Some people believe that getting an education and sitting in a classroom with a teacher lecturing for a couple of years is a waste of time, energy, and money. Some believe that education overall is just completely unnecessary. I, however, believe that education is an asset not only for job placement, but also for everyday life skills.

To say education is a waste of time is a statement to which I believe is a waste of breath. Education and research benefits millions of students every year. A degree (or diploma) is more than just a framed sheet of paper: it’s a signed document which states that you have completed courses that allows you to achieve opportunities for you out in the world which can benefit the community and your family. Clearly, the majority of the people here on this campus have this idea in mind, but there’s something else I believe is even more concerning that I’d like to take a look at.

Last week, I watched a video of an anonymous professional (PhD) from India present a thesis about how education is changing. He talked about how society is gradually becoming less needy of educators and how technology brings into the world a “new era of educating.”

To be brutally honest, I was disturbed. I wasn’t planning on hearing such a positive response in the audience filled of professionals in the field of education from a research project that focused on changing the way that students gain an understanding of classroom curricula in all branches of study. These “computers” allowed elementary students to self teach themselves about were biochemistry, mathematics, and even social sciences. Are we going to see a decrease in teaching in the future?

I’m just a college student and I’m not an expert in this area of research but I just find it a little bit concerning how our country (even the world) is emphasizing the importance of education, and yet we’re losing the idea of education’s original importance in classroom settings. We are gradually seeking other ways to educate students and trying to bypass the current education system because apparently some believe that it does not suffice. Why?

The importance of schooling goes beyond the mindset of just sitting in a classroom listening to a superior teach about equation solving, atomic structure, nouns and pronouns, or comprehending Macbeth. School teaches us about how to socialize, how to engage in conversation, how to stand in lines, patience, character, goal setting, competitiveness, and more. Post-secondary education really educates one about life itself.

Today, perhaps now more than ever, the world needs teachers. Everyday, families are breaking up and causing a greater need for the parental role of an elementary teacher. Music and elective programs such as agriculture, industrial arts, and fine arts classes are being dissolved due to budget cuts and/or lack of interest, and we are in a greater shortage of science and math teachers annually. All of these courses need support and people who seek to see the potential in their students further than just in the classroom. 

I stress this topic a great deal because I am now an education major. My teachers back home inspired me. Those individuals taught more than just the criteria that the music room, shop, or other classrooms required, but also gave me advice about life, goal setting, and getting back in life what you put into it.

Those teachers inspired me to want to be a teacher, not just because I admire and enjoy learning about the field of agriculture enough to teach others about it, nor for the desire to be a role model for students, but to pass on the advice my teachers gave me.

Maria Callas once said, “The difference between good teachers and great teachers: good teachers make the best of a pupil’s means; great teachers foresee a pupil’s ends.” 

Never depreciate what is said to you, rather appreciate those who see your potential.

Luke Eide is majoring in ag education. He can be reached at [email protected]