In a world filled with content creators, should you still send your children to college?
My mom had three rules:
- Don’t do drugs
- Finish a Degree
- Don’t get pregnant until after you finish your Degree
I was put in private school for almost all my school years where discipline was just as important as the curriculum we were studying. Self expression was discouraged and everyone was required to behave and look the same. Some of the rules we had to follow were:
- Only white mid length white socks
- No accessories or jewelry
- Only black or white hair ties allowed
- Tie must always be done properly
The only time I got sent to the Principal’s office was when I wore my mom’s silver bracelets to school. I was asked to take them off and leave it there and collect them at the end of the day.
Our handwriting was also graded. Computers were just getting introduced. This was well before the days of Apple. It’s funny because now my friends can never read my writing. They never believe me when I say my handwriting was impeccable back in the day.
Emphasis were placed on subjects such as Math, Science, Economics, English. Others such as Art, Music and PE seemed more like a filler and something we did for fun. This is how I was trained to look at education. It was ingrained in me that the only way to survive in the world is to get high grades and finish with a Degree. To follow the rules. I never questioned it and when I would have children of my own, I thought, I’d impose the same three rules my mom did with my siblings and I.
Fast forward to 2021, married with two little boys I question whether my clad iron beliefs on education are still relevant.
We are living in an era where content creators are flourishing. As Jari Roomer said in his article ‘8 High-Income Skills You Can Learn In Your Spare Time’
We live in a creator economy. Some of the biggest stars of today are YouTubers, Twitch streamers, or Instagram influencers. In fact, on average, we spend more time each day consuming digital media (such as YouTube or podcasts) than traditional media (such as TV or radio).
There are so many platforms that are allowing us to express ourselves. Write our own rules, share our stories and make a living doing so. Do any of these content creators need a Degree to be able to do the things they do? I don’t think so. Yet, we gravitate to them and are influenced by what they say and what they’re selling us. Hence the rise of ‘Influencers.’
In school, we are faced with so much pressure to keep up with the grades. We start to question our worth and our intelligence based on a percentage or a score. But in the real world, what matters more are our resourcefulness, relationships, ideas, persistence and curiosity.
Schools shouldn’t be about grades, it should be about learning.
Ken Robinson was onto something on his Ted Talk ‘Do schools kill creativity?’ He argues:
Nobody has a clue what the world will look like in five years time, and yet we’re meant to be educating them for it.
This pandemic has been another eye opener for many with hundreds of jobs taken away. Many had to think outside the box on how they’re going to survive. People started exploring their creativity while locked up inside their homes. Learning to crochet, paint or play an instrument have suddenly gained popularity .
Companies had to reshape the way they run their business to adapt to the changes the pandemic brought. Encouraging curb side pick up, online shopping and restaurants moving to patio dining. It just goes to show, we don’t know what the future holds and on a whim we are forced to be resilient and figure out how to adjust to life.
The question is: Is our current educational system teaching kids how to be resilient? Is it teaching them important life skills for them to survive in the real world? Are they encouraging children to express themselves by making mistakes? Or punishing them when they don’t follow the rules?
What these things have in common is that kids will take a chance if they don’t know, they’ll have a go. I’m all right. They’re not frightened of being wrong. Now, I don’t mean to say that being wrong is the same thing as being creative. What we do know is if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original if you’re not prepared to be wrong. — Sir Ken Robinson
Sir Ken Robinson identified a major flaw in the school system that is proving to be more dangerous now more than ever. Now that more recognition is given to those who are creative thinkers. He says:
I believe this passionately that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it, or rather we get educated out of it.
Children start going to to school as early as four years old. This is how early they will start to get influenced by curriculums and be taught what is important and what isn’t. I don’t write this article to discourage the school system and say I will not be sending my children to college.
However, I write this to say that I have come to the realization that I need to expose my children to life more than formal education. I am responsible in harnessing their values and life skills. I have to allow them the freedom to express themselves. To support their interests whether they are in line with ‘traditional education.’ Ultimately, college is not the golden ticket to a successful future.
