Have We Missed the Point?

Have we lost the focus?

Have we made academia a religious pursuit?

Have we lost touch with who we are and what we are supposed to be doing?

Personally, I say yes.

We have developed such a huge push towards academic success that it has become a measuring stick for the youth of today. If you are not an academic success you are a failure. This is the message we have brought to the forefront.

We have completely and utterly lost the point. So let's take a few steps back. What is the purpose of education? It is to give children the groundwork, the foundation upon which to build their future.

But do we emphasize the hope that through the educational process children will discover their own talents and passions? No, we make no mention of that. Seldom is it ever mentioned that children might have dreams for their futures and that those dreams just might be valid. We look upon their hopes to be a fireman, a pilot, a doctor, a vet, as cute little dreams, but we do not validate them?

When a child shows a natural talent for writing, be it essays, stories or poetry, the teacher seldom ever says, "Hey, you're really good at this. Maybe when you grow up you will be a writer or a poet." Can you imagine the boost and inspiration that such words would give that child? It could be the pivotal moment in his life when he realizes that he really does want to be a writer when he grows up.

The fact is, our talents and dreams are an indication of where to go with our lives. A child who has a passion for caring for animals may be destined to be a vet. A child who loves maths may be destined to be an accountant. A child who loves art and is really good at it may be destined to be an artist. These dreams that children harbor should be shared, they should be talked about, respected, admired and encouraged.

Do we?

Not enough. We focus instead on the academic work. It is heartbreaking to see children feel as if they are failing and stupid just because they can't understand the maths. We focus, surely, too much on failure and not enough on successes. Fair dues to teachers though, of the many that are not great teachers there are many that ARE great teachers and inspire their students daily. Kudos to them.