Education has been a fundamental concern during the industrial and nation-state era, aiming to supply the industry and state with a sufficient workforce. However, this approach has been unbalanced in the modern era. Not everyone naturally inclines towards education, and despite significant investments in education in certain countries, not all children can be effectively educated through formal means. Natural tendencies cannot easily be altered.
Forcing children who don’t have an inherent interest in education into the educational system is unfair, just as it is unjust to involve children inclined towards education in jobs, professions, or skills instead of allowing them to pursue education. Children who lack an educational inclination struggle to develop an interest in education despite having favorable conditions and resources. This inclination isn’t their fault, and it’s not detrimental to have a less academic orientation.
Many of these children excel in co-curricular and non-academic activities. Some display technical prowess, excelling in tasks like fixing things. Others demonstrate athletic abilities. Some are drawn to farming, animal husbandry, or entrepreneurial ventures. Among girls, similar trends manifest in skills like housekeeping, photography, fashion designing, or beautification.
When allowed to follow their natural tendencies, these children often succeed in their chosen fields.
However, the current education system mandates a formal education of 10-12 years for every child, even for non-academic roles, setting matriculation as the minimum education standard.
Consequently, children without an educational inclination are compelled to undergo undesired education for a low-level job for more than a decade. The potential psychological effects of enduring such unenjoyable work for 10-12 years are often overlooked. Many skillful individuals excel in their desired field without completing the formal educational cycle, indicating that the rigid 10-12 year formal education requirement to learn a skill or profession is unnecessary and, in fact, detrimental and painful for those with limited interest in formal education.
When these children resist forced education, they are labeled rebellious and unintelligent, suffering from negative psychological effects. Even if they’re compelled into education, their performance often remains average despite their efforts. Higher education becomes unattainable due to their limited educational background, robbing them of the opportunity to nurture their natural talent and achieve success through it.
Such students with limited educational tendencies often resort to supplementary books, copying assignments, cheating in exams, and searching for shortcuts. They struggle with depression and dissatisfaction due to low grades. A significant portion of teachers’ and institutions’ time and resources are consumed addressing these students’ educational deficiencies and dealing with plagiarism, with limited success.
Eliminating the compulsion for degrees can accurately assess the percentage of individuals who wish to bypass the challenges of formal education.
These students possess alternative skills and abilities that can substitute for formal education. If they invest their time wisely, they can avoid the mental anguish of formal education and quickly secure a place in professional life. Vocational education or skill development is of lesser importance compared to education in sciences and social sciences. By the time students consider professional education or business due to failure in these subjects, they have already wasted considerable time.
During primary education, based on a child’s tendencies, it’s crucial to determine whether they should continue with education and what kind of education is suitable for them. Providing alternatives that align with a child’s skills and strengths is vital if formal education doesn’t resonate with them. Historically, education was primarily accessible to the middle class, with the elite and the poor lacking access to formal education. The educated middle class, supported by the affluent, contributed to society with their knowledge and skills. However, with the linkage of honor and livelihood to formal education, both the elite and the poor began pursuing education, increasing the burden on national resources.
The greatest casualties in the pursuit of educational certificates were the poor, who endeavored to educate their children to improve their economic standing and gain respect in society. They invested their all in their children’s education, striving for extraordinary abilities and luck — a rare combination — for significant success. After completing basic education like matriculation, FA or BA, the children of the poor aspired for more than menial jobs in shops or vending. The unfulfilled dream of an office job haunted them throughout their lives. Forced education could also pose challenges for the children of affluent business families. Despite completing education and securing good jobs, they remained dissatisfied with their relatively low income compared to the family business’s profits.