How important is education to you?

Mine is about R 80 000 at this stage. But I like learning.

I think for myself and if I have kids one day, education is important. If you graduate from high school, college or university, nobody can take that achievement off you, the degree or certificate is with you for forever…..Education do take you further in life, for example, higher positions in the company organisation ladder. bigger paid jobs…Knowledgable when it comes to stuff you need to read etc….Education leads to better career paths….So, I think education is important to me.

Learning from others is good but school education is just a way of maken money for the state if u are not in school your school and state lose money that is why public education is waste of time 85% of what I learn in school I will never use in life.

Here some examples I will never use history in life most the math I learn I will not use the only math I will use is simple math and who in the uses equations like 34x+10=5x-20 I doubt I’ll use that in any part of my life. I will not use government in life or English I speak English I write good and I spell good I’m not gonna write books or poems in my life.

But you are still learning. Isn’t that enough?

Oh and equations like that gets used everyday. I study accounting and in practice to solve certain expenses and income items we have to set up equations (works like that in a lot of the business world). Also English helps you to write properly , which is necessary when you apply for a job or write an e-mail to your boss or clients or want to interpret law if you are in business etc.

it doesnt matter if you dont want to be a writer, at some point in your life you will need writing skills. Its an important part of communication and it takes more than just being able to “spell good.” Classes like english and history are really good for that. As for the the maths thing, you would be suprised how useful those equations are. This is from someone who thought the same thing and despised calculus

Yea but I’m not gona need that stuff to be a lawyer or doctor I’m not gonna need equations to do a sugery or to get some shife a n* out of prison.

Yes, some subjects we learnt at school are not units we actually need unless we decide to enter that particular field. Having said that, school (education) is the basis in which we all have to start off from point A… If we were not taught history, geography, drama, English literature, maths etc, do you think students will pick up a book and study these later on in their adult lives? Educations opens people’s mind to want to learn and knowledge is a powerful tool to have.

Ur right we wouldent pick up a book later in life to learn this but the we should not have to go all the way to 12th grade were only gonna use up to at least 9th or 10th grade education in our life I’m in 12th now and I’ve realized a lot of time spent laerning things are things i’m not gonna use.

Oh my, you really have absolutely no idea how higher education works. To become a lawyer your english skills have to be top notch. You will be writing more than anything. They probably write more than authors or poets do. And equations are very important while calculating rates, and chemical formulas, which doctors need to be able to do because they work with medication. The most valuable classes I have ever had are my english and math classes. And I want to be a psychologist. Things dont have obvious connections all the time. But believe me, if you ever want to get anywhere in a world of education, those core classes are essential.

Ah, that is true, but at 17, you don’t really know what you want do in, that is career wise. I finished year 12, thinking I wanted to become a Personal Assistant or a secretary and thought maths, science, geography all waste of time but how wrong was I. Now I’m 20, I finally know what I wanted to do, work in Accounts or Procument and wished I pulled my head in and study hard at school and got straight into university at the end of year 12 and would have graduated at 22 with a Bachelor of Business but now have to enter teritary education as a mature age student later on.

I love to learn. I think I’d stay in school for the rest of my life if it was free (and I had no interest in actually having a life). I dont think everyone is cut out for it though. I’ve pretty much learned that not everyone has the same IQ. It isnt a matter of laziness or unwillingness to work, some people are just not going to get it. Their abstract thinking skills are limited, their insight is limited, and they are very narrow in what they care to learn, because it is that hard for them. I think people should all have access to a certain level of good education. But i dont think everyone’s cut out for higher education.

ummm maths is hugely important for being a doctor. To study medicine, you need to study physics, chemistry and biology, which all require maths. You will also find maths helpful for law. My boyfriend has a law degree and my flatmate is in her final year of hers - they both use maths.

Well I want to be a dojia (marijuana) lawyer to help ppl who smoke and Id be burning hydro up in my office roll a rilla the size of my middle finger and help to get it legalized.

Not hardcore math like they teach us.

The don’t teach your hardcore maths.The teach you basic maths. hardcore maths is what you do when you study engineering or actuarial sciences.

Everything. Education in life plays an important role and it is really important to have that,I am thankful to my parents for giving me education and I know it’s value.It not only allows you to have better career in future but also you have ability to stand in the world. People who don’t give any value to their education are doing their biggest mistake,they are not given any respect from other people around them and they end up doing nothing. It gives you life experience and many more things,so I agree,it’s very important for me.

So, do some people have a “dumb” gene? Or is it that some people are just given “smart” genes, and some are not?

I don’t believe in any of the dumb or smart genes. To me intelligence is for the most part a learned behaviour. There are countless people out there who is labelled stupid but make more of a success of their lives and end up with a higher education than people labelled smart. We are able to do what we believe that we can do, that is what defines us, not some IQ or EQ test or whatever category society expects us to fall into.

I absolutely love learning (both from people and books). Every month I make it a point to purchase a book off of Amazon to expand what I know. Sometimes I buy psychology books, other times self help ones. I have my next book already picked out. xD

I don’t think you can ever learn TOO much. Education is a gift you can pass on to others. My grandma passed a lot on to me before she passed on. I’ll always value what I know.

education is the most important thing in the world to me. without it, mankind would be nothing. no discoveries would be made, no new technology, no one would have any money, and most people would be living on the streets as prostitutes. my dad says the most important thing you can give someone is driving lessons. i disagree. the most important thing is education, because without it there would be no cars to learn to drive in the first place

i agree with you. This post was meant for TY. WOW! She is really closed minded.

I think education is very, very important. It’s so sad to see kids waste their opportunities by wagging school and not bothering with homework. They don’t realise how lucky they are.

I think people don’t learn because they don’t want to learn. Everybody can do what they believe they can do. Some of the most succesful entrepreneurs in the world never even completed school and I am willing to bet nothing is lacking in their education.

I second that Irene. Bill Gate is a perfect example, he struggled in high school and was a high school drop out, now look at him….Billionaire, he is an inspiration.

Very important. Without it, I know I’ll be stuck with a dead-end job living in an apartment barely making a living. I may get sick of doing all that work, but I know in the end, it’s all worth it cause it will land me where I want to be in life. Not working at a liquor store on money that won’t get me anywhere.

I am talking about intelligence. Whether we like to believe it or not, there are basic differences in the amount of intelligence we are born with and then later on develop as a result of experience. I’ve worked with a lot of people. I’ve seen low intelligence. I hate to think it, but it’s there. I mean it would be great if it were a level playing field and everyone was born smart, but it isnt. It’s like athletic ability or musical talent. People can work at it and try their entire lives to perfect certain things, and they may never get there. Intelligence is no different.

she has a point though. Some people just have a natural aptitude for academia and other do not. I know people who are incredibly motivated and hard-working and who really want to learn, but they struggle. Its not that they are dumb, their minds just work in different ways. People generally accept that men tend to be better at things like physics than women, so why does it make you closed-minded to think that some people have a genetic predisposition towards academia? Personality in many ways is genetic, so intelligence may be also. Its not the whole story - motivation and hardwork ofcourse play huge roles in how successful you are in your studies but there are definately some skills and ways of thinking you dont really learn, you just have or your dont. Hence why they test people going into med school on things like natural problem solving ability etc.

Formal education is important (say I am required to graduate from College and get a degree by my parents) but I’d say my life outside school is more important to me.

I dont think it is that cut and dry. But I do believe like you and TY have said, that we can all achieve according to the work we put into it. Music is a perfwct example. Some people are born almost prodical when it comes to music. They just get it. Others have to work very hard, but can achieve the same results in the end. So ya, i understand your view points. What Ty said was that some people are meant for college and some are not. That is BS.

I do think anyone can get a university degree if they want to. I do think you need something extra to get higher degrees though. Not necessarily intelligence (I certainly dont think I am the most intelligent person!), maybe just a different way of thinking. Afterall, research requires looking at things differently than undergraduate study. Totally agree about the music thing! I struggle with reading music, and if I dont constantly work at it, I forget it in about five seconds!

I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uhm… some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and uh… I believe that our… I… education like such as uh… South Africa… and uh… the Iraq… everywhere like such as. And I believe that they should… uhhh… our education over here in the US should help the US… uh… should help South Africa. It should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future… for us

Yes and no, we have different intelligence levels. But personally I believe its more equal then people think. I think it is often more a case of someone struggling a bit at first, then hating school and not really trying from then or developing a mental block against it.

Also its been shown that different people learn in different ways and school systems only teach us in one way. I think there are about 7 different ways in which people learn, therefore if all of us have one which is our favorite way. Therefore the other 5 or 6 out of 7 won’t do well in school because they are taught in a way that does not work for them and not because they are stupid.

Said this above as well, but it applies to this as well: We have different intelligence levels. But personally I believe its more equal then people think. I think it is often more a case of someone struggling a bit at first, then hating school and not really trying from then or developing a mental block against it. Also its been shown that different people learn in different ways and school systems only teach us in one way. I think there are about 7 different ways in which people learn, therefore if all of us have one which is our favorite way. Therefore the other 5 or 6 out of 7 won’t do well in school because they are taught in a way that does not work for them and not because they are stupid.

wow 80,000!?! which degree?

A book holds a house of gold - Chinese proverb.

R, not dollars. Accounting.

And again you are talking about school performance which is not the way I would choose to measure intelligence. There are people who may not do school well but who are still very intelligent. An education or lack thereof does not indicate intelligence.

Is your comment directed at me?

Anyway apply the logic of my comment to anything or any type of intelligence.

Think of it as brain-training. The better your brain, the more choices that will open to you - and the better you’ll be at whatever you choose. It’s hard work at first, but it gets easier and more rewarding all the time. Pick fun subjects and balance your leisure time so you can enjoy both.

btw I failed my school selection exam at 11 and was a late-developer because i was bullied a lot. I caught up in the final year of school but had to go to another school to top up my qualifications. The cities still did grants for degrees in those days, and my mother was a low wage admin so paid only a token amount. I had to work to pay for books and leisure stuff, but it was worth it. One of the bullies apologised recently - once they have kids of their own it’s a different story…

how much is that

Its actually like R100,000, its around $16,000

Doesn’t sound like that much in dollars. lol. But I suppose when you look at our country it is a lot.

The logic of your comment? You basically said that performance = intelligence. I dont agree. I dont see how applying that to anything else is helpful.

So what is intelligence then if it is not your ability to perform?

Yep, good thing we can fight.

Agree. You’ll notice that many cultures, particularly Indian and Pakistani, prioritise their kids education. They recognise it as the escape from hardship if they’re poor, or the continuance of wealthiness if they’re not - no use leaving an inheritance to kids that don’t know how to manage money. It’s no use saying ‘I’ll just be a rock star’ - how will you know if your agents and managers are ripping you off? ‘I’ll know’ is just hope; the music game is much harder to play than it looks, but it can take years to work that out - and then you’re looking back at wasted years in regret. Education helps keep you out of that trap.

Very important and I take the work seriously, I don’t slack off, like some students and like to strive for achivements I’ve planned.

It’s a theoretical construct about a person’s potential to perform. Which cannot always be measured by performance in school or even a test.

its alot! i am paying for mine about 17, 000..for the associate:( @irene what degree?

Well having the ability to perform without actually performing sounds kind of stupid to me, not intelligent

Education.. sometimes it annoys you by doing something else that has nothing to do with education. Like in elementary school, every week or day something stupid is happening that has nothing to do with education. School wastes a lot of time for education by replacing it with crappy trips and whatever. Sorry for my rant but I hate school just because they made me do all that bullshit for no reason. School wasted my time.

Hey Duppi, bad day? School can get pretty frustrating when it’s not clear what it’s all leading to. Internationally, Finland’s education system has a reputation for being better than the US, UK and a lot of other European countries, so your views are interesting! Can you say what you do find good about it (if anything!) and what you think they should be teaching or doing instead? What would they have to do to make school fun, enjoyable and all set for life’s realities when you finish?

Why should it be fun and enjoyable? I go to school for education, and not for fun and entertainment.

Ah, well, the bullies who beat me up clearly found it almost as entertaining as my dad apparently had - but I didn’t, so I’d agree that ‘entertainment isn’t a good word here. Fun is a harder word to define, but it includes a sense of ‘rewarding’; maybe I’m a bit weird in that finding out the rules of this Life game thing can be fun - if you approach it a certain way. School is just generlised brain training, opening pathways in your mind, allowing you to make connections that might easily have gone unnoticed. I learnt a lot from trips going round power plants and factories, farms and telecomms, etc, probably because I was able to as more questions, as the bullies weren’t there to disrupt as they did in class! When it came to a job interview, I knew way more about how the world worked. For me, that meant the trips were both fun and something that gave me an edge later on. When you’re competing against a bunch of people who all have the same paper qualifications, it’s the other stuff that matters - the stuff they don’t actually teach that acts as clues to the more important questions. tbh I mostly hated school, but loved higher education. That’s where I learnt what I needed to know most - and it wasn’t all in class - but I wouldn’t have got there without the exam grades. Other school stuff like French, history and geography seemed useless - until I started to travel the world and work with people from other cultures. Learning what to look for on school trips made it easier to understand how to be effective on business trips and to be a better communicator. Even things done badly can educate, because education comes in many guises - and it’s hard to predict what will or will not be of future value.

Good point.

:) ur welcome. It was a good challenge! You’re right to question everything - most people tend to accept ‘the way things are’ far too readily, which kinda limits the possibility of improvement. Looking below the surface to question whether things are truly what they seem is a skill. Cultivate it and you’ll always be in demand - it is not a common skill, but it ought to be. The trick is to be clear about what you assume when you question - otherwise there’s a risk your answer will be based on incomplete data. It is one thing to do this as an individual, but the effect gets amplified when groups make collective assumptions based on a single characteristic, e.g. hair colour, skin colour, country of origin, gender…. it’s a big list, so never assume that previous generations got it right; the majority are content to fit in and not question anything too much (provided they can live adequately or comfortably well). This means that the rate of overall social improvement tends to be rather slow and bumpy. hmmm…

I believe that education teach us discipline, sense and how to talk with elders. It’s not just educate ourself. But, It is more than just education. So, every child should take education.

Education is a ladder of our future. If your ladder were not stronger than your goal future will be spoiled for some weak reasons. In this competitive environment, without education you can’t converse yourself in a perfect way. So you need to have some smartness and manners to generate a particular respect in people’s mind and education teaches you just that. Education gives confidence and opportunity to get all expensive things easily. For more information regarding the benefits of education prefer this site: