Formal Education and School, What’s That All About Anyway?

What do you think the reason for school is? Do you think school teaches you how to live when you become an adult? Do you think you go to school just because government laws force you to attend?

There is some truth to those statements. A skilled orator could argue successfully that learning to interact with society is a very important reason behind formal education. It’s also true that by law you must get that formal education, but there’s more to school than truancy laws, and the ability to act right when you’re among other people.

“They know enough who know how to learn.” Henry Adams

Let me tell you the real reason you go to school:

School teaches you how to learn.

What do you think about that? Do you believe it?

I didn’t understand that when I was young. Over the years I found that finishing school only gives you the right to start learning how to live a rewarding life.

That ceremony called “Commencement” is a celebration of your internalizing the abilities to find answers you’ll soon need.

In adulthood you run up against obstacles that block the path to your goals. You face new problems every day that you must solve on your journey to a successful life. If you don’t know how to remove those obstacles, or solve those problems, you won’t achieve the results you envision.

There is so much to learn about how to live that your brain goes into overload if you don’t know how to soak knowledge up. And when you’re soaking it up you’re learning. Spending time in school gives you discipline and teaches you how to soak it up.

Make sure you and your kids understand what formal education is all about. Your true learning starts after school, and we call that learning life experience. Your commitment to self-education brings you the true knowledge in your life.

And as Henry Adams said, when you know how to learn, you know all you need to know. You merely have to put your knowledge to valuable use.