The Ignorance of Failure

Success is a non-existent and unattainable measurement of experience without the alternative consequence of failure. Every choice an individual acts upon has two opportunities, the triumphant outcome he or she desires or less sought after conclusion of defeat. Reflecting upon my introduction into the public school system in 1995, to my current sophomore year at Arizona State University, I recognize a worrisome conclusion that public education in the United States of America has raised a generation of un-acknowledging failures.

The K-12 education system in the United States has transformed from delivering an actual education, to being a government mandated baby-sitting service. No longer is the average student sophisticated enough to properly function in society once he or she graduates from high school- if the student graduates at all. According to a report by the Alliance for Excellent Education, as of February 2009, 1.2 million American students annually drop out of high school. But why wouldn’t they? These students are raised in a society that propagandizes the perception that failure doesn’t exist. Throughout their grade school career students are encouraged to be creative and expressive individuals. Mathematical command and the basics of comprehensive writing and reading appear to barely qualify as educational endeavors; in consequence, schools inadvertently deprive students of societal success and prepare only a future of failure.

In the YouTube video featuring Mr. Michael Goodwin, “Goodwin on the Freedom to Fail,” the speaker raises several vitally important points discussing the real threat for American students, who he claim lack freedom to fail. While I feel Mr. Goodwin’s argument has multiple valid topics, his presumption that students lack the freedom to fail is erroneous. The prevalence of failure and success in a person’s daily routine is astounding; everyone fails, it’s an unavoidable consequence of choice and the American education system is simply manipulating students into ignorant fools by sheltering them from this reality.

Throughout my experience in the United States’ K-12 public education system instructors  attempted to weave an idyllic utopia in which everyone, regardless of effort put forth, is successful; alas, once one leaves the protective womb of high school this fantasy quickly diminishes. When students discover the failure they are already taking part of daily is an all too real event, societies’ “system” has already beaten them. The American public school system needs to be reformed, otherwise the poorly educated citizens of the country will crumble into oblivion.