Stuck in Prussia: Education system and the future
The education system has been stuck for over 200 years and has to now change
It has to happen, after being frozen for the past 200 years, the education system just has to change. Massive leaps have been taken in society since the education system as we know it was created. Think about it for a second, it was created before the radio and the tv and the personal computer and the internet even before DNA, it’s unbelievable isn't it?! We are now entering the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and it is clear that there’s no turning back from here. There’s a lot of excitement about the power of AI and its ability to supercharge education. I can't help but wonder, is this just another story like the Internet, that was supposed to change the education system? Will we continue to use another newfound power in an old education system? Are we even asking ourselves these fundamental questions, or are we just obsessed with technology? How long will the outdated system exist in a new world?
What does it take for an educational revolution?
Lately, I’ve been asking myself what it will take for an education system revolution. My guess would be a United Nations(UN) meeting where countries sit around the table and discuss the education system, and the needs for the future, then “boom ”, we’ve got a new education system. Well, clearly it's not that simple, but the irony is in the 1900s in America a Committee of 10 people including the founder of Harvard sat down and standardised education in the public schooling system in the US. Even though they didn’t create it, it makes me think, how many people in this generation, truly understand how it came to be? The current education system is so ingrained in our society that it is almost like air/gravity, except we don’t need it. Are so far disconnected from the times when the rules of society were written that we just accept the way things are. Will this generation ever write new rules for society?
History of the Prussia model education system and reasons why it was created
“If you want to influence a person, you must do more than merely talk to him; you must fashion him, and fashion him in such a way that he simply cannot will otherwise than what you wish him to will.”
Johann Gottlieb Fichte,(key figure in the development of the Prussian model of education)
So, let’s actually look at how the education system came to be and why it was created in this way. Have you ever wondered who created the education system? or why it was created? why the school day is as long as it is, or why there are 12 years of compulsory education? or when and why school become compulsory, who created these age-based cohorts?
It all starts in Prussia in the 1800s, this is where the classroom model gets invented. By 1810 public school becomes compulsory and supported by tax, this is following military defeats during the Napoleonic wars. Following these defeats the state decides they need a disciplined population to serve in its Military. The Prussian model is seen as the answer, a centralized schooling system that would create a national uniformity, obedient soldiers, workers, civil servants, and clerks for the industry that would not dare question authority. You see, the classroom model was not only a pedagogical tool but also a political one, and was perfect for indoctrination.
In the 1840s, the Prussian model is introduced in the United States, and by 1870, thirty-seven states had public schools. Education was not yet standardised, and this is when the National Education Association (” Committee of 10”) Standardised the education system in the US, also deciding that schooling should start at age 6 and end at age 18 and that English, math, and reading will be covered every year, whilst physics and chemistry would be introduced close to the commencement of high school.
By the Late 19th century the Prussian model spread globally and becomes ever more favored in many European countries and they decide to many adopt aspects of this model. The emphasis on discipline and standardised curricula is very well appreciated by nations aiming for economic growth and social cohesion.
The system was built on the idea of isolation and fragmentation of first-hand information hence we have subjects, the notion of class was put in place so that self-motivation could be muted when the bell rings it's on to the next class. The system was not created for free thinking or curiosity but for order and regimentation, perfect for those in the army, the factory, and for those in a cubicle. The system tended to stifle independent thought which was not the priority at the time.
If the system was created for military preparedness, social order, standardization, and bureaucratic control. I wonder what we are trying to achieve for this and the next generation.
How technology moved the needle, but only outside the system
“ If you want to stop a fire you can't do it from inside the house, you need to do it from outside.”
Unknown
A lot has changed in society since those times, well mostly outside the education system and I don’t want to paint the wrong picture, I know there have been modifications within the system, but only that.
The rise of the Internet seemed like it would be the catalyst for a change a much-needed change in the education system. E-learning brought learning and teaching beyond the four walls of a school. From learning management systems to Massive Open Online Courses which increased the accessibility of education. Ed-tech also created many tools for teachers, schools, and learners, but the fundamentals of the old system have remained the same besides these tools.
We now have advancements in AI that mean there is once again a potential to change education forever. A lot more people now have access to the internet and many learners are using AI tools, while schools are working very hard to police these tools and while they’re policing it learners are getting smarter at using them strategically. But you can’t police forever, sooner or later there will be no choice but to start making changes right. I’m not so sure, there are aspects that are very important to consider when looking at change.
Change is not that easy
The COVID-19 pandemic gave us the chance to take a step back and rethink a lot of things. For the first time, learners were away from school, and there was no choice, but to teach and learn from a distance. Teachers had to rethink many things, like how they keep learners engaged, and how they teach and develop them during this time, some learners did not even have computers. Parents’ roles during that time also changed when they themselves weren't bound to the cubicle, they had to play a more active role in helping their children with homework because that's what the environment required. I’m sure there are many unwritten challenges that teachers faced and many creative solutions that some came up with. When their roles had changed they had to rethink everything. I somehow have a feeling that they have some answers.
When we were forced to change by the environment we changed and started adapting and coming up with new solutions to fit that reality. But as soon as things went back to normal, we went back to normal. It is said for Humans to change there has to be a huge uncomfortable reality but it seems the pandemic was not enough but there’s a lesson. The keyword here is we were forced to stay at home, is this the only way we will change?
“To ask the right question is already half the solution of a problem.”
C.G Jung
It seems evident that technology alone won’t fully free us from Prussia, and it seems It was ambitious of me to think a UN meeting or government will convene and write the new story for education. Well, the reality is the rate at which technology is moving government does not really understand what is going on, if you don’t know what I mean just go watch Big tech CEOs’ testimonies before the US Congress.
I asked my younger sister, what do you know about AI, and what immediate actions are you taking to prepare yourself for this future she said “Nothing immediate, I’m just having discussions with friends about how AI will take our jobs”. I asked her what would have to happen for her to start taking action she said “I would have to be hungry and homeless”. What does this have to do with anything? there is a signal there of how humans change.
I asked a teacher friend of mine what you think about what is being taught at school she said she has a huge concern that what is being taught is relevant for the environment”. And she told me she has gotten into trouble before for going off of the prescribed syllabus. There’s also a signal here
The history of how the education system was created highlighted that there was a clear need, and pioneers & thought leaders started and the system slowly spread across the world. In today's world policy is a way to change things, but who really knows about policy right? people need to understand this and also have an awareness of what it takes to change.
My hope is that the mass awareness that the system needs a change combined with the technological advancements of AI will cause a disruption big enough to leave us no choice. I also hope that we don’t wait for a complete collapse before we act, as that seems like is the best environment to get us humans to change our ways
I don’t need to conclude an unfinished story but I'll leave this article with questions I think we need to start asking ourselves.
How do we need to teach our children taking into account their strengths, weaknesses, passions, and way of learning? What do we need to learn for the future? What can i as an individual do to contribute?
As for the revolution big changes were made after a military defeat in Prussia, I still wonder what is the military defeat for our generation that will move us forward ?
References
Beuermann, Diether W., Julian Cristia, Santiago Cueto, Ofer Malamud, and Yyannu Cruz-Aguayo. 2015. "One Laptop per Child at Home: Short-Term Impacts from a Randomized Experiment in Peru." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 7 (2): 53-80.
Englund, C., Olofsson, A. and Price, L.L. (2017) “Teaching with technology in higher education: understanding conceptual change and development in practice,” Higher Education Research and Development, 36(1), pp. 73–87. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1171300.
Gatto, J. T. (2001). The Underground History of American Education. Oxford Village Press.
Khan, S. (2013) The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined. Twelve.
Vegas, E. (2022) “Education technology post-COVID-19: A missed opportunity?,” Brookings, 11 March. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2022/03/11/education-technology-post-covid-19-a-missed-opportunity/.
https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/ChatGPT-and-education
https://truthout.org/articles/john-taylor-gatto-challenged-the-ideas-inherent-in-us-mass-schooling/