Daily Insight


On the Role of Relevance and Education

A recent study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that U.S students between the ages of 25-34 year olds are lagging behind the rest of the world in college enrollment and completion rates. This is troubling as the next generation of decision makers within the country will come from this group. What is the cause behind this lack of academic involvement? There are a myriad of possibilities but one stands out to me, and that it is a waning level of personal commitment to education on the part of aspiring students. Exceptional achievement in any endeavor is dependent upon what a person finds to be valuable. Typically we find valuable that which directly impacts our lives.

In my view education should seek to enlighten students, by directly connecting learning to the dynamic world in which they live. This action would offer the student greater clarity and understanding of life. Education, if viewed as a tool in which students can gain an understanding and mastery of themselves and their world around them, can truly be a powerful thing. Education when divorced from the real world is merely a mental exercise and lends no perceived value to lives of students. It is in this environment that we find ourselves, in a situation of declining student enrollment and completion rates. Many students find no practical value in the learning they are asked to endure, so many choose to forgo the experience. Learning must be made real and relevant to students seeking education. It is in an environment of relevance, that a commitment to learning be established.