It is very concerning that we have doors falling off planes, bridges collapsing, and trains derailing as society continues to believe workers don’t need education. This is a ridiculous notion. Everyone needs an education and from the latest data, we need lots more of it. There are manufacturers who complain their workers don’t understand root cause analysis, well that is because we are teaching humans to just make the widget without providing the why. Workers don’t have passion for their work; they are just there for the paycheck. They don’t understand where they fit in or why their position is important. For them, they are just going through the motions of life. This is why we’ve seen an increase in malfunctioning products and services; education and passion are lacking. Workers just don’t care because this is what they are taught as members of our current society.
Having knowledge of other points of view, those that exist in worlds beyond one’s profession, are helpful to workers’ personal and professional growth. We need to get rid of the idea that one type of learning is better or worse than another. The training one receives should match their interests and aspirational goals, not the views of pundits who are for, or against other methods of learning. Most people have no idea who they want to become so exposing everyone to various frames and concepts is necessary for social, emotional, academic, and operational wellbeing. Without education we cannot have a productive, motivated workforce or a flourishing society.
It’s important to not just understand the how, but also the why. In the past, general education was provided by colleges and even high schools. I personally had courses in wood shop, metal shop, drafting, cooking, and music, as well as, access to an honors curriculum with calculus, physics, and anatomy. Having this variety provided diverse perspectives that allowed me to become the person I am today. This ‘jack of all trades’ educational method of the past allowed learners, and eventual workers, to be able to solve the world’s problems.
Today, jobs are the main function of the educational system, we’ve stripped schools and academic programs, particularly in the arts, and began focusing on workforce instead of humanity. There is research to support the idea that someone with music skills might have higher abilities in math. Also, music provides a means of communication for someone who struggles with words, music provides another avenue for self-expression. All these courses that were removed had value which the “prepare people for work” leaders failed to recognize.
Not only have we taken the academic programs apart, but we’ve taken all the rigor and all the challenges out of the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to push students through the system, they are instructed to not make waves or challenge students because they will quit college or the administration will need to deal with the parents in high school. Students are given their “participation trophy”, their diploma or degree that they didn’t earn. They don’t value the education and they are not prepared or excited about the future because they never worked for anything in their entire life.
Now we have a world full of people who can’t deal with stressors of any kind. They feel entitled to say or do anything they want; hurt people however they want and there are no consequences. No one tries or values anything which leads to fear, depression, and helplessness. We go through the process of checking boxes, not having a passion for learning or living. We are mesmerized by the scroll. Students are afraid and they spend too much time alone; feelings of isolation were further compromised during the pandemic. For many, agoraphobia makes life outside of the home difficult or impossible.
If you want to understand why there is so much sadness, loneliness, and division, look no further than changes in education. Online education lacks quality and doesn’t provide shared learning experiences. The only shared learning society gets comes from the news and we know how that is a mistake. Imagine if communities had access to information that was supported by researchers and included innovation from businesses. Having a daily dose of this kind of information would be very helpful and interesting. It might serve to inspire new ideas, shine a light on new leaders, and provide opportunities for collaboration to advance society. This educational media solution would help life feel more exciting and it would give workers hope for a better tomorrow.
We at Dream2Career are optimistic that the educational system is fixable, but it will take a team of leaders from all industries and schools working together to reimagine education, so the system works for everyone. Our Operation Dream Landing project provides a Six-Sigma style framework for talent development. Using our HIF Logic, workers and learners find passion and direction that makes them happy and productive in learning and in life. If you’d like to learn more about this project schedule some time with us and let’s make the world a better place by providing a community of learning and a society that thrives.
