Formal Education System as a Social Problem

Formal Education System as a Social Problem
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Formal Education System as a Social Problem
Introduction
Education is remains to be the key process that facilitates the learning of skills, ideals, and principles through telling stories, holding discussions, instructing, and conducting research that can be valuable to the society. Education is a crucial aspect of the lives of people globally. Individuals are shaped by what they learn when growing up. Education takes place everywhere in the world, such as, talking to each other, solving mathematics problems, and facilitating day-to-day activities. It is essential since it lays the foundation of who individuals become, since almost all the decisions we make stem from what we know. The system of formal education was designed to meet the economic needs following industrial revolution (Cropley, 2014). However, with the dynamic changes in the demands of the society, it is evident that the current system cannot serve the needs of a highly connected society. This paper presents a case that the modern society increasingly values innovation and creativity as the key economic drivers and recommends that the current issues associated with formal education in the United States need urgent fixing for a better future.
Formal Education system as a Problem
The system of formal education in the United States has become a social problem due to changes in the society. Education relies on memorization, exams, and mechanical drills as the standard approach. Consequently, it utilizes test scores as the only criteria for evaluating students. The formal system of education is practiced all over the world. This type of system is authoritarian in nature and most cases; it feels like a monopoly where the producers continue to sell outdated products because the consumer has no otherwise. It inhibits originality and innovation as the system is structured to evaluate memory compared to any other aspects of a person. Furthermore, the system does not utilize the art of storytelling, discussions, and research as crucial tools in effective learning. This system of education is not changing fast enough to address the challenges of the diverse global society since it was based on a system developed more than a century ago. Children are treated as a product and the role of education is to place, sort, package, and label them according to the system. The system does not see children as individuals who can thrive on their own. Since children learn in the same way, they are not allowed to develop their own specific talents and aspirations.
To appreciate the current education problems in the United States, a brief understanding of the history of education is required. Since the earliest times, for many centuries, children obtained education through self-directed play and discovery (Philips, 2015). Children were accorded with limitless freedom to discover and play because the importance of using natural learning methods was valued. Following the explosion of agriculture and industries, children would be made to work as laborers as the society saw the need to develop vast knowledge and skills industrial and agricultural methods. With increase...