Teenage Insight
The Initiative receives many fascinating emails, but few are as thought-provoking as the one from a seventeen-year-old English girl who had been at a discussion about Overschooled but Undereducated at the Mahindra United World College in India. She wrote:
“The discussion turned out to be more informative about what education was like in each person’s country, which is understandable. As there is high competition to enter our school, the students that are selected are from very strong academic backgrounds. Hence the vast majority have never struggled in school. Except perhaps a few of us. I happen to be part of that minority. Anyway the discussion was quite biased as to how important are good education systems, and how there is no problem. I was upset hearing form so many people again and again how they had no problems with the system, and I feel so strongly that there is so many issues!
When I was in year 2 I remember wishing I could start again because I was so behind already and didn’t understand anything and thought it was because I was lazy. Then in middle school I had to attend special needs classes, without anyone explaining to me I was dyslexic. All I knew was that there was a bunch of us who weren’t as smart as everyone else. This made me feel really stupid. Anyway, perhaps you are not interested in my life story but I just wanted to give you an idea why I feel so passionate about this!
After the discussion, I was ready to read the book. I read continuously, and within two days I had finished the book – a world record for me as I hardly ever read because of my dyslexia (I really appreciate that it is written in simple English!). There was something so reassuring, so warm and comforting about your book. I really connected as I was going through an intensely stressful period; school is not everything and isn’t necessarily doing good. Which is quite ironic because at UWC we are ‘taught to think as individuals and not told what to think’ so each person reflects on what they believe is important to them, e.g. starvation, global warming, politics etc. and then we discuss them, or simply just stick up for what we believe in. I found myself really believing that the education system was wrong, which made it harder and harder to sit still in class.
But I hadn’t a choice, I had to, or else I will be in trouble. I did not really have much knowledge about the education system, and didn’t really know why I hated it so much, but knew it was much deeper than simply not liking my subjects or teachers. I turned to art and submerged myself beneath it, forgetting about where I was. It has helped a lot in getting through day to day life. This school being very isolated on a hill in India and without any family, just friends and teachers, makes it very easy for one to forget important values in life. School and academics is given an enormous amount of importance, too much in my opinion. It’s so easy to lose yourself here and think that the most important thing is getting top grades. Which is ridiculous. I especially suffered as I am not academic at all. So when I come across articles or books like yours it is so reassuring. So great to know that I am not mad and it is not just me in this world who feels overwhelmed by school.”
When I wrote back to gain her permission to quote this in my blog she replied, “Yes… it would also be great to speak to others who are going through, or have gone through, the same thing as me. Then I still really don’t know what I want to do with my life, what I want to study and become. I have been accepted in an Art School in London for a foundation course. However, as much as I am passionate about art I am so drawn to education that I would love to be part of a movement to change education but I don’t even know where to start, how or what I want to contribute.”
Anyone who would like to contact Anna should let me know and I would forward their address to her in Mumbai.