Education

I feel very fortunate to live in a country where education is both free and compulsory. I have never been offended when the schools want more money. Anyone who would begrudge a school district tax money is myopic and cruel. After all, the better the education system, the better the workers of tomorrow will be. At this point in my life I believe, we should provide the best goods and services to those who voted to support schools and leave those who voted against school budget increases out in the cold. Out in the cold where they belong.

Admittedly, I did not spend my time wisely while in that free and compulsory education. I was not a very good student and I was a very ardent truant. It wasn't that I was dumb kid. I was also not a very intelligent kid either. I was oftentimes bored, a drifting sort of student. Sure, I lacked direction, but mostly I lacked motivation and inspiration. I know that now.

The beautiful thing about our school systems in this country is exactly how free and anonymous a student can be. There are probably plenty of educators who will disagree with my statements. It would be good if every student could have the one on one mentoring for the best personal growth. But the truth is, most schools are underfunded, most classrooms are overcrowded and I can see how easily some students can fall between the cracks. And I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing.

The truth is, and I know this from my own experience and the experience of some students I know now, that each student should take the process of school very personally. Of course each student should take the process very seriously and from a very young age. By the time middle schools starts, each student has a more and more control of their course of study. Sure, there are the guidelines and basic requirements that everyone must meet, but there are the elective courses, the extracurricular activities. These are those things that really make the school experience richer.

When you think about it, a basic high school education means a great deal. I never would have thought about this in such deep terms before, but I believe it now. A high school graduate potentially has a very broad base of knowledge. However, there is a caveat here: a high school education, like everything else in life is subject to a certain level of individuality. Meaning this: a high school diploma is only worth what a student has put into it. Incidentally, my high school education was not worth much. It was not worth much due to how very little I put into it.

A high school education, and really the greater part of the 13 year education process can mean a great deal. There is no reason why a student cannot graduate high school with a broad liberal arts understanding of the world. A student can, and should, be able to learn and have some mastery over a second language, be able to read music and play an instrument and be physically fit. Second language education starts very early, and any student who sticks with it can have nearly a decade of this training. Likewise music starts early, as do sports.

Incidentally, these three examples of what I think are a liberal arts spectrum have nothing to do with the standardized testing that goes on daily from first grade to grade twelve. It's a sad state when we focus on testing in order to figure out funding. And although I think academic programs like math and science are very important, and I can see some of the value in standardize testing, I wish we gave more importance to those other programs: art, music and second language acquisition.

There we are, though, this is free and compulsory education. This is what we do with our children during the day. We deliver our children to the local school, hope they do well and that they become prepared for the world of tomorrow. We hope that they learn the skills that make them critical thinkers, understanders of the natural world and good competitors in a ever expanding society where hopefully smart people can and do get somewhere.

I just don't think that's the case. I have a few young people in my family who, as high school students, they are often overwhelmed with homework that they don't see the greater connections. These young students are more concerned with the normal stuff: image, friends, what they may do with their future, than the beautiful opportunities to learn and grow for the sake of knowledge and growth. I suppose this is the nature of being a teenager in our society. I wish this was not the case.

Likewise, I have a child at the beginning of his education. While only in the second grade, he has had good teachers and the fortune to be in a good school. When I see him mix with his classmates I feel overwhelmed and happy. This is how my son spends his days: in class with 25 other kids his age. I see the connections he's making and it's fascinating to watch. I try to cultivate his interests and I help him to understand the importance in the lessons that don't excite him. I also know that he will have another ten years of this to go.

It's my desire to help him navigate this complex system that is his education. It is my desire for him to have a love of reading, and learning. I hope that the music and the art and the physical education continues to be strong and important to him.

If only we see the importance of this free and compulsory education and help our young people see the opportunities for personal growth and development, how differently do you suspect our collective future will be?