This year people around the world have been engaging in difficult conversations about human rights and systematic injustices. These discussions have opened minds to imagine a better world, and shown us how deeply our education system has failed us.
The education system is built to create successful people. From a young age, we are told the purpose of school is to pursue our dream job. If we study hard enough and put in the work we’ll be successful. Yet, individual isolated success, as we know, does not always result in the betterment of society. We see what happens when successful people get money. They do only that – get money.
What if the education system was built to create a successful society, where the center of purpose is not success, but inclusion? What if the education system aimed to build our knowledge as allies rather than simply build our resumes? The more we know about each other, the easier it is for us to help one another, and this year we have seen clearly how much this help is needed.
The education system will always focus on helping individuals pursue secure and successful jobs, but I think having this idea as the sole purpose of education is a mistake. The consequences of that mistake were put on full display this year.
I hope one day when kids go to school they learn not only how to help themselves, but how to help the kid sitting next to them.