Brent+O’s+OpEd+Article

by Brent O.**
 * Education: The “Beast of Burden”, or the “Temple of Thought”?

Throughout the course of my high school career, I have encountered this question time and time again. Is the purpose of school to receive an education? Or is it just a check on a list of items needed for a career? Is school just a time period to throw away once through?

School is designed and defined by the education you receive. Obviously, it is not quite this simple, there are teachers and classes that may not have the best approach on learning but, in any class, knowledge is supplemented and gained, some more than others. From my extensive course work at Ventura College, I’ve witnessed many interesting tid-bits. The classes in which seem the most “extraneous” in reaching one’s General Ed. Requirements, were the courses in which I received the most insightfulness from.

From History: Western Civilization (B.C.E.-Renaissance), I began to twist my learning of history around and apply it to outside knowledge. Something humorous he said that stayed with me, was, “Why don’t doctors receive degrees in the Philosophy of Medicine? It seems, the entire picture is needed to receive a ‘Proper!’ education in the Medical Field. If not, these doctors will always ‘practice’ medicine. And, I don’t know about you, but, I’m going to wait for the doctor to actually ‘know’ the material in which he’s treating and is no longer ‘practicing’ but ‘doing’. ” This may seem utterly random but, from this I interpreted it as; even doctor, one of the most prestigious position available, does not know everything. Even they learn new things everyday and “receive an education” outside of a learning institution. Education is not just something you can throw out once high school and college times are over.

From my English Literature class, I learned to not take things at face value, to analyze, look at things “from a different lense”, and not be judgmental of others’ opinions to the point where it hinders your own point. With this trait, I acknowledged the importance of school, much less superficial than many tend to see it today. For me, it isn’t about the grades, the stress, or the effort, but the reward of knowledge received from all that effort. The experience to learn, behold, change, this is one not many come to actually respect. This is the one true wonder of education, one we need to break out of our shell to understand, one where a “different lense” might be deemed necessary because the one we now behold is too tarnished to see through.

Lastly, from my AP History class with Mr. Geib, my mentality truly transfigured.From writing the weekly blog, to attempting to condense and comprehend years of history, my outward gaze is much more widened than it has ever been before. I now notice the harsh complexities of life, the saddening irony within a country such as our own, as well as the beauty in seeing the elegance of education as well as its results in action. In a society so heartily changing, emphasis should be placed much higher on utilizing ones education in critical thinking rather than throwing loose our thought for a high-paying career.

The result is much less important as the journey. The journey education has on ones life is phenomenal. The ability to learn and comprehend daily, just astounding. Next time you go outside, think about the elegance of our world, the beauty to think, see, understand. And do so. Ask questions which will only be answered by other questions until complete comprehension is reached in which, everything falls into place. The amazement of a society so rich as ours is, there is no mental boundary we cannot reach. So change lenses and experience life in different viewpoints and learn every step of the way. Learn of the complexities in life, the harsh truths, the false tales, the depressing lows, and the awe-striking highs. Learning is much more than just a check-listed point, much, much, more.media type="file" key="brento-muckraker-0910.mp3"