Right
now,
There
is a kid finishing parents' evening in a heated discussion with his mother.
Saying,
why does he have to study subjects he will never ever use in his life?
And
she will look at him blank eyed, stifle a sigh, think for a second and then lie.
She’ll
say something along the lines of:
“You
know to get a good job, you need a good degree and these subjects will help you
get a
degree,
we never had this opportunity when I was younger”.
And
he will reply:
“But you were young a long time ago, weren’t you mum?”
And
she won’t respond although what he implies makes perfect sense that societies
needs
would
have Changed since she was 16.
But
she will ignore him, grip his hand more sternly then drag him to the car.
What
she doesn’t know is that she didn’t ignore him just to shut him up,
She
didn’t lie because they are just returning from parents' evening,
And
an argument in the hallway would look bad on her resume.
She
won’t lie because she had just spent the last one hour convincing a stern faced
teacher that,
she
would ensure that her child studies more at home,
No!
she will lie, simply, because she does not know any better herself,
Although
her whole adult life, she has never used or applied
Pythagorus’
theory, Pathetic fallacy, and still does not know the value of “X”
She
will rely society to tell her that her child, who has one of the sharpest minds
in the school, is
hyperactive,
unfocused, easily distracted and wayward.
Students!
How
many equations, subjects and dates did you memorize just before an exam never
to use again?
How
many “A” grades did you get, which were never asked for when you applied for a
job?
How
many times have you remembered something 5 minutes just after the teacher said:
“Stop writing”
Only
to receive your results one month later to realize that you were only 1 mark
short of the top grade?
Does
that mean remembering 5 minutes earlier would’ve made you more qualified for a particular
job?
Well,
on an application form it would have.
We
all have different abilities, thought processes, experiences and genes
So
why is a class full of individuals tested by the same means?
So
does that mean Cherrelle thinks she’s dumb, because she couldn’t do a couple
sums?
And
if this issue is not addressed properly, it then becomes a self-fulfilling
prophecy,
Then
every school has the audacity to have policy on equality.
Huh,
the irony!
Exams
are society’s methods of telling you what you’re worth.
But
you can’t let society tell you what you are,
Cause
this is the same society that tells you that abortion is wrong, but then looks
down on
teenage
parents, the same society that sells products to promote nature hair, looks and
smooth complexion
with the model on the box, half photo-shopped, and has fake lashes and hair extensions,
With
pastors that preach charity, but own private jets
Imams
that preach against greed, but are all fat
Parents
that say they want “educated kids” but constantly marvel at how rich Richard
Branson is Governments,
that preach peace, but endorse war,
That say they believe so much in the importance
of higher education and further learning
Then
why increase tuition fees every single year?
I
believed Miss Jefferson when she took me into the office, said that my exams would
be
imperative
to my successBecause
we were taught to always follow when Miss Jefferson led
Then
I took Jefferson out of the equation and learned to think for myself
I
realized, we was taught to always follow when misled
Huh,
the irony!
Test
us with tests, but the finals are never final
Because
they never prepare us for the biggest test which is survival!
And
what I suggest is fairly outlandish
So
I don’t expect everyone to understand this
Except
for the kids who know what it feels like to be worth no more than that D or
that A that you get
on results day
And
the ones whose best stories were never good enough for your English teacher
Because
apparently you missed out key literal techniques
Did
not follow the class plan,
And
the language was too “informal” for him to understand
But
then he’d reference Hamlet and Macbeth,
And
you’d fight the urge to express your contempt by partially clenching your fist
with only your medius
finger left protruding in the middle of your hand,
And
then ask if he was aware that Shakespeare was known as the innovator of slang.
Or
the kid at the back of the class who thinks:
“Why
am I studying something that doesn’t fuel my drive?”
But
when confronted with a maths problem his eyes come alive
So
this one is for my generation,
the
ones who found what they were looking for on Google,
the
ones who followed their dreams on Twitter,
Pictured
their future on Instagram, accepted destiny on Facebook.
This
one’s for my “failures” and my “dropouts”, for my unemployed graduates, my shop
assistants,
cleaners and cashiers with bigger dreams,
My
self-employed entrepreneurs, my world-changers and dream-chasers!
Cause
the purpose of “Why I hate school, but love education” was not to initiate a
worldwide
debate,
But
to let them know that whether 72 or 88, 44 or 68,
We
will not let exam results decide our fate.
Peace!
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