It seems in an ever-evolving world, mainstream schools are still stuck in the old school system. Albert Einstein famously wrote, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Children aren’t coping – they are exhausted and cracking under the pressures of the system. We coerce energetic and inquisitive young people to sit at desks for hours and prepare for the real world according to an outdated and stiff curriculum. They’re facing the challenges of addiction, depression, disengagement and they generally lack the ability to function in society after school and here’s why:
One Size Fits All
This approach to learning is flawed as it assumes that all students learn in the same way. Throughout students’ lives they have been taught to fit in the box of repetitive class curriculum, sitting at a desk, listening to a teacher and taking notes in preparation for an exam. When you think of the various different ways that people learn, it becomes clear that the mainstream process suppresses the innate desire that most young people have for learning because it ignores their curiosity entirely. The students who are unable to limit themselves to the traditional stock standard delivery of education are labelled as somehow inadequate or disengaged.
Traditional Exams
Fear of traditional exams continues to be a massive issue in mainstream schooling as students are being asked to have their minds filled with information and are being regularly tested on their ability to recite this information in competitive examinations. Schools then utilise these results as league tables, parading students achievements in public and personal forum’s to increase their own marketability. In addition to this, students test results are often equated to the teacher’s performance, which puts even more pressure on schools to “teach to the tests.”
Students are responsible for retaining the information and to learn their lessons, but they have no freedom to say how they are going to learn. They’re told that there is only one way of answering a question – when in reality, there may be a various number of ways of coming to that answer. We should be inspiring passionate and unique learning, not preparing to pass government enforced tests.
Student Mental and Physical Health
Poor eating habits and lack of exercise may be a contributing factor to lower student achievement. It puts the student at risk for diabetes and high blood pressure and it majorly effects their mental health. Drinks loaded with sugar, caffeine and chemicals are leaving kids feeling sick and jittery. All of which drastically influences their moods and ability to focus in school. They are being deprived of the knowledge needed to make intelligent nutritional decisions and are falling into the easy and convenient habits that will leave them very sick and very depressed.
At MOB, students will have the opportunity to learn ‘real life skills’ as we take them through the fundamentals we believe all young men should know before they complete year 12. These ‘life skills’ will fall under different categories including banking, automotive, and employment, as we believe a genuine education should teach more than just academic skills. Behind every successful MOB student is a team of people encouraging, challenging and pushing them to be the best version of themselves. We believe that once you delve deeper into every individual who is thriving, charging into life and taking ownership of their development, you will find an encouraging group of people nearby.
