David Jablonski

The Value of Education

I've never really liked the idea of studying. Studying for a test, and then being able to forget it all again. Because, let's be honest, school is mainly based on filling your head with information, with data, letting it all go at one point, and then starting over. The problem is not only that this data never gets used again and is therefore absolutely useless, the problem is that pure data does not help us with anything. It's not about collecting the dots, it's about connecting the dots. But in school, you rarely connect the dots. You collect them, because that's what you can count. That's what you can measure. People love to measure. Teachers love to measure. It's easy. But people cannot be measured. People's ideas cannot be counted. Nobody sees the value in a great idea or conversation anymore, people just see value in measuring, in grading. Grading children is the worst thing you can do to them. Grading does not fit with what humans are all about: we are all diverse, individually talented beings. I'm not what my grades tell my I am. Nobody is what their grades would suggest they are. Grades don't have anything to do with real talent. With actual knowledge. Putting additional pressure on classes, on children, on parents, but also on teachers, through grading, does not make any sense. Why, in a world where we always talk about how important individuality is, do we have grades? There is no use in them at all.

I've never really liked the idea of studying. What I have always loved is the idea of learning. Not learning for a test. Not learning because a teacher wants you to do so. But to learn by observing, to learn from real-life experiences, to learn from others, this is what always kept me going. And, as I begin to realize more and more, the amazing people, the amazing projects that happen outside of the fixed and boring lessons in school have actually been much more valuable learning experiences. Luckily, there's not only school. There's also everything that happens outside of the classroom. The real learning. The amazing people. The inspiring projects. But we need to put back the real value in education. It's not about collecting the dots, it's about the connecting them. Let's not forget that.