Schooling Is Too Much about Compliance

Schooling Is Too Much about Compliance

Our education model, sometimes because of intention, sometimes because of structure, is less about learning and more about compliance.

We may have to let it sink in and really reflect on it. If we do I think we will understand its truth. I think we will discover it is true for K-12 education as well as "higher education," and often even for elective learning such as piano lessons.

It's cultural, ingrained, how we envision and then enact education across society.

We say, "I want this student to learn." But I think we really mean, "I want this student to do what I say."

We say, "It's good for them." But I think we really mean, "You will be better off if you just do what I say."

People are naturally lifelong learners. We say we want to use schools to develop life long learners. But I think we really want to use schools to set up people for a lifetime of compliance. "Good citizens" doing what they're told.

We're afraid of people who think differently, who learn different things, who are creative -- unless that creativity is acceptably bounded. That is, compliant.

Children bring natural innovation into the world with them. But we teach so much creativity out of them and replace it with "Just do it this way."

Instead of asking kids to listen to us so much, and to do what we say, we should listen to them more. Ask, "What do they have to say?" "What can they teach us?" "What can we, as lifelong learners, learn from children?"