Poll: 80% of what you learn in school is useless?

[brainfreeze215]

It is a very rare person who is going to use a larger percentage of the things they used in school in every day adult life, but that makes sense. Schools don't know what we're going to be when we grow up, so we have to be prepared for anything.

But what we learn should at least be challenging and enriching, so that's useful. So yes, the stat is probably true, but only in a very literal sense.

I forget if you mentioned any restrictions about the definition of "what we learn in school," but in case you didn't: I'd say about 90% of what we learn in school is how to be a functioning person anyway, so no, I don't think it's useless.

 

[TheTaco007]

A lot of school is about getting students to realize what they're good at, and what they are either bad at, or don't care about. For instance, I'm incredibly good at math/physics, but I just don't care about geography or history. I wouldn't say that geography and history classes are useless though, because lots of people might be terrible at math/science, and love history. Either way, we all learned something, if not about those subjects, about ourselves.

Though some classes are entirely useless not because of the subject, but because of the teacher doing it wrong, or MAKING it boring.

 

[Mr Thin]

No, no, no! Not in the slightest!

Well, OK, actually a lot of it is, but the idea isn't for everything to be useful.

I've always felt that school contains such a variety of subjects so that you can try all these different things and choose which one is your cup of tea. Then, once you've chosen what you like, you focus on that particular subject/topic, and take further or specialized education - maybe even work experience - in that subject/topic, eventually getting a job doing it.

And then there you are, doing what you enjoy for a living.

That's the best case scenario, at least.

 

[Sparrowsabre7]

While we may not use a lot of the stuff we learn I wouldn't say it's useless because it helps round you out as an individual. Yes I could've done without all that sin cos tan rubbish and quadratic equations, but for the most part a little of everything is a good approach. Though frankly I think they should let you do what you want in PE. Some people are just not geared at all to play sports like rugby and making them do so is frankly bullying in its own way. I'm not saying no exercise, but some people (like me) would much prefer tennis/ badminton which can be equally good for exercise. I mean I weigh 8 stone. How the **** am I supposed to even compete in a rugby game. Not to mention everyone else has a go at you if you underperform. It's just an unfair system.

Sorry for the rant, I was just traumatised by PE =P

 

[C95J]

throughout your young life you learn maybe 85% - 90% of what you know in school, it is very important, and everything you learn is useful.

 

[Lizardon]

For some, certainly but it really depends on what you decide to do post school. And the parts you found useless are importent for somebody else in their profession.

My chemisty teacher said to us that what we actually learn isn't as importent as the skills we aquire during our years at school, like problem solving and logic.

 

[coldfrog]

If all that information was useless, how would we be able to formulate poorly thought out arguments on the internet while still claiming it has a basis of fact?

 

[Woodsey]

Most of the stuff no longer applies because - assuming you've gone as far as you can go - you'll end up specialising in one thing.

The point is to give you choice and variety, then you cut down, then you cut down some more, until eventually you're left with one or two things that can be applied to your job.

And just because things aren't directly called-up ever again doesn't mean their useless.

 

[Keepitclean]

Most of the stuff I learned at school (from the school) between years 3-9 was more or less a waste of time. I either already knew it, didn't need to know it or I would have learned it from outside of school. 80% is a bit high I think, more like 55-60%.

 

[Underground Man]

I chose the 90% option because there was no 100%.

But I was a history major, so I'm biased.

 

[hurfdurp]

School is to give everyone a base. By having a good selection of all topics, it allows you to make an informed decision later in your life. Wouldn't it be horrible if your carrier path was chosen for you when you were in kindergarten, and you never had any other teaching except in that field.

Also School is to teach us how to learn. One can use the basic fundamentals of learning, to teach themeless, or at least know were to find the resources needed to find more information.

I like this answer. I was going to zoom down to the comment box and be like "rahhh, all useless!", but I think it does serve some purpose. Perhaps not an entirely focused purpose, but more of a behind the scenes type which you mention, like time management and things of that sort. University is awesome though with the exception of forced electives.

 

[SpaceCop]

Yeah, the most important things we learn in school is the stuff that isn't directly taught. We learn how to learn, how to act in a structured environment, how to meet deadlines, how to work with others, how to feign attention, how to make up excuses, shift blame, avoid authority figures, survive day-in day-out in a hierarchy where our opinion means nothing... These are the skills we'll use in our future careers and jobs--these are the things that are most important to pick up in any level of education.

 

[supermariner]

a lot of what i learnt in school, and i mean A LOT, has been incredibly useful for the following things

1). pub quizzes
2). college
3). trumping other friends lesser knowledge
and 4). important day to day stuff like proper grammar and basic foreign languages

 

[Cazza]

What you really Learn at school is how to learn. The content isn't that helpful in normal life.

 

[Eumersian]

Most of the things you learn will help you at some point, whether it be college or one's chosen profession. Though I don't think that I'll ever need to know how to draw a spaceship in AutoCAD 2008 ever again, but that class was fun.

 

[Ham_authority95]

I think it really depends on the career that you take up.

 

[Dogstile]

School is to give everyone a base. By having a good selection of all topics, it allows you to make an informed decision later in your life. Wouldn't it be horrible if your carrier path was chosen for you when you were in kindergarten, and you never had any other teaching except in that field.

Are you sure? I think i'm at the stage where I wouldn't mind that. All this choice is fucking aggravating.