Why Traditional School Might Be the Only Practical Solution

Written by Kater Titus

A popular mantra these days is “School is a scam” or “Traditional schools aren’t worth it,” with many variations echoing the same sentiment. Without much hesitation, I would also agree that, in many ways that traditional schooling is inefficient.

Looking at the financial burden, whether it’s the money spent upfront, or the debt students incur over the course of this lengthy and often frustrating process, the payoff can seem unreasonably distant. And when we consider the actual amount of learning and meaningful assimilation that occurs, the picture becomes even bleaker.

But is traditional education simply a symptom of a flawed global political and economic system, or—as some conspiracy theorists argue—an orchestration by the excessively wealthy and powerful?

In reality, even the most persuasive individual—someone who could sell ice to an Eskimo—would struggle to convince a truly enlightened person that traditional education is an ideal system. Yet, perhaps there’s another perspective worth considering: “What other method could possibly work for mass education?”

In practice, there’s no feasible way to teach such large numbers of people in person without gathering them together as in a classroom setting. And because these students come from diverse backgrounds, there’s bound to be a gap in attention, comprehension, and assimilation due to differences in motivation, attention levels, and even physiological factors. Naturally, the majority will likely achieve only an average understanding of the material being taught, with fewer students attaining a deeper grasp—assuming, of course, that the teachers themselves have a pristine command of the subject and can deliver it effectively.

Teachers do play a crucial role in motivating and inspiring students to learn, especially in the early stages of a child’s development, all the way through to young adulthood. However, once students reach college, their ideas and perspectives are typically more fully formed. At that stage, their understanding and motivation largely depend on their personal reasons for studying their chosen field.

I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught -Winston Churchill

Churchill’s words highlight a simple truth: we learn best when our motivation comes from within, rather than through external pressures. This may help explain why we’re more inclined to read a history book or novel for our own enjoyment and knowledge rather than to study the same text for a test or exam.

This only reinforces the idea that true learning has to come from the heart. Regardless of the kind of educational system you find yourself in.