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Nature Is An Open Classroom

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Rousseuau presents an interesting perspective on self-education in Emile: or A Treatise on Education. In this text, he uses Emile as an example of how a child should be brought up. He says “they retain sounds, form, sensation, but rarely ideas, and still more rarely relations.” (Rousseau, 11). Rousseuau believes that childhood is a time of happiness and joy, it is a time when physical education is most important. It is during the teenage years that a child should start to begin “formal” education.

Rousseuau mentions that although education is important, it should be accomplished through self-education. “…if every man’s fortune were so firmly grasped that he could never lose it, then the established method of education would have certain advantages; the child brought up to his own calling would never leave it, he could never have to face the difficulties of any other condition. (Rousseau 2)” Formal education is good when there are no problems but when something arises, formal education fails.

Rousseuau’s major point is that childhood is a time of physical education while older years require a form of self-education through curiosity. Learning through ones own means is most effective and will help solve problems that arise.

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Education, not Institution.

In his book, Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar, James Marcus Bach stresses that the key to success is education, not school. He dismisses the teacher’s comment that his speech was “dangerous” by pointing out that she was correct, but it wasn’t dangerous for the students, it was dangerous for her. Bach’s key point was, “Education is important. School is not. I didn’t need school. Neither do you (1).” He believes in education that is self-determined, not institutionalized education. The importance of education is to learn through your own developed means, not for achieving desirable grades and obtaining a diploma. Bach mentions that what is learned through self-education is much more useful than “schoolism” that is practiced in educational institutions (5). Self-education enables youth to learn their own interests and open up multiple opportunities rather than narrow them down in “schoolism (5).” His success was accomplished through learning and developing his interests and not confine himself in an outdated curriculum.

In a speech given to high school students, Kanye West stresses that hard work is what made him successful. Similar to Bach, West is also a successful dropout. What makes West different than Bach, is his view on education. He mentions that although one can become successful as a dropout, it’s “a hard world, a real world, and you want every advantage you can have (1).” In an extremely competitive environment, a college education will help you master obstacles. But West does encourage schools to change the curriculum and add more courses that students would show an interest in. He recalls how he went to school “for gym, for lunch, for art (1),” and since kids show a passion in the music industry, there should be curriculum focused on music. Both dropouts, both successful, Bach and West suggest that education is something that should be interesting and not forced upon.