From the day we are born our education begins. We learn how to eat, sleep and stay warm. In the wild, animals treat their offspring similarly. I have seen a flock of baby wild turkeys trailing after its mother learning what to eat, what to drink and most importantly how to hide in the event of danger. Without this most basic education, survival would be difficult if not impossible.
Humans start very young children in preschool. Then it’s off to elementary, then middle school and finally to high school. Many, if not most, will then go on to either technical schools to learn a viable trade or off to a college or university for “formal” education.
Many youngsters go to college for all the wrong reasons. This is an opportunity to get away from the restrictions of home. This is freedom. This is a giant party just waiting to happen. Sadly, for many, this is wasted time. Instead of preparing for the rest of their lives, they squander away opportunities and come out of college more confused than educated.
One of the primary reasons for this confusion is many college professors are similarly confused. Most have gone from being a college student to being a college professor never having experienced real life. Many have never had to earn a living from a job where productivity and profit matter. They then have the task of preparing youngsters for a productive life with their limited skills.
I recently heard the comment we should concentrate more on tech schools and less on formal college. Welders make more than philosophers. The simple fact is we need more welders, more plumbers, more electricians. It seems too many kids grow up with the notion they must complete a college education to be prepared for life.
While formal education is very important, here’s a reality. Not everyone is college material. That doesn’t make them bad; it just means some are better suited for a different line of work. I wouldn’t want my doctor to not have a college education but when my plumbing stops up, I’d rather have a skilled plumber take care of it than a skilled surgeon. And by the way, starting plumbers and welders make serious money also. Almost as much as a starting doctor.
The hen turkey must prepare her chicks for life. If she fails, her chicks will die. Educators should prepare their students for life. If they fail, their students fail. In reality, the area of life with which I deal, degrees in ancient Incan promiscuity have very little value. Studying the mating habits of African earthworms has little practical value in today’s workforce. African earthworms might be interesting to some, but it fades to insignificance in the face of today’s reality. You would be better off studying underwater basket weaving. At least you are producing a product which you might be able to sell.
Out here in the real world, real products and real services cost real money. If one has a steady supply of that money without having to work or produce anything, then good for them. Most of us, however, have to work and produce. There truly is no free lunch. In order to earn money, one must be able to offer talent and hard work to another who is willing to pay for it. Who knows, maybe there is a job out there for someone with a vast knowledge of African earthworms, but I doubt it.
Bottom line, education is important but only if education challenges you and gives you worthwhile information. Salving your preconceived notions inoffensively in a big liberal arts college is a worthless waste of time.
