inclusivity and fostering creativity within school systems will ensure that students achieve their full potential and contribute to the world in a positive way. 

While school can perpetuate inequality and discrimination, proper education keeps this from happening and allows for a stronger and more equitable society through learning and acquiring not only information but also good practices. Education should be a fundamental human right that provides skills, knowledge, and resources to access individual freedoms through creativity and the fostering of independence. However, throughout history, education has been used as a tool of oppression and discrimination, and in many ways, is still used for this purpose today. It is important to acknowledge that progress has been made in many fields of education including those relating to discrimination in our society, but still, there are many improvements necessary before school can be considered educational. 

A more student-centered education encourages students to think critically and promotes problem-solving. Additionally, the introduction of project-based learning fosters the development of creativity while also working on the social skills necessary for collaboration. Teaching meta-skills such as adaptability, resilience, and learning throughout one's life and not only in school is one example of an educational reform that prepares students not only for exams and tests but also for the realities and challenges of the future. 14 Henry Ford, an American industrialist, also spoke to the system of education. It is worth noting that Henry Ford, the name associated with the invention of the automobile didn’t actually invent the car or even the assembly line but rather brought it from an unknown invention to one of the most important in history. This level of education requires not mechanical skills or even a Ph.D. but rather the knowledge of the ways in which a society works. Henry Ford argues that “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” 15 Ford’s quote is vital to understanding the importance of education. Education is a process that starts in school but should continue throughout life, otherwise, you stop learning, and in effect, stop living fully. The ability to learn continuously is something that can be taught in school through meta-skills but isn’t and as a result, keeps billions of people from staying youthful through education. 

14 Matthew Kutz, Ph.D. “Unlocking the Secret Meta-Skills That Make You a Superhuman Learner!” Medium. Medium, 15 Sept. 2023. Web. 18 Nov. 2023.

15 Henry Ford | inspirational quotes | kalispell Ford. n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2023. 

Education has countless ways to unlock freedom by opening mental and physical doors to opportunity. In the case of Fredrick Douglas, it allowed him to escape his circumstances through knowledge, for Albert Einstein, it allowed him to find his path to genius and creativity. For Ray Dalio, it allowed him to move past his educational history and follow a monetarily and generally successful according to his definitions of success. Education cannot be a panacea for all of the problems in society, but it is a good place to start in helping future generations and in effect, the world. 

Education can open doors for people and, if done properly, can lead to success and freedom; however, the traditional school system has not evolved much since the Industrial Revolution and as a result, only succeeds in accomplishing its original purpose of preparing students to be docile and moldable. As evidenced by the people quoted, and as shown through the history of school and its formation along with its intent, education in the schooling system fails to achieve its goals. Schools' distinct goals are directly contradicted by the way in which it is run which limits rather than promotes education. Education is meant to sculpt hearts and minds, not mold them into a conformity that stifles their creativity and individuality. By following the suggested steps of project-based and meta-skill-oriented learning, it is possible to achieve a world and a future where schooling and education work together hand in hand. The failure of our education system lies not in its lack of knowledge but in its inability to adapt. At its core, education has the power to change the world, but in order to achieve this, it is necessary to work towards improving the system of education. This is hard work, but as shown by Nelson Mandela, Henry Ford, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Dewey, Albert Einstein, Ray Dalio, and Fredrick Douglas, it is absolutely necessary due to its benefits. Only by unlocking the potential of education can we achieve the freedom promised by it. 

Through the exploration of important global figures such as Frederick Douglass, Mary Wollstonecraft, Ray Dalio, and Nelson Mandela, the conversation on education gains historical context and shows diverse perspectives across social groups, time periods, and opinions. These figures help us to see the paradox in modern classrooms, where the goal of freedom, creativity, and individuality is stifled by the “one size fits all system”. By looking at historical contexts, contemporary challenges, and specific facets like discrimination, inadequate real-world preparation, and the imposition of uniformity, we see the necessity in creating change. A reform shaped by historical legacies and an understanding for what the future requires would bring a major societal restructuring that will adeptly prepare individuals for our rapidly changing society.

By examining historical contexts, contemporary challenges, and specific aspects such as the stifling of individuality, issues of discrimination, inadequate real-world preparation, and the imposition of uniformity, we can see the necessity for comprehensive reform. The current educational paradigm, influenced by historical factors, requires restructuring to unleash its potential in effectively preparing individuals for the challenges of our rapidly evolving society.

Bibliography

“The Modern Education System Was Designed to Train Future Factory Workers to Be ‘Docile.’” Quartz. Quartz, 29 June 2018. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

“AZ Quotes: Quotes for All Occasions.” AZ quotes. n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

Bass, Randall V., and J. W. Good. “Educare and Educere: Is a Balance Possible in the Educational System?.” Educational Forum, The. Kappa Delta Pi, 3707 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, IN 46268-1158. Tel: 317-871-4900; Tel: 800-284-3167 (Toll Free); Fax: 317-704-2323; Web site: http://www.kdp.org; e-mail: pubs@kdp.org., 30 Nov. 2003. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

Boyce, Paul. “Schools Are Outdated. It’s Time for Reform: Paul Boyce.” FEE Freeman Article. Foundation for Economic Education, 18 Aug. 2019. Web. 18 Nov. 2023.

Douglass, Frederick, and Frederick Douglass. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1983. 13–13. Print.

Henry Ford | inspirational quotes | kalispell Ford. n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2023.

Institute, The linguist. “Great Quotes, Albert Einstein Quotes about Education.” LingQ. n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

James, Ioan. “Singular Scientists.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2003. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

“The Life of Frederick Douglass.” UNCF. 6 Jan. 2022. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

Matthew Kutz, Ph.D. “Unlocking the Secret Meta-Skills That Make You a Superhuman Learner!” Medium. Medium, 15 Sept. 2023. Web. 18 Nov. 2023.

Project, Borgen. “Top 9 Nelson Mandela Quotes about Education.” The Borgen Project. Borgen Project https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/logo.jpg, 21 Nov. 2019. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

Schrager, Allison. “The Modern Education System Was Designed to Train Future Factory Workers to Be ‘Docile.’” Quartz. Quartz, 29 June 2018. Web. 15 Nov. 2023.

Wollstonecraft, Mary, et al. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman ; &, a Vindication of the Rights of Men. London: Renard Press, 2022. Print.