Education

If I were supreme ruler of the universe, schools would look like...

Things would be very different if I were in charge of changing education. They would not drastically different in that I would change the whole school system. Instead, they would be altered in the sense that everyone is now at a similar level, there would be equal opportunities for students, and creativity is no longer a discriminatory subject.

No one would be left behind any longer, left in the dust while all of their classmates speed ahead in the classroom. Is not the point of education to educate people? If we are leaving some kids behind because they are "not smart enough" or "not willing to learn," then is it not our job to make them smarter? To get them to want to learn? I believe their unwillingness to learn new material comes from the fact that very few people want to sit down and teach them. They are pushed away and this causes them to shut down and lose the will to learn new information or discover new things. They have so much wasted potential and it is insane that we just let it fall through the cracks.

There would be equal opportunities for all in schools. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. There would be no discrimination of people in athletics, fine arts, etc. based on race, religion, skin color, gender, sexual orientation or anything similar. This is never the right thing to do. We need to do away with stereotypes and prejudices because the world is changing, in some ways for the better, and we need to learn to love one another as human beings and not as the skin we wear. It is also a big hindrance on those kids' creativity and expression. If we stifle them now, how will they ever be able to create things later in life? They will grow up oppressed and they will feel that way their entire life. This is not how we want future generations to be, so we need to stop this in its tracks.

The final thing I would change about education is the valedictorian system. Now, it is basically whoever has the highest grade point average gets to get up and make a speech. This needs to be different, though. Why not just call it a speaker and allow the person that has inspired the most to be it. That way it is making the students strive for not perfect grades, but bettering themselves. The inspiration can come from someone that always works hard, sacrifices their time for others in the community, or has extremely powerful creativity. This will allow kids to grow more as people and realize that there are no grades in real life and you will not be handed things just because you have the highest GPA.

I do not have the authority to change these things, though, at least not at this moment. Perhaps I will go on to do something great and change education for the better. Right now, though, teachers, superintendents, principals, and administrators need to start changing it. They are the ones in power and they have the authority to make a difference to this new generation. They influence them so much and could create some of the best future leaders, doctors, scientists, actors, or architects of our time.