Jargogled Impressions.

Recently, there has been a lot of conversation on the decline of the traditional education system globally. The chatter over Twitter on this topic revolves around a) the sclerosis in the education system that prioritizes rote learning or standardized tests over free exploration, b) the coddling of the youth mind, or c) the absenteeism in school children perhaps. But mostly it seems to be centered on the first, which is the shortcomings of the American school system today and shows how institutional trust has eroded with the millennial parents. The impact of this is a rise in absenteeism, of home schooling, and reliance on private tutoring services (e.g., Synthesis) that aims to counteract the coddling of kid’s mind with more a) gamified, b) contextual, c) free-play, d) STEM-focused education.

As I read through these, especially given in a few years’ time, my two girls would be ready to go to school, I realized how much of an ‘un-challenged institutional trust’ has crept into my thinking over the years. My elder daughter (~3yo) is going to a Montessori daycare and I had this sudden realization that I was trusting this daycare system far more than warranted to impart the right kind of nurturing for their rapidly growing brain. To be fair, I have been taking steps to ensure she is active when out of school or exercising her mind or growing her confidence, I had still left a large part of her curricular learning, nurturing curiosity, independent thinking, etc. to the school which may not be the right thing to do. Further, I also felt like we have not been leveraging this system as much as we should have given how much we are paying for it.

If you only read the books that everybody else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.

Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood.

As I take baby steps to help the kiddos start thinking for themselves, and developing an independent, fearless, and un-coddled mind, I am wondering where I should invest my efforts as they grow up and how can I best prepare myself to not overly rely on institutions such as the school system. As always, I rely on books and I have three lined up for this task:

1. An absorbent mind by Maria Montessori: a classic on the Montessori system and letting kids own their learning. Famously, Jeff Bezos studied in a Montessori environment but what is often missed in a shallow reading of how institutions help shape individuals, Bezos credits his grandfather for his hands-on, fearless reliance on independent thinking. Bezos apparently worked on a farm with his grandfather since he was very young, helping all around including fixing engines, tractors, pumps, etc.
2. The learning game by Ana Lorena Fabrega: a newer book by an educator affiliated with the Synthesis school who’s claim to fame is that it was started by Elon Musk and his lieutenants to build a new school system from the grounds-up for SpaceX employees. Anything Elon Musk touches is bound to generate hype, but there’s something to be reckoned with when a person can manage 5+ companies in various domains of hard-tech and still manage to the CTO (Chief Troll Officer) on X. Musk is famously an avowed gamer and it seems his love for gaming seeps into the ethos of this school too. I am looking forward to learning about a) how does gaming help steer kids towards independent learning, b) what aspects of traditional education system isn’t working well to promote STEM culture and a love for progress and innovation, and c) finally some hands-on activities or philosophies that I can bake into the time I get to spend with my kiddos in order to help them grow.
3. Free range kids by Lenore Skenazy: this one is interesting and I came by it via Jonathan Haidt who is a social psychologist with a lot of good books to his credit including The Righteous Mind, The Coddling of the American Mind, The Anxious Generation amongst others. The books’ premise is scary – to give kids radical freedom not just in their education but also in what they can do independently and without any adult supervision. Something like what Japanese culture already encourages with their kids.

I bet there are many more useful books that I can refer to but this should serve as a good start and I aim to circle back with my learnings soon.

It’s important to start with an objective in mind though. What would I like my kids to learn, aside from the standardized learnings that schools seem to have framed their educational curricula around? Also, to be fair, the education system has worked well so far, and it’s too early to cast a pall over how its evolution is happening and what’s needed to change. The intent is to understand what supplemental learning would be increasingly important in this hyper-connected and uncertain world.

Also, this: (P.S; Bill Watterson is incredible)

There are five core dimensions of learning that could complement and enhance their learning outside of what traditional education helps provide:

1. Inculcating a love for complexity: when kids embrace complexity, understand systems-thinking and use it to their advantage.
2. Solving for the unknown: when kids thrive in uncertainty and take a high-agency approach to solving for the unknown versus a) relying on others/adults, b) thinking inside the box.
3. Cultivating student voice: when kids feel empowered to speak their minds with an open, curious mindset and build confidence to raise their voices.
4. Strategic thinking: when kids think strategically through higher-order thinking
5. Collaborative problem-solving: when kids learn to tap into the power of community to solve problems and grow their social/EQ skills to excel at building their tribe.

“Nobody ever saw a dog make a fair and deliberate exchange of one bone for another with another dog”

Adam Smith.

Trust is a fundamental feature, not a bug of humanity. Institutional trust has existed since humans learned to organize themselves in communities. Educational systems have worked well for us, although concerns are mounting over slowing pace of progress and innovation (Altman, Patrick Collison). While institutional trust continues to be vital, it’s equally important for us to monitor what’s working and what’s not and evolve accordingly. Most often, the systems evolve slower than necessary and it is this liminal period that we may find ourselves reaching for something more. And as education is the one hammer that has continued to reap rewards for humanity, we must not take it lightly.