Minds Enlightenment: Same Recipe, Same Result?

Minds Enlightenment:
Same recipe, same result?
Formal education in Argentina has undergone some transitional phases; however, compared to the evolution of formal education in the world from ancient times, such changes indubitably seem insignificant. Instead of creating a new educational system based on already existent ones, focused on the advantages and disadvantages of such, and adapted toour own necessities, our country just adopted an educational system from abroad. Consequently, our current system has its foundations on a foreign one, which, apart from being designed according to other society’s demands, is ludicrously inflexible, and which, at the same time pursues homogeneity to the point of making its positivness dubious. Now, does the success of an educational system inanother country guarantee the same result in a completely dissimilar context, such as ours? I am inclined to believe that a more flexible and inclusive education would lead to learning for pleasure; therefore, to individuals who, by learning pleasurably, will become what this world needs: generators of ideas.

Is it possible to believe that, even being aware of the divergence among us, all childrenlearn in the same way, at the same pace? As well as our interests, opinions and abilities, each human’s necessities as regards methods, techniques and contexts during the learning process, and to actually achieve the acquisition of knowledge, also differ. The belief that everyone can process the received information, and construct their own knowledge exactly as most of kids does, is closely relatedto our educational system being focused on schooling more than on truly significant learning; and aimed at reaching homogeneity by supplying every student with a little bit of information about every subject to be taught at that school and level, instead of noticing the importance of highlighting students’ uniqueness and demands in order to optimize learning. Ever since formal education’sorigins, thousands of children have been expelled from our educational system, since they did not suit the requirements to keep pace with their partners. Isn’t it the educational system the one supposed to adapt to children’s demands? The theory of multiple intelligences explains that every individual is intelligent in a different way, being that the reason why not everyone learns identically. Diversityin the classroom must not be changed into homogeneity but, on the contrary, respected and encouraged, as well as students’ abilities and interests. In the wise words of Plato, “Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you maybe better able to discover with accuracy the particular bent of the genius in them.”

Another downsideof our system is the idea of a common knowledge for everyone. The knowledge we acquire should be significant for us. Not only are we essentially different from one another, but we also pursue different goals. There is a point in life at which everyone, some earlier than others, discovers what they want to do and who they want to be in the future and for the rest of their lives; and that is themoment when one examines the tools available for making one’s own destiny. Education, of course, resides in the first place. But, reflecting on our educational system, does one leave school being prepared for facing the arduous challenge that choosing and completing a career represents? As it was once said, this system of ours is not but a “system of indoctrination”, and what children are taught is“an amalgam of current prejudice and choices of this particular culture”. It is pivotal to bear in mind that what is crucial for one, may be absolutely extraneous to many and vice verse. Planning a curriculum for each student would be completely unacceptable; nevertheless, creating a more flexible one, which offers a wider assortment of alternatives, and giving students the chance to choose the...