Over the years, I have been writing about misconceptions regarding the schooling process. The purpose of these posts is to explain why I disagree with various comments that I have heard people make about schooling. These are meant as personal thoughts rather than conclusive proof, and I will admit that I'm not always the best at explaining my thoughts. Regardless, I have decided that I should be willing to share these posts when I encounter someone online who makes an argument that I have already discussed.
The Prussians viewed over-education as a threat to the power of the leaders. We brought the Prussian model of schooling to the U.S. and insisted, "Our schools have been scientifically designed to prevent over-education from happening."
Although most people have forgotten why we have schools, the core anti-educational values persist. In the early days of our nation, we came to the conclusion that over-education was detrimental to society. These concerns can be found in the foundation of almost every school in America.
There is actually some truth to the concerns. If you become too well educated in modern day America, it is highly unlikely that you will enjoy your life. Ultimately, the problem is not with over-education. The problem is with society. We have embraced an era of mindless conformity, and too much education makes it nearly impossible to fit our narrow standards of social acceptability.
A lot of this can be seen when comparing independent learners to those who learn in school. We have become intolerant of the endless possibilities of learning outside of the schools. We only acknowledge learning that occurs within the constraints of a schooling setting. Jobs are built around the limited education expected from graduates. Meanwhile, those who pursue a better education have doors slammed in their faces and must accept that their abilities will go to waste.
It's hard to have a good life when society refuses to allow you to utilize your abilities. Our general solution to this problem has been to limit abilities. This approach only benefits those who are in a position of power, which certainly does not reflect society as a whole. Instead, we should be looking for ways to better allow people to utilize their abilities for the benefits of society.
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