We have seen many technological advances in the 21st century. Some practices in the 80s and 90s are obsolete, to say the least, nowadays. Yet, you know what has remained unchanged? Our educational system.
The internet age has allowed people from different corners of the planet to communicate with each other with ease. However, that’s just one of its benefits. For businesses, being able to meet with suppliers and close deals without ever having to show up in person has transformed the way people do business. This has given way to the age of unicorn startups, billion-dollar worth companies that primarily transact over or use the internet, among other technological advances.
However, if you look into the U.S. educational system, you will see that the curriculum has remained stagnant since the 80s. We’re still inculcating into the minds of our children to study hard so that they can be great employees. Schools still follow a method of teaching that rewards children based on their conformity to standards and seldom recognizes those who exhibit creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
Why is that?
There are certainly many factors. First on the list is the lack of government innovations. After all, despite wanting to overhaul the entire curriculum, a school cannot just decide that on its own. It has to conform to government set standards for it to continue to operate.
Maybe the government does not see any problem with the current system. That, despite most of the successful CEOs like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk saying that college failed to teach them how to be great in business, maybe the government thinks that they’re just a few percent of the whole population who think so.
There is also an apparent lack of clamor to change the system. We often hear a few groups advocating to overhaul the current educational system, but they lack a unified voice. Several groups are pushing for different changes, so it makes it difficult to implement even one of them.
These two reasons are primarily why our educational system is lagging compared to other countries that emphasize the culture of creativity. Admittedly, this is a group effort and the government alone cannot do this on its own. It is high time for all concerned groups to work together and make changes one step at a time.
Currently, we are moving into an environment that relies more and more on solo and micro business owners, as the gig network grows. Are our children prepared to be business owners? Will they be thrown into a world that doesn’t really value what they bring to the table or one where they really can’t function independently? We really need to be introducing our young children to soft skills that include problem-solving, relationship engagement, team participation, and presentation/communication skills.
How about you? What do you think about our current educational system? Does it still provide for the needs of children? Or, is the current system stifling their potential? We would like to know your thoughts.
MarketAtomy, LLC is a growth development-learning environment for small and medium business owners with one goal in mind…to empower them with the tools and knowledge needed to build their business on a rock-solid foundation. Through foresight and fortitude, entrepreneurial dreams become a reality. For more information, please visit marketatomy.com. Visit MarketAtomy.Academy to find out about the only eLearning Management System developed for early-stage business growth.
