Jack Andraka is one very motivated person. You can read an
interview with him here by clinking on this link but read the précis about him
first please. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnnosta/2013/02/01/cancer-innovation-and-a-boy-named-jack/
The reason he is noteworthy at
present is that he has developed a paper sensor that could detect cancer in
five minutes for a cost of as little as 3 cents. Jack did his research at John
Hopkins University. Mr Andraka’s research could transform the face of cancer
and encourage early detection. Jack’s
method is 168 times faster, 26000 times cheaper, 400 times more sensitive and
has a 90% success rate. Jack has been selected as the Intel 2012 ISEF
winner adding to the awards won at multiple national and international math
competitions. Jack, a member of the national junior white-water kayaking team, enjoys
playing with his dog and folding origami.
I bet you are just as impressed with Jack’s achievements as I was but here
is the bit of information that left me gob-smacked - Jack is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. (Cited
www.forbes.com)
This got me to thinking, just how
does a young person with this level of creativity; (1. Having the ability or
power to create: 2. Productive; creating. 3. Characterised by originality and
expressiveness; imaginative: 4. creative writing or one who displays productive
originality) get though the education system we have in place today.
TORRENCE TEST of CREATIVE THINKING
from a survey showed that;
- A child at four – 84% tested as highly creative.
- A child at eight – 67% tested as highly creative.
- A child at twelve – 34% tested as highly creative.
- A child at seventeen– 12% tested as highly creative.
I find this atrocious. Education
is meant to enhance a person’s life. There is no purpose in giving a person an
education if we do not also teach them how to live their life. We need to teach
our young how to think; to reason; to deconstruct; to question and how to
transfer these skills to all aspects of their lives. We need to teach our
children that failing is a natural part of living and being human, and that it
is these failings that teach us how to succeed. We need to teach our children that
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,
it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” In this instance I have pinched the words of Albert
Einstein for he said it so much better than I ever could have. We can achieve
this by implanting a sense of self-worth and confidence in their own natural abilities
thus allowing our young to adapt to each and every new situation they
encounter. Alvin Toffler saw that the illiterate of the 21st century
would not be those who could not read or write but rather those who can not learn,
unlearn, and relearn. The world is changing so quickly that the skills required
for today’s business world will not be the ones needed in five years’ time. Our
youth need to be flexible, adaptable and ready to give it a go.
So let us look at what our
children encounter when they commence their formal education. Much of their day is spent indoors in a very controlled
environment. The day is organised by bells. They are trained to start at a
certain time, ending the day via the last bell. There is no flexibility, autonomy
and uniqueness allowed. I may be a little on the cynical side but is this what they want? Is this what they need? Or is this the blueprint for the rest of their existences. That 8
to 5 routine that we complain about so much!
Now, let us review
what the education system is successfully imprinting into the minds of our
young:
- Truth comes from the recognised and approved Authority
- Intelligence is the ability to remember and repeat but never analyse
- Accurate memory and repetition are rewarded
- Non-compliance and questioning are punishable
- Conformity is mandatory both intellectually and socially
So in straightforward English, this means that our kids are
not being educated but rather indoctrinated. They are being tested to reinforce levels of
obedience. School is about memorising what you are told short term and
repeating it, without the need to retain or evaluate. Assessment is completed
under impractical and well-ordered conditions. Obedience is above all else, the
prized behaviour. When you have an obedient compliant person they can be
manipulated into follow any directive. John Henrik Clarke stated the “Powerful
people cannot afford to educate the people that they oppress, because once you
are truly educated, you will not ask for power. You will take it”.
Please remember that the views
here are compiled by me from personal observations, talking to others and
reading about the various education systems globally. I also gained 18 odd years
first-hand experience of this system as a parent. This is why I question the
validity of ‘formal organised education’. There are numerous sites on the
internet that have all the information you need to decide for yourself. Parents, you just need to talk to your children and pay the odd unannounced visit to your
child’s room. Educational institutions should operate an open door policy and
if they do not – ask why not? It is your future and your children’s future that
governments and politicians are messing with. It is our children that will pay
the eventual price for our compliancy and procrastination. In closing I will
leave you this quote to ponder:
“The aim of public education is
not to spread enlightenment at all;
it is simply to reduce as many individuals
as possible to the same safe level,
to breed a standard citizenry,
to put down
dissent and originality.”
(H.L. Mencken)
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