The world of education today depends almost entirely on its institutionalism, because this is the primary characteristic required to function in the modern world. This institutionalism, to which every nation has subjected its citizens through legality, has resulted in the obligation to define, crystallize, and increasingly enclose each of its educational programs in a system that precisely maintains its legalization and governmental acceptance, rather than adapting to the human nature of the student to better fulfill its educational mission. If it fails to do this, it simply cannot exist.

From the moment this happens, education begins to suffer the most damaging and devastating blow it could receive, from which it may not easily recover. In the case of current educational systems, up to the present day, we do not see that they have been able to achieve this. This mortal blow is killing education at such a rate that most people view education and schools in general merely as a means to achieve authorization in the form of a paper diploma, enabling them to pursue a specific career goal predetermined and conditioned by interests; far from preparing them, they misinform and distort the education of the learner.

In most cases, students simply set the goal of completing all the subjects offered in the curriculum, with the sole aim of achieving the coveted diploma, but without putting in the effort required for the learning they truly need, whether to teach others or to properly practice a specific profession. Therefore, it could be said, without fear of error, that nowadays many graduates of any type of courses or schools do so without being truly ready to apply what they have learned. This results in them entering the job market with no idea of what they should do, when after several years of learning they should not only know their functions but also begin to contribute to their respective fields.

What is happening in our institutions that they are unable to achieve their objectives effectively? Why does the student have to receive so much “general” content that in most cases will be of no use and simply leads them through a long process only to never need it again? Where does current education go wrong?

The answers to these questions lie in the system’s inability to provide an environment of discovery for each student that adapts to their individual characteristics. Unfortunately, this reality is not only seen in secular universities and institutions but also in seminaries and theological institutes. This is why students focus from the outset on their main goal: “graduation.” However, the priority of every student should always be research or the discovery of any content that enriches and intellectually matures them with respect to their potentials.

From the moment content is confined to a specific program format and teaching method without considering the variety of wills and characteristics in each student, the result will be catastrophic because each person learns in different ways depending on the Creator’s characteristics placed within them. If we truly want to improve the education system through any institution, we must begin to understand that learning depends on each person’s abilities and capacities.

Not all students have the same questions about a particular content, nor the same conclusions, nor the same interests. So if they are not given the opportunity to explore each of their concerns and curiosities, they will simply receive information they do not feel is necessary, making it impossible for them to process or analyze it according to their ways of reasoning. Thus, all content ends up being useless to them. Having a rigid program is like throwing a stone at dozens of bottles spaced far apart, aiming to break them all with a single throw. That will never be possible.

The most efficient way to educate is to provide the opportunity for each individual to explore and investigate the questions that a particular topic provokes in them. When students can discover each process according to their analytical methods, their brains will create the necessary networks for that content or subject to be properly fixed according to their individual characteristics. For this, the teacher or tutor must be willing to provide all the time and patience necessary to respond wisely, stimulating the investigation and discovery of all the content under discussion, which in turn leads the student to become much more interested in themselves, trying to lead them to a point where they feel satisfied.

Education should focus on better results by providing information that nourishes the interest of each student, so that they feel the will and curiosity to investigate and discover all possible information regarding their abilities either by age or access to information. When a student can discover the answers to all their questions, and along with those answers receive other questions, the constant search and discovery of new content will achieve a chain of learning that not only strengthens and creates an efficient foundation in the individual but also provides satisfaction and enjoyment.

Therefore, when a person enjoys this process, they will be able to learn any topic and accumulate an unimaginable amount of information that will allow them not only to satisfy their needs but also to help others around them.

Author: William Salazar