How to Improve Our Educational System in the 21st Century

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Education has become more important today than it has ever been. In the modern age, if you don’t know about one thing, you lose access to an untold amount of opportunities. However, despite the huge significance of education in the present age, many students still fail to succeed 

There’s a dire need to revise and revive the education system. Our goal should be to address the needs of students in every way possible. This means not only optimizing their ability and interest in seeking education, but also in removing all hurdles, to ensure success. It should also include lifelong learning, and teaching students to learn in every situation...expanding the idea of school.

How to Improve Our Educational System in the 21st Century

Typical Hurdles Students Face in a Classroom Setting

It is important that challenges are identified and targeted. A vast majority of students commonly experience the challenges shown in the list below. They may exist at varying levels in different grades and schools, but they almost certainly exist for most students. The challenges include:

• Bullying
• Sleep deprivation
• Boring and repetitive format of instruction

Many students are coping with bullying at school. Other students form groups to target and tease them. Victims are worried all the time about the bullies, and don’t know how to effectively deal with them. This has occurred for most students in education.

Another potential hurdle for students is sleep. Since schools start in the early morning, students may have gotten up just half an hour or an hour ago before their first class at school, and may have gotten to sleep very late, because of the homework load or the necessity of having a job. They feel lethargic in class, and cannot concentrate on what the instructor is teaching. Many students are so exhausted that they fall asleep in class, or while doing homework. 

How to Improve Our Educational System in the 21st Century

And of course, students typically complain about the boring instructional format of most classes. Even when educators try to include multimedia, and plenty of time for movement and discussion, in the quickly moving age of the internet, it isn’t enough. Students often use an essay writing service for ideas, because they’ve not learned enough in schools. Students need to be given a system of education that’s oriented around technology and is based on a diverse range of activities. 

How to Improve Our Educational System in the 21st Century

How to Eradicate These Problems in Education

It’s a sad reality that students still experience bullying at school and that they are exhausted by the workload. Likewise, while technology has substantially advanced over the past 5 decades, most of the methods of instruction have remained the same and not kept pace with technology. The following strategies can help target these problems.

School Disciplinary Committees Need to Step Up

To target the first problem, the school’s disciplinary committee’s role is crucial. Many schools have a disciplinary committee, but it doesn’t operate optimally. The reason is that its function is traditionally limited to solving common repetitive problems.

Disciplinary committees should step up and target the real issues that impede children’s performance in school. Teachers should encourage students to file a complaint with the disciplinary committee if someone is being targeted or being bullied. Timely resolution of such matters is fundamental to optimized interest and attention of students in studies. Furthermore, watch should be set so that bullying doesn’t continue in more insidious ways, which is often the case after a student notifies the school.

How to Improve Our Educational System in the 21st Century

More Exercise, More Activity, and More Agility

Along with later school start times, exercise can help solve the second problem. Before classes start for the day, there should be either a separate period for exercise or a certain duration fixed for movement. Children who’ve gotten up from sleep half to one hour prior need to energize their minds and bodies with optimal blood circulation and movement. 

An even better approach is to divide the exercise duration into two halves and introduce one at the start of the day before any lesson, and the other in the middle of periods. The more opportunities students get to move, the better. They concentrate upon studies better when they are fully agile and active rather than when they are worn down.

How to Improve Our Educational System in the 21st Century

Integration of Latest Technologies into Instructional Format

Last but not least, the instruction format needs to be revised. Students are used to working with their smartphones and laptops, so academicians should try to incorporate these gadgets in the curriculum to the maximum extent possible. This also means teaching students skills that are actually in demand in the industry, such as software skills. 

Get students involved! Ask them to create projects that include multimedia, group learning, and research. It’s more work for the teacher, but the learning is exponentially increased.

What do you, as educators, suggest for an educational system overhaul?

 

 

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