Ken Robinson talks about the need to reform education. Do you agree with his views? Refer to the speaker's arguments as well as your own experiences with the education system in your country.by David Ang
1. Agree: Idea of Conformity and Linearity
1.1. Students all conform to the same track
1.2. To through common curriculum and standardised tests
1.3. Have the common goal(s), Eg. 5'C's
1.4. Partially caused by meritocratic society and over-competitiveness in people
1.5. Thus, we must have a revolution in Education as conformity and linearity cannot help us in new century
1.6. Conformity and linearity are in conflict with the large diversity of talents within us
2. Counter Argument
2.1. It is reasonable for some people to feel that standardized education has led to success of many countries like Singapore
2.2. However, standardized education only caters to needs of people previously
2.3. We need a revolution in education so as to put more emphasis on innovation, so that we may garner more benefits for the society
2.4. The present day education requires us to be creative and be able to engage in divergent thinking
2.5. We suggest that innovation is blended into the high standards of education that exists currently; so that the previous model will suit those who need a path to follow, and the new model can allow people to forge their own paths in education
3. Agree: Fast Food Model
3.1. Due to the standardized track, some students do not have passion for certain area "Often people are good at things they don't like"
3.2. Our education system is an inflexible system that is unable to suit the various passions of individual students
3.3. Students that do not have passion for certain areas will not learn much and fair worse than those who do have passion for what they do
3.4. This results in students not enjoying school
3.5. The Fast Food Model shows the degeneration of a country through a waste of human resource due to the education system that ignores the diversity of human abilities
3.6. As such, we must reform to allow students to study what they are passionate for, and what they have talents for, so that talents not wasted
