Is today's education worth it?(Opinion)

Education is amazing. It teaches  and positions us on what to do and  suggests how to shun vices. It is a fascinating phenomenon which is aim at enlightenment and geared towards productivity. The benefits of education are immensely endless. 

Even the uneducated comprehends the worth of being educated. As parents, most of them would go through thick and thin to ensure their children, wards or loved ones experience certain knowledge: an opportunity which, for some reason they did not have. Some go the extra mile in ensuring their kids attend the best of schools to give them a chance at a 'better life'. This is very typical in many African nations...

However,  in modern times, is education worth it? From the kens of observation, one can begin to see some certain downsides. People are going to schools, graduating but faced with limited job opportunities. As the global economy bites severely harder on the survivability of people, students who are enroled in schools have their future hanging in the balance. As more companies shut down and the work force gets crowded by an army of academically qualified graduates, one would not help but wonder if going to schools to get educated is worth it. 

In most universities in Nigeria, the curricular used over three decaes are still being used to teach students. Once being there personally, I had to, at 200 level of study, leave school to focus exclusively on my writing career. Having studied the curricular for the five-year mechanical engineering course and compared them with that of my predecessors of decades back, it was all the same! No innovation, no significant changes! I knew at that point I would be doomed If I continued. I had to take that decision consequently.

Education was intended to instill character. Character is the driving force and the baseline motivation for being successful in life and very instrumental for advancement of any society. Education is simply acquisition of knowledge through character.

Unfortunately, it seems to be a contradiction of anticipation. These days, people go to school and come out worse than they came. Faced with the challenge of learning superficially, not being able to excercise their independent thoughts, students are forced to play along with the status quo in order to achieve good grades. This situation follows them throughout their academic years.. instead of leaving school as independent thinkers and potential for society's development, they become just the exact opposite. 

When you look at the general overview of modern education, one cannot help but appreciate Albert Einstein and Oscar Wilde for their assertions. Albert Einstein once said " Education is what is left after all you have learnt has been forgotten". Considering all the years in school students would have to go through in adapting to the superficial method of learning (the processes of reading, cramming and giving back to concerned lecturers just the way they want them to, in exams to stand good chances of getting good grades), Albert Einstein is right! He also said "Education is to make one think' It is quite unfortunate how an army of graduates can hardly excercise independent thoughts to situations they find themselves. Would you blame them?! The system of education of today has indoctrinated young people, instead of raising a generation of thinkers! Of course, no thanks to superficiality! Oscar Wilde said: 'Educatiin is a good thing but note that anything worth learning can never be taught'. Given the superficial learning standard as practiced in several institutions of higher learning today (particularly in African nations like Nigeria), Oscar Wilde deserves a credit for that statement!

Education is a great thing. And like someone once said, decades back, 'If you thought education was expensive, try ignorance'. It becomes a thing of concern when the evaluation of being educated in our contemporary society looks expensive to the point attempting the bliss of ignorance will not be a bad idea.

Education is a good thing and should stand the test of time. 

But is the standard of education of today worth it?

 

 

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