“Harvard is now officially a school for stupid, rich people. Successful businessman Balaji Srinivasan said this recently. It took me by surprise. The comment came after Harvard University announced that in 2026 no SAT or ACT requirements are needed. Whether or not you believe in higher education or traditional schools is irrelevant. The point is that education is transforming out of necessity. Another issue is that teachers get paid poorly. Their role in society isn’t valued highly enough. That’s why many of them are going online to find other ways to teach and get paid to do it. My US friend on Twitter left his job at a public school to teach online. He now makes more than $20,000 a month teaching online courses. An education transformation is inevitable.”
Educate: 1) give intellectual, moral, and social instruction to (someone, especially a child), typically at a school or university. 2) provide or pay for instruction for (one's child), especially at a school. 3) give (someone) training in or information on a particular field.(Google)
What has always bothered me about these definitions is that they are limited to information, not instruction. As long as I can remember I was taught to ‘think for myself’ and school was a ‘library with a mentor.’ Once I got to college, this approach became paramount.
I once worked in a smelter. I had two co-workers, one right out of high school and one out of college. The former was great at following instructions, the latter was too focused on trying to ‘improve the operation.’ And both taught me the importance of ‘thinking for myself.’
It is so sad that education and career are too married to money as success. I never got rich working in IT, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I had met so many miserable VPs and CEOs who made 10 or more times more money who hated their jobs that I would never trade places with them. I once met an air-conditioner technician who loved to brag about his job, and who couldn’t wait to come to work each day.
And with the Great Resignation in full swing, finding something that you love may far outweigh what income you may stand to lose – but so what!
