The modern schooling system in the world does not encompass learning, they teach knowledge but not wisdom. Here are four ways how school teach us to fail in the practical life.

I’ve never let my school interfere with my education.
-Mark Twain

Schools teach knowledge, but life requires wisdom

“Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.” — Sandara Carey

That is so correct, isn’t it?. The curriculum is curated to teach the knowledge but our schools do not teach us how to think out of box, to cope with tough realities of life, survival in the world or how to do business and save money. Instead of learning the art of life skills, the kids are emphasised and taught to memorize what they have learned. Life skills are very important, we have seen so many success story dropping out of college or poor in studies but just because they had greater life skills, they succeeded in life.

School is an unsuitable learning environment for many jobs

Many say school is not a place to teach life skills or a way to do business, school gives you knowledge that prepares you for a job. The question is, why are so many graduated still un-employed out there after schooling?. There are many careers school does not prepare students for.

Warning: these stats are disturbing…

• In 2011, 1.5 million, or 53.6% of college grads under age 25 were out of work or underemployed.
• And for those that do have jobs? 48% of employed U.S. college grads are in jobs that require less than a four-year degree.
• 30% of college graduates don’t feel college prepared them for the world of work.
• Six times as many graduates are working in retail or hospitality as had originally planned.

College/Universities claim to be the safe, sure way for getting jobs (sorry, it’s not)

Everyone must learn at some point that nobody cares much about their “potential.”

I would like to give just one example here, Freelancing is a new way of doing business and online freelancers are earning more than what their parents used to with full time jobs. No academia teaches students how to be a successful freelancer and puts emphasis on learning a skill to become a successful freelance fighter in this cut throat competition.

Millions of students graduate every semester, only few get jobs, Why?

Education system should focus on teaching skills, skills is what sails a student through in the storm of a practical life.

Grades distort our perception of reality

You can get straight A’s in school but that does not guarantee getting A’s in life. Let’s look at some failures here. Colonel Sanders had 1,009 rejections before cracking a recipe for first KFC chicken, Jack Ma was rejected at KFC for a job and refused an admission in Harvard, Bill Gates was a college dropout, Steve jobs was forced to leave APPLE a company he founded. There are so many success stories that teach us, life is about learning skills, preparing yourself for the worst and hang in there int he worst of circumstances, schools just do not teach such life skills.

The problem is schools work in a uni direction. They focus on knowledge not the wisdom and learning. Life skills are very important and unless schools come up with innovation in their curriculum and prepare students for a hostile survival in a proactive life, they are failing.

Life skills is the ‘Key’

The article originally appeared on Medium