In many countries, the current education system requires a child to be sent to a school where they sit in a classroom with 50 or more peers.The setup is

• One teacher to many students
• Fixed curricula and schedules
• Emphasis on exams, memorization, and compliance
• Success measured mainly by test scores and certificates

While this model seems to work efficiently, it is seriously sub-optimal and a very lazy solution at best. It is reasonably efficient at producing uniform skills and managing young populations as they grow. The current education model  treats learners just like trees in a plantation, not a forest. The deliverables of the current education system are kind of:

“By age 10, every tree must be exactly 2 meters tall and perfectly straight.”

So the system basically:

• Trims taller trees (discouraging excellence or curiosity)
• Forces weaker trees to stretch unnaturally
• Cuts off branches that don’t fit the template

The result?

• Uniform appearance
• Weaker trees
• Lost potential

In this setup, the schools are “trimming” grounds for learners. Those who learn fast are told to wait, slow learners are labeled weak (some expelled), the curious and questioning ones are seen as disruptive, the creative and practical ones are marginalized while different learning styles are forced into one method.

I think the world must look for more optimal solution to educating children. No wonder many adults describe their school experience as routine rather than a transformative growth opportunity that shaped their current lives.