Week 11, Sanchay Devnath - Power in Education
Pre-school, Elementary, Middle, and finally High school.
This is the education path for the average American. Some attain a bachelor's degree, fewer complete their master's degree, and a tiny percent of the population earn a Ph.D.
Why do we have so many systems to help people achieve a higher education? Do we need to attend prestigious universities to educate ourselves? Do we need to attend college at all? Do we even need to be educated?
We all start from the same place, crying infants who sleep over fifteen hours and only drink milk daily. However, then we begin to comprehend language and develop motor skills. Once we display signs of being able to socialize with other children, we are placed in daycares where we hone our social and mental skills and ability to live without our guardians.
Uptill this point, we have no societal pressures to perform exceptionally at anything besides behaving well and are very in tune with our desires. For example, whenever a baby wants to watch a certain TV show they will do everything in their power to watch it, whenever they want to eat ice cream they will cry, roll, and scream for it, and whenever they want to ride a bike, play video games, read a kids' book, do math problems, dance, sing, they will find a way to do it. They know what they want to do.
However, as they entered primary school, some of the activities they enjoyed taking part in were no longer acceptable. Parents stop their children from playing with pets, climbing trees, fooling around with friends, and exploring nature to make them complete their homework. Sometimes, children lose interest in their hobbies due to peer pressure, like losing interest in wearing clothes they like because kids at school make fun of them.
This process goes on until the start of high school, now parents and college admission officers tell these kids to decide their passion ("something unique to them")--their decision will dictate the rest of their educational career. You can see the issue with this.
Many people often view the education system as a way to improve their trajectory of life, many do it to learn more about subjects they are interested in. Regardless of the purpose a person has for becoming educated, the knowledge attained from the education system will help them thrive in their professional lives. The empowerment of having the ability to handle the pressures of a person's career makes education one of the most important and powerful tools in today's society.
Hi Sanchay, I thought your blog was extremely well-written. I could clearly see a personal narrative behind your words, which made the text more compelling. The string of questions you display at the beginning of the blog really resonates with some of the doubts that I have surrounding education. And in addition to pulling me into the text, they set up the rest of your blog nicely—suggesting what you plan to discuss. You make a crucial point that serves as a foundation for your blog: all humans start at the same place, as babies totally innocent to the world. It is fascinating to think about how we develop into such unique individuals as we grow up. I suspect that our familial influences, race, and socioeconomic class all factor into the way our personalities are shaped as we learn to socialize. This is inevitable. And much like you point out, we lose some of our freedoms by elementary school when societal and peer expectations become a reality. When I was in the first grade, I remember my parents refusing to let me watch TV until I finished my homework. Although, at the time, I was in complete disbelief—how could my parents do such a thing?—I realized that they were doing so to ensure the best future for me. This future revolves around having an elite education, which you also clearly touch on. One suggestion I have, though, is maybe more concretely pointing out your personal opinions so that the audience can more clearly interact with the text. Overall, I thought your blog was extremely well-rounded and discussed various topics that I am personally intrigued about.
ReplyDeleteHi Sanchay! Your blog offers a thought-provoking reflection on the structure and purpose of the education system in the United States, prompting readers to contemplate fundamental questions about its efficacy and impact on individuals' lives. You effectively trace the journey of education from infancy to adulthood, highlighting the societal pressures and expectations that shape individuals' educational paths. By illustrating how children's innate curiosity and desires often become constrained by academic and social demands as they progress through school, you invite readers to reconsider the notion of education as a means of fostering personal growth and fulfillment. One particularly compelling aspect of the post is its exploration of the tension between societal expectations and individual autonomy in education. You adeptly highlight how external pressures, such as parental expectations and peer influence, can overshadow students' innate passions and interests, ultimately limiting their sense of agency in shaping their educational and career trajectories. Moreover, you effectively emphasize the multifaceted nature of education, acknowledging that while some pursue higher education for career advancement, others seek knowledge for its own sake or to explore personal interests. This recognition highlights the intrinsic value of education beyond its instrumental benefits, encouraging readers to reevaluate their own motivations for pursuing learning. Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog and it provides valuable insights into the complexities of the education system and its implications for individuals' personal and professional development.
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ReplyDeleteHi Sanchay! I enjoyed reading your blog regarding the state of education throughout America, and I find it quite ironic considering your piece is a byproduct of a High School English class and my response is as well. Regardless, I do deeply resonate with your claim about the power the education has to dictate their financial status and means for the rest of their life, but also how it stifles creativity and freedoms of children. While reading your blog I connected with a podcast from Rick Rubin, where he recites a personal anecdote on how during the beginnings of his career his main focus was to perfect his craft. Rubin noted how he treated everyday like a test, but rather he should have enjoyed the process of learning, which means you will not always be perfect. I connect this with how schooling stresses perfection on academic subjects, which is 100% warranted in most scenarios; however, consulting Rubin’s advice, there are situations where experimentation is worth more than receiving a strong letter grade. One can also draw patterns to how many of the greatest business leaders are high school or college drop outs such as Steve Jobs, Mark Cuban, and Mark Zuckerberg as these individuals were able to take large risks to gain experiences which were worth their weight in gold. Thank you for sharing your experiences!
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