This isn’t exactly an indictment on schools. I believe in the school system enough to send my kid or go to one myself. Going to school is still a whole lot better than not going to one, and a community’s literacy and education are strong determinants of its social and economic progress. For example, we could say better schools pay off because they ultimately result in lower crime rates and higher productivity.
But, like many things in life, it isn’t without flaws. And it’s always better to know our shortcomings than be victims of our blindness to them. So while this is a list of reasons I think the school system is flawed, I am not saying we should abandon them.
I think this post is especially valuable for people still in school, or who are about to go to one. Take the information here like a cheat code. Going to school will then be like watching a movie for the second time — you notice things you may not have seen in the first go-round. And hopefully, you’ll approach everything in a better, more mature, light.
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Reason 1: Points for knowing everything yourself
The student with the highest grade receives recognition. And that’s probably good because it’s an incentive to work hard. Hard workers, and especially smart workers, should be rewarded.
That said, this structure also suppresses collaboration. In school, you’re supposed to know everything yourself. In fact, asking for help is a sign of weakness. As Robert Kiyosaki puts it, “asking for help during a test is called cheating!“
Instead, real-life successful people double down on their strengths and delegate their weaknesses to others. They don’t try to know or do everything by themselves. They hire the best people. (And yes, there’s some truth to grade A students working for grade C students.)
Group works somehow mitigate this, but we all know a typical “group” in class is a variant of The Hangover group.
One does 99% of the world; another says he’s going to help but he’s not; then there’s the person who disappears at the very beginning and doesn’t show up again until the very end; of course there’s the group member who has no idea what’s going on the whole time.
So while groupings help, they’re still lacking. A better approach to take, in my opinion, is to collaborate with people. Collaborating doesn’t have to be only for official school projects either. As much as I’d like to avoid using the word “network,” that’s really what you’re building. You’re building your network of friends to tap into in the future.
Reason 2: Mistakes and failures are bad
Mistakes aren’t inherently bad. Now, I’m not saying we should strive to make mistakes. But what I am saying is we shouldn’t be afraid of them. Having a mindset that’s afraid of mistakes or failures prohibits us from even trying.
Instead, we should think of failures as bringing us a step closer to success. We learn more lessons from mistakes — ours or somebody else’s — than from getting it right.
Michael Jordan credits his success to failures. “I’ve failed over and over in my life… and that is why I succeed.” Or how about the quote that’s credited to Michael Jordan, Jose Cuervo, Wayne Gretzky, or (jokingly) Michael Scott of The Office:
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Some people don’t even try because of the fear of failure. If you don’t try taking that shot, then you’re guaranteeing yourself a missed opportunity. But if you do attempt the shot, there’s at least a chance of making it.
Reason 3: You’re either right or wrong
Most things in life will never be as clear-cut as we’d like. There are grey areas like the risk-reward spectrum. Greater risks are not inherently bad, and the safer route isn’t necessarily better. (More on this below.)
Unfortunately, the scoring system in most schools will tell you you’re either right or wrong. Even essays are predominantly scored based on what your teacher believes in.
There are certain natural laws that are absolute, and it’s probably best we accept them. But still, I’d like to keep an open mind. To quote Socrates, “To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.”
Reason 4: Conformity over contrarian ideas
The school system doesn’t reward rebels with contrarian takes. For example, you shouldn’t question your teachers. Or laziness is bad. (Actually, laziness is a very powerful tool when used correctly. It drives us to automate mundane tasks.)
Naturally, we have to follow laws for an orderly society. But revolutionary ideas are from respectful discussions between two opposing views. This is how we make the most of life — when we think for ourselves rather than conform to norms.
In Ray Dalio’s book Principles, he says “If you can think for yourself while being open-minded in a clearheaded way to find out what is best for you to do, and if you can summon up the courage to do it, you will make the most of your life.”
Reason 5: Greater weight on IQ over EQ
Exam scores tell us about IQ. In real life though, how you treat other people, react to problems, or empathize with the team are arguably more important components!
That’s hard to hear for intellectuals. But the truth is this: Business transactions are settled based on the people you know, not as much as what you know. Personal relationships are built on emotional bonds, not intellect. Office politics and promotions are dominated by interpersonal ties more than proper reason.
EQ is hard to measure though. And it certainly doesn’t show up in the report cards.
Reason 6: Biased attitude towards a regular job
Getting a job and working until you’re 60 is the safer route. Running a business is the riskier route. Most school systems train their students to think like workers: Get high grades, secure a high-paying job, and retire. (Obviously, this doesn’t apply to business-centric schools.)
But again, safer isn’t necessarily better. Which route you choose will depend on your priorities and preferences. Some priorities lead to entrepreneurship (e.g., valuing time over everything, or the larger income potential), while other priorities lead to employment (e.g., the prestige of belonging to a well-known corporation, or the safety of a job). (Read the article Is Entrepreneurship for Everyone? 10 Tips to Make the Switch)
Reason 7: They don’t talk about money enough
So far, the reasons I’ve mentioned all have their pros and cons. For instance, conformity is also good, IQ is helpful, and so on. But this last flaw is one I still don’t understand. Every school should have a discussion about money. It’s downright dangerous to go out into the world with no knowledge of basic personal finance concepts. (See our list of fundamental topics in personal finance.)
In some societies, it’s taboo to talk about money. But why ban talking about something as essential? Our schools implicitly train us to get high-paying jobs, right? Without proper budgeting though, high salaries aren’t enough. It’s how celebrities and athletes go from earning millions to bankruptcy. It’s why many don’t understand credit cards or investments.
To me, everyone should at least know about net worth. We keep track of GPAs, our weight, etc. As a measure of financial standing, it’s only natural that we also keep track of our net worth.
