Preamble

Today, many people, who have received a formal education, do not have survival skills for life, having only acquired learning for school (i.e. academic education), which they do not KNOW how to usefully apply In the real world.

We already know from years of recent history that it is no longer necessarily those who do well in school who are successful in life. It used to be that way, when paid employment was the primary destination for people finishing school or apprenticeship.

In today’s world of enhanced technology, anyone with the ability to quickly acquire new skills and create / add tangible VALUE can be successful in virtually any area of ​​activity they undertake. The skills necessary for survival and success have long changed. All around us today, for example, we see dropouts employing college graduates.

The following quote underscores the point I have made earlier:

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write. They will be the ones who cannot learn, unlearn or relearn. “ – Alain Tofle

But humans, in general, are often reluctant to change their way of thinking. We continue to send children to school with the mental attitude of the days of the industrial revolution. We keep pushing them to think in terms of making fun of their friends / classmates in class. We encourage them to view low achievers as “inferior” to them.

The wrong approach to education?

Over the decades, for some unfathomable reason, educators in some societies have gradually phased out technical schools that taught practical, life / vocational skills and replaced them with schools of “theoretical” learning that we call universities. These institutions produce graduates incapable of “thinking” and incapable of applying most of the acquired learning to useful ends in society, in ways that add sustainable value.

While studying at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, I was a member of a student organization called “Students Farm Research Foundation (SFRF)”. The motto of this group was “Not for school, but for life, we learn.” Even today, many of the things I learned as a member of that group have served me well as an entrepreneur.

You see, I was EXTREMELY good at my studies. I have always been very good at learning by reading and taking tests. As an employee I also excelled because I put my skills to good use in my work. But all that time, from education to gainful employment, was spent in a “protected” area. It was not the same as being in the REAL world, especially when it came to having to survive outside of paid employment.

And THAT is the challenge! The truth is that many people working in paid employment today, or currently in school, hardly ever realize that they may not have the skills necessary to excel (through honest, legal and legitimate avenues, PLEASE) outside of those controlled environments should the need arise. When they are then pushed into it, they are overwhelmed. Many, out of desperation, turn dishonest and engage in unethical practices to “survive.”

What can be done?

I think I have a unique advantage because I have gone through all three phases. I have been to school and have benefited from being “good” at academics. I have also excelled in paid employment. I then left those safe environments to venture into business in the shark-infested world of REALITY, and I suddenly found that all of my skills / knowledge seemed to make little or no difference to my ability to succeed. I repeatedly saw people who didn’t have half the skills, abilities, or knowledge that I got what I wanted AHEAD of me, sometimes even though they did less than I did.

It was NOT worldly enough (I mean in the UN dishonest way)! It took me many years of perseverance and self-education to LEARN how to survive in the real world. Looking back, I contend that I could have been better prepared if I hadn’t focused exclusively on excelling in those controlled environments of the school and organizational workplace.

So I ask you this question: Does your child know how he will be received in the real world after school? Does he / she know how severely different people who exist can be compared to all those nice / considerate classmates and teachers at your school?

Another question: What life skills does your child possess? By life skills, I mean those with which he / she can earn what he / she (and YOU) would consider a dignified life.

Let me ask you one more question: What can you do NOW, today, to earn (from paying customers / clients or public consumers) the same, or higher, income as you currently earn through wages? What skill, talent or competence has your child shown, developed or acquired, NOW, that you believe can help him or her earn enough income to maintain the standard of living YOU have become accustomed to?

The above questions should be considered very carefully in the best interests of you and / or your child (ren). Education differs from schooling. The educated person is one who knows how to combine the knowledge he has and apply it to achieve a useful purpose that produces VALUE in society or in the lives of others.

That is why Henry Ford was described as a man of education even though he had no formal education. He employed the greatest minds in engineering and had them work together to accomplish the feat of building a car engine that could be bought by the masses, even though everyone had told him it was impossible!

Is your child learning for school or for life?

What standards of success are you setting for yourself? Be careful not to end up setting him up to fail in life. Bring it into the real world so you can CHOOSE a real world relevant COMPETITION to acquire that ensures you are not “kicked” by those who are better “educated in the real world”. I say this from painful personal experience.

A practical approach to life is crucial for survival, especially in the face of rapid and unexpected changes in today’s world. I believe that all parents should emphasize for their children the need to be able to LEARN quickly and adapt to create and innovate so that they can be successful despite the challenges of society. Help your child and yourself BETTER prepare for success in the real world by making sure ALL of their learning is not just for school, but for LIFE as well.