6 Problems with our School System
There is a growing feeling today
that something is wrong with our system of education.
有越来越多的社会舆论表示
我们的教育制度出了问题。
But what is it?
Well, we send our children to school
to prepare them for the real world
which is changing very, very fast.
But our schools haven't changed much for hundreds of years.
但是什么问题？
我们把孩子送到学校，
让他们学会面对现实世界的
快速变化。
然而过去几百年来，我们的学校却没什么改变。
In fact, thought leaders from around the world agree
that the current system of education
was designed in the Industrial Age,
mainly to churn out factory workers.
And this Industrial Age mentality of mass production and mass control
still runs deep in schools.
事实上，世界各地的思想领导者皆认同一点，
现今的教育制度
是因应工业时代所设计，
目的基本上就是为了生产大量工人。
而如今这种工业时代大规模生产和高度控制的思维
依然深深根植于校园里。
Industrial Age values
第一：工业时代价值观
We educate children by batches,
and govern their lives by ringing bells.
All day long, students do nothing but follow instructions.
Sit down, take out your books, turn to page 40,
solve problem number three, stop talking.
At school, you're rewarded for doing exactly what you're told.
我们把小孩分批教育，
运用上下课铃声控管他们的生活。
学生整天要做的事就是遵守指令。
坐下，把课本拿出来，翻到第四十页，
解答第三题，别说话。
在学校，凡事听从指令就会被嘉奖。
These are Industrial Age values that were really important for factory workers.
Their success depended on following instructions
and doing exactly what they were told.
这些是对于工厂员工很重要的工业时代价值观。
对他们而言，成功就是遵守指令
并言听计从。
But in today's world, how far can you get by simply following instructions?
The modern world values people who can be creative,
who can communicate their ideas,
and collaborate with others.
But our children don't get a chance
to develop such skills in a system that's based
on Industrial Age values.
但现今社会，如果只是听从指令，你能有什么成就？
现代社会推崇有创意、
能够表达自己意见，
并与他人合作的人。
但我们的孩子
在根基于工业时代价值观所建立的制度里，
没有机会发展此类技能。
Lack of autonomy and control
第二：缺乏自主权与控制权
At school, our children experience a complete lack of autonomy and control.
Every minute of a child's life
is tightly controlled by the system.
在学校，我们的孩子全然丧失所有自主权和控制权。
小孩生活中的每一分钟
都被制度紧紧掌控着。
But in today's world, if you're doing important work,
then you're managing your own time.
You're making your own decisions
regarding what to do and when to do it.
但在现代社会，若是你被交办重要工作，
你必须管理好自己的时间。
你要自己决定好
什么时间要做什么事。
But life at school looks very different.
The system is sending a dangerous message to our children,
that they are not in charge of their own lives.
They just have to follow whatever is laid down,
instead of taking charge and making the most of their lives.
但学校生活却不是如此。
这制度传达给学生的危险讯息就是：
他们没有对自己人生的自主权。
他们就是必须对制定好的一切事物照单全收，
而无法在如何过自己的人生这件事上作主。
Experts believe autonomy
is incredibly important for children.
It's no wonder then that our children
are bored and demotivated by school.
Can you imagine how you would feel if you were told exactly what to do
for every minute of your life?
专家相信自主权
对孩童而言至关重要。
不难想象为何我们的孩子
在学校会感到消极无聊。
你能够想象当你生活中的每一分钟都被规定要做什么，
你会作何感想吗？
Inauthentic learning
第三：不切实的学习
Most of the learning that happens in schools today is not authentic,
because it relies on memorization and rote learning.
现今学校里的大多数学习都不够切实，
因为这些学习主要仰赖死记硬背。
The system defines a generic set of knowledge that all children must know.
And then, every few months, we measure how much has been retained by administering exams.
这套制度定义了一套所有孩童都必须知晓的知识。
然后每个月，我们透过考试衡量学生吸收了多少。
We know that such learning is not authentic
because most of it is gone the day after the exam.
我们了解这样的学习方式是不切实际的，
因为大部份的知识在考试过后都会忘记。
Learning can be much deeper and more authentic.
It can be so much more than just memorization and retention.
But that's the only thing we measure,
and test scores are the only thing we value.
学习是可以更深入且更切实际的，
学习知识不应该只是透过死记硬背的方式，
但我们却只用这样的方式来衡量，
且我们在乎的只有考试成绩。
This has created an extremely unhealthy culture for students, parents, and teachers.
Children are going through endless hours of tuitions,
staying up all night memorizing useless facts that they will forget very soon.
对学生、家长和老师而言，这造就了一个很不健康的文化，
学生经历了长时间的课堂讲授，
熬夜整晚背诵那些他们很快就会忘记的没用信息。
No room for passions and interests
第四：无从发展兴趣和热情
We have an extremely standardized system,
where each child must learn the same thing at the same time in the same way as everyone else.
我们有一套极度标准化的制度，
每个孩童必须在同一时期用同样的方式学同样的知识。
This doesn't respect the basic fact of being human,
that each of us is unique and different in our own way.
We all have different passions and interests.
And the key to fulfilment in life
is to find your passion.
这罔顾了基本的人类价值：
每个人都是独一无二的。
我们都有不同的热情和兴趣，
而获得人生成就感的关键在于
找到属于自己的热情。
But do the schools of today help our children
find and develop their passion?
There seems to be no room in the current education system
for the most important questions in a child's life:
What am I good at?
What do I want to do in life?
How do I fit into this world?
The system doesn't seem to care.
但现今的学校会帮助我们的孩子
探索并发展他们的热情吗？
看来当今的教育制度并未给予孩童机会
思考这个一生中最重要的问题：
我擅长什么？
我想做什么？
我要怎么融入这个世界？
教育制度似乎不关心这些问题。
There are so many greatly talented people
who failed in the traditional school system.
Fortunately, they were able to overcome these failures.
But not everyone can.
许多具有天赋的人
在传统的学校制度里失败，
幸好，他们能够克服这些难关，
但并非人人皆做得到。
We have no measure for how much talent,
how much potential goes unrecognized in the current system.
我们无从得知在现今的制度下，
有多少才能和潜力不曾被发现。
Differences in how we learn
第五：学习方式的差异
Each of us is also different in how we learn,
in how much time we take to learn something,
and what tools and resources work best for us.
我们每个人的不同在于我们的学习方式、
我们花费在学习上的时间，
和对我们最有效的学习工具和学习来源。
But the system has no room for such differences.
So, if you're a bit slow in learning something,
you are considered a failure,
when all you needed was a bit more time to catch up.
但这套制度忽略了这些差异。
所以，若是你在学习某事物上耗时较久，
你就会被视为失败者，
但你不过是需要更多的时间去跟上进度。
Lecturing
第六：老师讲授
In the current system, children are lectured
for more than five hours a day.
