I think it’s sad that a lot of people view three or four years at university as the end of their education. The truth is we never stop learning. Education is a lifelong endeavour for all those that wish to live life to its fullest.
I’m not talking about the sort of broken education that exists in our schools and universities today. Education shouldn’t be about memorizing stuff from text books or sitting exams. Education should be about exploring the things that you find interesting. It should be an adventure.
Everyone is different. They have their own beliefs and their own interests. And yet our education system is stuck in a mode that tries to teach everyone the same things.
Just to be clear, I don’t think that teachers are at fault. There are some amazing teachers in our schools and universities today. When I look back to my own time at school I was lucky enough to have a few key figures who really inspired me to pursue the things I was interested in. The key difference was that these teachers colored outside the lines. They gave students the freedom to go off and explore the things that interested them.
There’s been a lot of talk about education reform over the past few years and that talk is translating into action. Companies like Udacity, Khan Academy and Treehouse have opened their virtual doors to anyone that wishes to learn. These solutions still have their own set of problems but I strongly believe that companies like these will make up the educational system of the future.
The education system of the future won’t be about learning a set curriculum consisting of things that other people think you should know. It will encourage you to explore the things that you want to know. It will inspire you to choose your own adventure.