Why Is Education Important?

Any teacher with even a few years of experience underneath their belt, will tell you that they have heard the evergreen question from students of many ages. It can take various forms, with some of my favourites being...

"Why do i still need to learn English? I can read and write" or "When am I seriously going to need algebra in my life?"

Despite the question being extremely valid to ask and, as teachers, we should be proud of our students for questioning the given in different situations, I think these sort of questions miss the key importance of education in any and all forms.

To me, any education can be simply summed up as `high-level problem-solving`.

To explain, any lesson a student may experience from the traditional Maths, English and Science, to even the most obscure form of PSHE, students are being given questions to answer. That may be a simple, one-answer question such as `what is the square root of 64?` to the more wordy and subjective questions we usually ask in English, like `how might George feel as he realises he must kill Lennie?` (spoilers).

Regardless of the complexity of the question or answer, it can be boiled down to, here is a problem, try to solve it and with each attempt at this, students are building the skills they need to do this in ever-increasingly complex scenarios. They are building a schema of knowledge and experience in their minds that they can use to tackle similar situations in the future. Whether those skills lie in searching for the answer amongst a mass of words in a paragraph, or by using a formula awash with numbers, symbols and letters that far outreaches my own maths acumen, students are using their knowledge, skills and effort in order to solve a problem.

But, why is any of this relevant? Well, I would make the argument that, not only is school about high-level problem-solving, but almost any job that students aspire to have, will also require this skill, in abundance.

Want to be a lawyer?

Problem = Client is accused of a crime.

Solution = How can you use evidence and persuasive language to prove their innocence?

Doctor?

Problem= X is ill.

Solution = What does your experience and research tell you about the medicines that can cure them?

Professional Footballer?

Problem = The ball needs to go in the net.

Solution= How can you use your dribbling, shooting and teamwork skills to make that happen?

Even the problems of a fast-food worker, where a customer is wanting chips and you needing to get those greasy potatoes in their hands.

However, as school attempt to do, as much as they can, we can look even further than merely preparing students for life at work. As any adult knows, life is full of overcoming issues, facing hardships and, yes, solving problems. I am not trying to say that learning the periodic table can help you deal with horrific tragedies in life, but I am suggesting that going through hardships, failures and times of doubt in school can mentally and emotionally prepare you to tackle similar instances in your personal life. By going through times of struggle in lessons, students learn resilience, level-headedness and the importance of forward-thinking, which are all vital skills with dealing with whatever life can throw at you.

I surmise that most of life is about solving problems and what school does, is offer students the ability to hone those skills in a wide array of situations, languages and contexts, to allow the development of those skills as fluently and fully as possible.

So, the next time your child, or your student, or even you think about the ever-green question of `why do I need school?` You can tell them or yourself that education is setting them / you up, in no small measure, to be able to face, tackle and overcome nothing short of, life itself.