“Learning cannot be simply equated to a mark, grad, degree or job. It is a life-long process.” Getting a good education and qualification is just a key to enter society, and it does not ensure success in one’s life. To be successful, one must experience the real world outside the boundaries of a school environment, as one’s schooling day are just a small chapter in one’s life. I believe that one can learn more in the real world and society, than in the comforts of a school.

However, it is essential that everyone in the world attends at least a few years of formal education in schools. Being literate is important to both the individual and society ----- as it ensures that the individual is well prepared to face challenges in their future, particularly in their careers. Education for its citizens also makes industrialisation and growth possible for a country. In schools, teachers help to impact knowledge and skills to students, ensuring that they have foundation in languages, and basic skills in mathematics and science. Teachers also emphasize life values, like honesty and respect, which are valued to be important for one to be successful in the future.

Moreover, people will only learn the realities of life when they join the workforce in society. This is because schools are sheltered environments, as students are repeatedly given a second chance when they commit an offence like theft in school. Furthermore, students are given opportunities in schools to experiment in various examinations and projects. However, this is not the case in a real working environment; most employers do not give their employees a second chance when they commit a minor error in their work. In schools, people are taught life values, whilst in a working environment, people have to practice these values in their daily lives in order to survive in the world today.

The world outside the school environment is much bigger and more diverse than the school environment. Reading history books and travel guides on various countries worldwide is insufficient to learn more about different cultures and religions. One will certainly learn more about the history and cultures of different people around the world if he is given an opportunity to travel and experience life in another country and culture. Furthermore, he could even learn to appreciate and respect others’ lifestyles, and hopefully, also learn to respect and feel proud of his own culture and history. He can also be motivated to gain more knowledge and be more proactive when he sees a more developed city than his own, and learn to help the less fortunate and not to take things for granted when he visits a country suffering from poverty.

People can gain more valuable lessons from challenges in the unpredictable world. In a classroom scenario, tasks and events are usually based on routine and hence are more predictable. Students are hence spared from changes, particularly from world events and problems faced by many working adults. Students can readily read about such problems from various mass media like newspapers and the Internet. However, most students do not understand the extent of such problems faced by their parents or around the world, even though they are well aware of it. This is because they have not experience these problems in their lives. One example is the worrying trend in the world that many youths today are spending money excessively. These youths will only learn to appreciate the efforts of their parents more when they start their careers and realise the hardships of work and society.

Learning is a life-long process, and things learnt in schools are just a small part of what we learn in our entire lives. For one to be successful and be able to survive in the harsh world today, one has to be proactive to learn new skills and gain new knowledge through experiences in every single day we lead. Knowledge and skills learnt in schools usually get outdated within a few years, due to the nature of today’s world ----- which is fast-paced, competitive and ever-changing. By continuing to learn throughout one’s life, he will be more matured, independent and more confident in handling future changes and challenges.

Schools are the places where people begin their learning journeys and these journeys will only end at the last day of our lives. Schools are just a microcosm of the real world, as the real world is bigger and more diverse.

11st September 04'

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