While Musk is not outrightly stating that school should be abolished, he does suggest that society should look for alternative educating means, such as not having to attend physical classrooms to receive an education, and instead finding different ways to learn outside of the traditional educational system.
In a 2014 blog post, the Tesla founder wrote, “My education was reasonably good, but I found a lot of memorization and rote work to be quite boring,” adding that it made him think, “what’s the point?”. Musk also criticized some teachers as having no real experience in the real world and thus not being able to connect the theoretical material being taught with its practical applications.
Experts agree with Musk’s remarks that the education system should create room for problem solving, innovation and critical thinking. Data collected by Barnard College reveals that traditional education systems are inadequate, discouraging students from exploring their creativity. The data found that less than 8 percent of students recognize and use their creative potential to solve their daily problems.
Not everyone is convinced with Musk’s ideas of alternative means of education, however. While some appreciate Musk’s avant-garde views, others proclaim that the traditional education system is the only reliable way to acquire knowledge, maintain the authority of the teachers and decrease the rate of unemployment.
Life Application
School often leaves out independent problem solving and practical knowledge that can be applied to real-life scenarios. Elon Musk criticizes the traditional education system as it makes no room for exercising creativity. In a column for The Wall Street Journal, writer Rachel Bridge wrote, “the best way to learn something new is often to apply it to something you have already mastered.” Musks emphasizes the importance of ‘learning by doing’, rather than memorizing facts or completing exercises that merely require rote learning.
However, some believe this alternative teaching method can be misused if students are simply given rules and have to figure out the problem by trial and error, without having any guidance from professionals.
In his talk ‘The End of School?’ Elon musk pointed out that many employers are dissatisfied with the school’s classical education program and demand people who can deal with problems at their own level. Students should not be spoon-fed and should instead be given the freedom to naturally develop their own curiosity, find real-world solutions and think beyond the textbook.
Leadership Development
Elon Musk believes that the educational system should be more engaging and include encouraged participation of its students. “People should be engaged. Most education is pretty boring and doesn’t engage students,” he said in a recent interview.
The billionaire believes that developing strong leadership skills is an essential element of school education. Musk believes that schools should encourage leadership coupled with learning by offering real-world challenges and experiential learning opportunities for its students. Involving students in service to the community and providing them with real-world work experience can amplify their practical knowledge and develop their leadership skills.
Today, many schools have implemented digital classrooms and project-oriented programs, as these have proven to be more engaging than traditional classes. For example, the IBM Teach Challenge encourages university students to develop innovative solutions for challenging academic problems, encouraging collaboration among students and giving them hands-on experience in problem-solving and leadership.
Online Education
Elon Musk advocates for the benefits of online education and learning by oneself. Rather than memorizing facts and concepts, students should strive to get real-world experience and acquire real life skills that they can use in their work and daily lives.
Musk believes that learning by doing is the best way to understand a subject more completely. Use of technology, such as online courses, AI-powered courses and interactive learning platforms, make learning more accessible, enjoyable and cost-effective. Companies such as Coursera, LinkedIn Learning and Udemy offer high-quality courses and lectures taught by experts.
Online education has proven to be more effective than traditional classes in the sense that it boosts the student’s self-learning ability. It also provides students with access to an array of resources, such as online libraries, tutorials and digital textbooks.
Alternative Education
Elon Musk firmly believes that the traditional educational system does not provide individuals with the kind of skills needed in the rapidly changing world of today. A study conducted by the World Economic Forum revealed this by finding that nearly 65 percent of children who will enter primary school in 2020 will have jobs that don’t exist today.
This implies that more innovative and modern educational systems should be adopted, as the traditional educational system is unable to adequately prepare students for the future. Alternative education systems, such as Homeschooling and Unschooling, can offer an effective way of learning that is more in tune with the world today.
Homeschooling allows students to be educated at home, either by their parents or a certified tutor, while Unschooling is an alternative education system that explores learning through real-life experiences and experiments. Many schools, such as the Khan Academy, are adopting this approach to provide students with a better understanding of the subject with the help of online and offline activities.
Neuroscience Research
Neuroscience research has revealed that our brains are the first virtual computers, which can store, process and recall information. Musk emphasizes that for us to be successful in life, our educational system needs to understand how our brains are hardwired to learn.
According to Scientific American, the human brain functions in a unique way and when given challenging tasks, instead of “instructing” the brain, it utilizes a process of trial and error to find the optimal solution. Harvard Medical School professor John J. Ratey suggests that physical activities can boost brain performance and stimulate the growth of new brain cells and neural pathways.
In order for our educational system to be successful, schools and universities should provide extracurricular activities, such as sports and meals, along with the traditional educational model, to strengthen the student’s brain and overall health and performance.
Teacher-Student Interaction
The traditional way of teaching has emphasized the importance of the teacher-student interaction, which, in the long run, can build trust between the two. Elon Musk’s criticism of the education system is focused more on the need to institute alternative means of teaching, not on the importance of the teacher-student relationship.
However, despite his criticism, Musk believes that teachers should still foster a supportive atmosphere. In a 2019 talk, Musk suggested that teachers should ask questions and help students understand certain topics instead of “simply” lecturing in front of the classroom.
In order to increase the level of engagement between teachers and students, schools in some countries are introducing flipped classrooms. These classrooms allow students to do their research independently and then discuss its implications in the classroom, under the watchful eye of the teacher.
In addition, establishing a system of collaboration between teachers and students for mutual benefit is also a great way to improve the learning environment and foster a sense of trust between teachers and students.
