The Problem With Today's Education

 

Are We Learning or Just Memorizing?

We spend years in school, sitting through lectures, taking notes, and cramming for tests. But when the exams are over, how much do we actually remember? More importantly, how much of it do we understand?

It feels like education isn’t about learning anymore—it’s about memorisation. About how well you can absorb facts, regurgitate them on an exam, and then immediately forget them. We’re trained to focus on results, not knowledge. And the worst part? No one seems to care, as long as the grades look good.

The System Prioritizes Scores Over Understanding

Think about it: when was the last time you learned something in school just because you were genuinely interested? Most of the time, we don’t get that choice. We study for the grade, not because we care about the subject. This system has taught us to chase numbers instead of pursuing true knowledge. 

We’re given pages of formulas to memorize, historical dates to remember, and essays to write under strict time limits. But does any of it actually teach us how to think critically or actually engage with what we're supposedly 'learning'? Or are we just conditioned to be good test-takers?

Standardized tests and rigid curriculums don’t leave room for imagination and inquisitiveness. They don’t encourage students to question, analyze, or connect ideas. Instead, they reward those who can cram the fastest and follow the system the best. And if you struggle with remembering like a robot? Well, too bad. The system wasn’t built for you.

The Anxiety of Forgetting

There’s a reason so many students feel anxious about school. When your entire worth is measured by a number on a report card, failure feels like a disaster. And because we’re so focused on getting good grades, we do whatever it takes—burning ourselves out, sacrificing sleep, memorizing without really understanding. 

But the truth is, memorization without understanding doesn’t last. It’s why we forget most of what we learn within weeks of an exam. If the purpose of education is to prepare us for the future, then why does it feel like we’re just playing a game of short-term recall?

When Learning Becomes a Chore, Not a Passion

Education is supposed to inspire curiosity and creativity, but when the focus is solely on grades, learning starts to feel like a task that you just have to get over with. Students who once loved reading, science, or history begin to lose that spark because they’re too busy worrying about deadlines and test scores. Instead of diving deeper into subjects that interest them, they stick to what will be on the exam. 

Over time, this kills the natural curiosity that makes real learning exciting. The repetition of disinteresting topics and having to power through memorising them makes students lose all their interest in a subject. It's not fun to learn when it's not about learning at all but about throwing up facts on the exam sheet. Scholars and thinkers aren’t created through rote memorization—they’re shaped by exploration, creativity, and the freedom to ask questions without the fear of being wrong.

What If Learning Was Actually About Learning?

Imagine a system where we students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and truly engage with what we’re learning. Where making mistakes isn’t punished but seen as part of the process. Where education isn’t about ranking students against each other, but about helping everyone grow.

The way things are now, school teaches us how to follow instructions, not how to think. But the real world doesn’t work like that. It requires creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving—the very things that memorization-based education ignores.

We deserve better. We deserve an education that values learning over grades, curiosity over conformity, and understanding over memorization. Because if school is supposed to prepare us for life, it's time it actually teaches us how to think.