Great topic. I have been thinking about the educational ‘system’ with some intensity lately—not only from the social point of view, but also a personal one, since I am in a lot of ways a product of that system, having grown up attending a public school which embodied all kinds of assumptions about the meaning and purpose of becoming “educated,” and how exactly that was supposed to be done.
I say it’s a “system” as if it were only one thing—but of course, there are various systems, approaches, and pedagogies—a whole field of research and praxis relating to the task of ‘educating’ children into becoming successful (socialized and integrated) adults.
Nonetheless, there are certain structural assumptions in educational methodologies which seem to be widely shared. For example, the notion of ‘grades’… the role of testing… the prioritization of certain subjects (e.g., math and science) over others (e.g., art and social studies)… definitions of achievement and success (and how these affect identity formation and sense of self)… I could go on.
The deeper I go into my own psychic being, the more I find the core assumptions of the system I was educated in, still patterning my life, since ‘education’ leads directly into ‘work’ and ‘money’—and especially, our relationship to time.
I am looking forward to this conversation, though I may not be able to make it in person on Tuesday (I will confirm that morning). It is also good to see Marco Masi again, and I am curious who else may be joining. I enjoyed listening to this prior take on a similar topic: