A NASA study by Dr. George Land and Dr. Beth Jarman found that —
98% of 5-year-olds showed genius-level creativity
Only 12% at age 15
Just 2% in adulthood
The reason for this decline in natural brilliance is the education system.
Instead of cultivating creativity, it prioritizes rote memorization and suppresses curiosity. This makes students lack critical thinking. And the damage is seen well into adulthood.
Today, as adults, we don’t question things, we refuse to move away from the status quo, and when something’s bad, we don’t inquire or try to solve it, we JUST LIVE WITH THAT.
“We are faced with the paradoxical fact that education has become one of the chief obstacles to intelligence and freedom of thought.” — Bertrand Russell
We are reduced to soulless robots with zero curiosity.
But the price paid is often blamed on the individual when it’s actually the system’s fault.
So, what exactly is wrong with the education system?
The Problem with the Education System
Many ancient and modern thinkers, from Plato to Bertrand Russell and Paulo Freire, emphasised the characteristics of the education system, such as practical learning, experience-based learning, a fear-free learning environment, a balanced curriculum, and individualised learning, which unfortunately lack in today’s education system.
John Dewey, an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, who wrote many books on education, lamented the ineffectiveness of our schools by elucidating the following problems with our education system.
- School is an isolation from real life — the curriculum is fragmented and disconnected from real life
- The curriculum is also outdated and does not meet the needs of the present society
- Passivity rather than active engagement
- Mass guidance instead of an individualistic approach
- Over-reliance on tests and exams to rank students results in reducing curiosity and motivation, where students chase validation instead of true learning
- Waste in human potential which is the result of inefficient methods and curriculum
- Forcing children to learn under pressure using fear and reward to motivate learning which replaces real curiosity
Bertrand Russell posited that all education has a political motive wherein the curriculum (e.g., history) supports the state, often leading to passive obedience. He was against authoritarian schooling, which kills initiative and creativity, and called for independent thinking.
Other general problems of the modern education system
- Rote learning rather than critical thinking
- Emphasis on theoretical knowledge rather than practical application
- Neglect of mental health
- Inequality in educational opportunities
- Limited career guidance
The Price We Pay Today
The consequences and the damage are prodigious, destroying and shattering our lives, affecting every part of our lives — from personal to professional.
Among college and university students globally, ~35% had undiagnosed mental health disorders, and ~75% of lifetime mental illnesses develop by age 24. — Wikipedia
The prominent repercussions include:
- Mental health issues
- Lack of critical thinking
- Limited creativity
- Lack of inquisitive nature
- Unpreparedness for Modern Life and Work
Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education. — Bertrand Russell
Alternative Education Systems and Reform Proposals
John Dewey proposed —
- Learning by doing — fosters critical thinking and experience rather than rote memorization
- A non-authoritative guidance approach by teachers
- School as a social institution — an active and meaningful community with diverse social influences and cooperation
- Importance of collaboration and problem solving
- A school that connects the curriculum with social life, making students cultivate morality and sound judgment
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” — John Dewey.
Paulo Freire — proposed problem-posing education, which promotes dialogue-based learning for liberation, which is the interaction between people and the world, not through isolated individuals.
Russell called for a balanced curriculum, that includes arts and sciences. Moreover, highlighted the limited role of the state, since governments give prominence to standardization that stifles intellectual initiative. No matter the type of government, less centralization is necessary for authentic education to thrive.
“Education should have two objects: first, to give definite knowledge — reading and writing, languages and mathematics, and so on; secondly, to create those mental habits which will enable people to acquire knowledge and form sound judgments for themselves” — Bertrand Russell
What You Can Do
As much as the problem is wrenching, there is something that we can do to regain our inquisitive nature, such as —
- Reduce social media exposure — excessive use negatively impacts attention span, memory, and decision-making, etc.
- Ask yourself — what did I learn today? Maintain a commonplace book where you jot down the information you’ve learned
- Read thought-provoking books
- Cultivate curiosity — research about any question or a thought
- Think and ponder — resist googling right away, cultivate deep thinking and analyzing
- Exercise and walking — increases blood flow to the brain with significant positive impacts on brain health, including improved cognitive function, mood, and reduced risk of cognitive decline
- Explore a wide range of topics from social sciences, humanities to natural sciences
Although practiced on a mere scale, why isn’t real education a convention?
Only a small fraction of classrooms worldwide seriously cultivate critical thinking or creativity, whilst many schools do not.
Simple answer — fear of change in the status quo.
And it’s easier and cheaper, most importantly, our industrialized society needs workers, not thinkers.
..education is designed, not to give true knowledge, but to make the people pliable to the will of their masters — Bertrand Russell
What we need is people waking up, realising the damage that is being done, and refusing to comply with rules that make our lives miserable.
This is not an exaggeration; this is the truth. This world needs educational reforms.
After reading “The School and The Society” by John Dewey, I couldn’t see the world the same way anymore. Later, I explored his other works on education and did further research on the topic, which led me to share this information with you. And I highly recommend reading more on this subject to break the chains of oppression induced by the system.