The Future of Education

By Mark C. Anderson

The Synergy of Students, Teachers, and Parents.

Teachers are some of the most under-appreciated members of our society. What other profession gives so much of their time, talents, and treasure, yet is rarely thanked, and often criticized for their work? How is it that our culture has reached a point where we pay millions of dollars to people who can throw, or catch, or kick a ball for sport, and yet we pay virtually nothing, in comparison, to those to whom we entrust the safety, security, and future of our children? I enjoy a good game as much as anyone else, but I still think there is something wrong when the balance between a past-time and a necessity is that far off.

Parents play a much larger role in their child's education than they realize. I had the benefit of a stay-at-home mom who made sure all the homework was done before the television came on. My mom could always be counted on to attend the Open House or Back To School activities to meet the teachers who were working with her children. Today's parents are different. Not that they lack any greater concern for their children, just in the reality of time in a very complex and demanding society. In some homes, there is only one parent, who has a hard enough job just keeping the house together. In other families, both parents work outside the home, and there is minimal supervision to keep the child focused on their studies before they focus on video games, computers, or TV. All too often parents say "What can I do?" The answer might be in developing that strategic alliance with the teacher to ensure the message is the same at school and at home.

Students have a major role to play in the future of education, for without them, there is no future. The students in schools today have grown up in a culture of immediate gratification. Sometimes, it is nothing more than an instant-on television. It could also be the overwhelming impact showing the distortion of our society that the media projects and students easily absorb. The reality of going to school, doing homework, and doing well in your classes is regulated to a punchline by the media. This places a burden on the learning process of all students, especially those who are striving to do well.

School is work. Yet, the benefit of the work is delayed, in most cases, for years. Many students fail to appreciate the real world dynamics, and our society experiences a drop-out rate beyond reason. How to moderate this loss is a challenge. I do not have all the answers. I think it will take a concerted effort from the schools, from the home, and from society itself to re-educate our children, and ourselves, to the real world dynamics and clearly justify the benefits of education.