The Education System: Why did it have to be this way?

Winston Churchill once famously said that Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried. I feel the same way about the education system. It's shit. Really really shit. Now, I'll put this out there straight away, I'm not offering an alternative and it annoys me that there isn't a better alternative as the education system IS an efficient and (mostly) effective way to give us a grade but it pits us students against each other as we try to look as employable as possible in order to actually, you know, buy food and the like. And that's what I hate about the UK education system, it's a SYSTEM. It is a simple form of input and output. We get marched into secondary school in year 7 and get exams, grades and employability forced down our throats to the point where we lose our love for actually learning things and we come out the other end disillusioned about what education is and how amazing it is to learn new and exciting things that can broaden your mind and give you a better appreciation for life.

Now here's the thing, I'm not at all hating on teachers because I do genuinely believe that most teachers love the subjects that they teach and want to be exciting and help kids fall in love with learning. But the stuff they are made to teach doesn't allow any research, development or exploration and instead we are told how to write for an exam and apply the knowledge we have learned to a pre-prepared essay structure. That is not learning. Let me take the example of one of my Philosophy teachers. He was a phenomenal teacher, he taught us the course in detail, he did essay practice with us and gave us the facts and figures. But what he also did was EXPOSE us to real philosophy. Philosophy A Level is not real philosophy. The spec includes the arguments that OTHER philosophers have placed out for us and we have to learn whether they are good or not. A more accurate description would be an A Level in Philosophical History. What our teacher did was allow us time to debate, to discuss our OWN ideas and gave us things that were outside of the specification. For example we have spent lessons discussing outlandish topics such as philosophical Llamas, Marionettes and the Consciousness of Jam. Pretty far outside of the specification, I am aware. But it was INTERESTING! Our teacher introduced us to whole new branches of thinking that we would never even have looked at if we had stuck to the specification. The same can be said for my English teacher, she has many many many many MANY tangents about English Language, social change and the spelling of the word 'yogurt' (I swear it is spelt with an 'h'). Yet we have still have time to finish the course in good time alongside essay practice. Teachers try hard to make it so that we enjoy what we are learning and appreciate how amazing education truly is, but they are stifled by the system that restricts them to uninteresting and tedious subjects.

My other qualm with education is the necessity to be academic. My passions lie in music and history, two subjects which I have repeatedly heard people call 'not real subjects' despite the amount of work that goes into them. The 'real' subjects that they are referring to are maths, sciences and English at a push (but god forbid that you ever to English Language, not Literature). The school system inadvertently pushes people to these core subjects and prioritises them over creativity. There is no doubt that these subjects are important, as having a basic understanding of maths is invaluable in a growing world or computers, financing and working out how many more candies you need to upgrade your Magikarp on Pokemon Go (it's 400! Where are you supposed to get that from?!) But this should not be prioritised over creativity in subjects such as art, music, drama or textiles. Creativity is vital in the world of work. Entrepreneurs base entire businesses on their creativity and ability to come up with new and innovative ideas. And not only that, this ability to perform and make beautiful art brings joy and happiness to a great many people. One of my greatest memories (pretentious alert by the way) was sitting in a concert hall listening to Karl Jenkins' the Armed Man which brought me to tears at the sheer beauty and power behind the singing and orchestra. How is that not a vital part of our education? To experience, capture and cultivate beauty.

On top of this, the arts bring forward some pretty crucial skills. I like to take the example of music and what it has done for me. Last night my friend and I were hosts for our school Christmas concert. In front of an audience of hundreds and many of my peers sat behind me, I made countless Christmas puns and made a complete fool of myself. And I loved every second of it. I love performing. And the only reason I do is because I have learned how to e good at it through music and becoming more and more confident with my stage presence, musical ability and a particular proclivity for god awful Christmas puns (I assure you, they were crackers).

Our education system is messed up. We place far too much stock in getting a grade and trudging our way through seven years of uninteresting specification. The other side of schooling I have come to appreciate is the interaction I have with teachers and what I have done for myself. Through having engaging and interesting discussions with my teachers about wacky and weird parts of my subjects (for example talking about llamas in philosophy) and then wanting to learn more so I go and appreciate what is interesting. School does not encourage us to learn. It gives us too much stress by placing far too much emphasis on getting 'what we need' to succeed in life such as GCSE Maths and English, and does not help us engage with our subjects. I am not learning real Philosophy, but my teacher helps us discover it. My English course barely touches the surface of grammar, but my teacher goes deeper and broadens our understanding of our weird and complex language. My History teacher opened a debate about Margaret Thatcher which I have been debating with my parents ever since. THAT is learning. THAT is what education should be like. It should be interesting and captivating and should make you want to read more, not revise a pre-prepared essay structure so that you can maximise your grade. At the moment, the education system is simply a means to an end, we need to change it so that it actually means something.

For those students who are disillusioned with school, I say this: just be you. Do what you find interesting and own it. Whether that is science, or music, or farming, or cycling, or shopping, or writing, or languages, or even sleeping, go and there and make sure you enjoy it. If you enjoy it enough you will want to learn more and, even if school is crushing the life out of your favourite subject, go onto google and type in something interesting and enjoy learning something new.

Education is not preparation for life. It is life itself.