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What Are You Really Learning At School?
It is not uncommon for students to ask what I'm learning this for. They ask such questions, especially when studying hard subjects like math, physics, and chemistry, but what they don't understand that learning is much more than memorizing facts about the natural world. It is also about connecting with others, developing social skills, and becoming a more wholesome person. To appreciate how true this is, we need to look no further than the first schools or the earliest forms of education.
Even societies that did not develop some form of literacy had what's called informal education. This kind of education was meant to teach students how their community operates with the goal of inculcating values, teaching crafts, and enlarging their experiences. The schooling also helped preserve the cultural knowledge so that it could be passed to subsequent generations (Richardson and Wolf 18). While the preservation of knowledge was the primary goal of schooling in those days, the other objective was to mold students to become responsible members of society. The students would later take on the roles of warriors, craftsmen, leaders, priests, farmers, husbands, mothers, and fathers. In a sense, learning helped keep society together (Richardson and Wolf 34).
The process is the same today, with the only difference being that there is a lot more to learn in today's schools, and the content is more structured. Why do lessons have to be structured? Because, unlike animals which are born with some developed faculties, the learning process for humans infants is a bit more rigorous. We practically have to learn everything, including social skills, language, empathy, communication skills, values, self-care, and so on. Modern schools with their structured curriculums are well suited to provide such lessons.
An area where this is particularly true is in sports. Research shows that organized and well-structured sports activities can provide many benefits and life lessons for students. The many positive experiences that sports and active lifestyle brings play an important role in a young person's life (Eime, et al. 99). For example, sports activities teach teamwork and problem-solving skills. Often, sports require students to work for a common goal, which makes them appreciate teamwork and develop problem-solving skills. Another benefit of sports is that it boosts self-esteem because achieving sports or fitness goals encourage individuals to achieve goals in other areas of their lives. This is to say that sports are instrumental in building self-discipline. Finally, we cannot forget that schools teach students to coexist with others. We live in a multi-cultural world, and it is prudent to appreciate the experiences of others because that way, we create a more inclusive society. Schooling helps with that.
Another important yet overlooked activity that provides students with serious learning opportunities at school is the practice of debating. Debating helps students develop the ability to make well-thought-out and reasoned arguments (Stanford National Forensic Institute). It also helps them question the evidence behind particular stances and to articulate their positions. Another of the benefits of debating is that it makes students more humble because if anything, debating teaches that you are not going to be right all the time. Debating skills can then be applied in other areas of life such as public speaking.
If we go back to the question of what are you really learning at school? We can now argue that what is likely to confuse you as a student when answering that question is the fact that most learning outcomes are not well articulated. In other words, it is unlikely that you were ever told you are going to school to learn coexistence, teamwork, or social skills. You are not even tested on these, so how can you even think of them as outcomes? But the truth is learning is more than passing an exam or knowing a bunch of formulas. Aristotle put it best when he said, "education is the process of training a man to fulfill his aim by exercising all the faculties to the fullest extent as a member of the society" (Burnet 45). These faculties include but not limited to socialization, communication skills, critical thinking, and craftsmanship.
Learning also provides students with the opportunity to explore their capabilities. We never truly know what we are capable of until we put our minds and bodies to the test. When you are at school, you are exposed to all these new things that stimulate your curiosity and expand your mind. In other words, learning helps you know more about yourself, and the more you do, the greater your confidence.
In summary, the most important lessons you learn in school aren't academic. It is less about memorizing algebra and more about becoming a wholesome person who can think critically, engage constructively with others, and become a responsible member of society. There are specialized schools that teach only specific skills, but you will find that you still learn social skills even in these specialized schools because, ultimately, it is all about interacting with others.
Works Cited
Burnet, John. Aristotle on Education: Extracts from the Ethics and Politics. CUP Archive, 1967.
Eime, Rochelle M., et al. "A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing the development of a conceptual model of health through sport." International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 10, no. 1, 2013, p. 98.
Richardson, Linda D., and Mary Wolfe. Principles and Practice of Informal Education: Learning Through Life. Routledge, 2004.
Stanford National Forensic Institute. "The Power of Speech & Debate Education: Stanford National Forensic Institute." Stanford National Forensic Institute: Stanford National Forensic Institute, 2017,
