Yesterday I started a series on the purpose of school. I introduced a new book to you that will be released in June. I’ve been working on the manuscript for two years, in an attempt to provide solutions for leaders who work with students. The book is called, Artificial Maturity—Meeting the Challenge of Helping Kids Become Authentic Adults.

Today, I’d like to do a second part to my blog on one section of the book. We will call it:

What’s the Purpose of School?

Over the years, our school system has changed. It moved from a very personal, one-room schoolhouse to an industrialized system today, where we crank out compliant, satisfied, homogenized people who are eager consumers. That’s precisely what the industrial revolution needed from future factory workers. The trouble is—I am not so sure that’s what we need today.

Recently, Seth Godin provided one example that illustrates what’s happened to our education system. He reminds us that in 1914, a professor named Frederick Kelly invented the multiple-choice test. At the time, we had an emergency, as World War I was ramping up and hundreds of thousands of new immigrants needed to be processed to work in factories. The government had just made two years of high school mandatory in parts of the country and we needed a temporary, highly efficient way to sort students and quickly assign them to suitable slots.

Prof. Kelly himself said, “This is a test of lower order thinking for the lower orders.”

A few years later, as President of the University of Idaho, Kelly disowned the idea, pointing out that it was an appropriate method to test only a tiny portion of what is actually taught in school and should be abandoned. It rarely showed if a student really learned something. The industrialists and mass educators, however, revolted and he was fired. Consequently, we migrated into a “mass education system” that dumbed-down the content and testing we felt compelled to download to students. Actual learning was less important than processing millions of students through the system.

So—what should we be doing in school? What is it that students today actually need, regardless of the career they move into?

Four Purposes for School

I believe in the new economy we live in (one that does not resemble the industrial revolution but the era where information is ubiquitous), we need for school to accomplish four things, aside from the basics of reading and writing:

1. Critical Thinking

Schools must teach young people how to think, not merely what to think. In fact, because our world is changing so rapidly, this is more important than ever. Facts about how things work will shift. Think about communication for a moment. In less than a century we moved form mail, to telephone, to fax machines to email to cell phone calls, to texting to Facebook as primary means of communication. We must teach our kids how to evaluate and interpret what is happening to make wise judgments in their lives.

2. Problem Solving

what we really need in our world today, are young, creative graduates who know how to go about solving problems. Our society is full of them. If we could model and furnish experiences for problem solving in school—about issues that really matter—we could turn loose an entire generation that would be passionate about addressing real world issues, not merely video games and Wii and Facebook profiles. We could harness the good inside of them and see the best version of these kids surface.

3. Personal Development

This involves the discovery of their personal strengths (their talents, gifts, acquired skills and primary base of knowledge). It also includes developing character and ethics for their interactions with others in their careers and families. This will mean assessing and interpreting who they are, what their major value is to a team, and their chief contribution they make when they come to the table.

4. Leadership Skills

I think the Higher Education Research Institute got it right when they reported: “In today’s world, every graduate will need leadership skills.” We live in a far too complex era to simply churn out followers, “factory workers” who know how to comply. While learning to live in a community is important, I believe what’ missing is teaching kids how to think like a leader, how to develop their emotional intelligence, their communication skills and how to leverage their influence in a positive way.

By the way—if you enjoy grappling with these kinds of issues, join us on June 28-29 in Atlanta for our National Leadership Forum. The forum is designed for decision-makers who want to see a revolution take place in colleges, schools, non-profits, churches, workplaces, anywhere young people are.

Until then, what do you think about the purpose of school? What else do we need to accomplish in school today? Leave your comments below, and let’s start a conversation.

I’m excited to introduce a new book to you. It will be released in June. I have been working on the manuscript for two years, in an attempt to provide solutions for leaders who work with students. The book is called, Artificial Maturity—Meeting the Challenge of Helping Kids Become Authentic Adults.

Let me give you a taste of one of the topics I wrestle with in the book.

Have you every asked yourself the question:

What’s the purpose of school?

It’s a question our kids ask all the time! I’ve been digging to discover a serious answer to that question, and my findings have been eye-opening.

Our public school system, as we know it today, began in the 19^th century. Schools began as an option for kids, first for those who lived in cities, later for rural children. As you know, students first attended one-room schoolhouses, led by a teacher who oversaw kids of all ages, children to teenagers. It was a community-based endeavor, so personal that the teacher often stayed in the homes of the students. (Talk about accountability to get your homework done!) Eventually school became mandatory, as America decided everyone should experience a basic education.

By the end of the century, the industrial revolution was in full-swing, populations were larger and more kids were growing up in cities. It was decided that schools should be broken up into age-graded segments so teachers could focus their efforts on specific ages and subjects. By the 20^th century, all kids were in school through the eight grade, and specific subjects were covered like reading, citizenship, writing, arithmetic, character and the like. In fact, about ninety years ago, high schools were first seen sprinkled across the nation, for kids who remained in school—imagine this—through their teen years. Some of the primary purposes for high school were:

• Becoming a contributing member of your family
• Becoming a person of character and virtue
• Becoming a valuable part of your community

So far, so good. But as time marched on, one of the primary reasons for school became clear: the industrial revolution required that we teach emerging employees to be compliant, homogenized, satisfied laborers and eager consumers. Think about it. Factories and assembly lines were where so many young people began their career (and where so many remained their entire career). America needed people to learn how to be obedient workers who thought and acted “inside the box.” Just like a day in the factory began with a whistle, schools began with a bell. We needed school to move from a personal, community role to a standard, mass-producing system that was industrialized and inclusive of everyone. So, we cranked out “bulk workers.”

My concern is: I don’t think that’s what we need most today.

May I summarize the evolution of the school system in America?

Our Early Years                            Our School System                   Our Need Today

1. Personal                                       1. Mass production                               1. Personal, targeted

2. Community-based                           2. Standardized Template                   2. Customized Tests

3. Kids are mentored                           3. Kids are a number                   3. Kids are coached

4. Kids Meet a Need                           4. Kids Blend in                               4. Kids Find Their Niche

5. Kids See the Big Picture               5. Kids Do What They’re Told  5. Kids Solve Problems

6. Work: What’s my dad do?               6. Work: Where are the jobs?   6. Work: What’s the need?

Somehow, we must find a way to experience some of the earliest qualities of our schools, yet at the same time, handle large quantities of young people. As you can see from my columns above, we need many of the characteristics of the one-room school house (personal mentorship), yet we need to be able to do it in a way that allows us to point each student in the direction of their personal strengths and toward meeting a real need in the real world. We need grads to be leaders who spot and solve problems.

I will cover part two tomorrow. For now—let me know your thoughts.

What do you think is the real purpose of school? What do we most need today?

The most accurate words to describe our lives today are:

• Overwhelmed
• Options
• Obese
• Open-minded
• Over-committed
• Opportunities

We have a hard time saying no to anyone or anything. We don’t want to miss our chance to catch that big break or that next promotion. We don’ want to be narrow.

On the other hand, most of us would dearly like to reduce and simplify. We are weary of all the tasks, clutter and noise around us. If only we could learn how to say no to the people who approach us with another “opportunity.”

Let me offer some simple reminders of how you can do this.

How To Say No Gracefully…

When we know who we are, what our gifts are, and what our calling is, it’s easier to determine the “yes’s” and “no’s” of life. As a leader, when a task would not further your team’s goal, you are a steward of that team’s time, resources and talents and you are embezzling from the team if you say yes. You need to say no, even if it is a friend. The way you say no, however, is just as important as deciding to say it.

1.  Say no to the idea not to the person
   Make sure the person understands that you are not rejecting them. You’re simply saying no to what they want you to do. Give their idea affirmation, but explain that it doesn’t fit with your calendar or current responsibilities.
2. Respond in terms of the interests of the person asking.
   Make sure the person knows that you’re not choosing the easy response, but that you want to genuinely help them. Communicate that your time constraints would prevent you from doing the kind of work they deserve.
3. Defer graciously. Come up with an alternative for them.
   Be a problem-solver and help them complete their task. Give them confidence that they can do it, or suggest someone to them who would be better than you to do it, in terms of available or gifts. This adds value as it meets their need.

This list is only a beginning. Let’s add to it. What’s your best advice for how to say no?

A few months ago, I put out a request for readers to share stories of practical ways we can prepare students for adulthood. I was finishing up the manuscript for my new book, Artifical Maturity (set for release in June!), and wanted to include real-life examples from people around the world.

The response was absolutely overwhelming! I’m so thankful for everyone who took time to share ideas. There were so many more than could be included in one chapter of a book. But I wanted everyone to hear these great ideas. So here’s the plan: over the course of next year, I’ll share a story that someone submitted. I hope you find them as challenging and helpful as I did!

Here’s this week’s story that focuses on how parents teach their kids that less is more:

My husband, Steve, and I had a rule that we called “Three Things.”   When our sons were very young, we could easily limit how many “things” to which they were actively committed. However, even as young children they could be involved in three major things—Church, school, and one other thing. As they entered the teen years the three things were more difficult because they had to choose that third thing. Granted we were not talking about a one day activity—we were talking about things that required an investment of time over several weeks or months.

In addition, if you started something—you had to finish it. For example, If you wanted to go out for the baseball team; you would stick with it throughout the season because the team was counting on you. We also knew they would learn valuable lessons by doing things they did not excel in or which they did not enjoy.

I did not realize how significant the three things rule was until Steve and I served on a panel discussion for young adult parents long after our children had established their own families. The young adults wanted to ask people who had been married at least 30 years some questions. Several questions related to finances. One was from a young father of three children who confessed he had trouble affording all “the stuff his kids had to do.” Steve and I looked at one another and smiled, so no surprise he asked us to answer that question. We held up three fingers and said,  “we had a rule of three things.” We both then simultaneously said, “Church, school and one other thing.” The young man immediately looked so discouraged. He said he just could not do that. Many in the room had the same problem. Most had never thought about limiting the number of activities. In all honesty, I’m not so sure the children were the ones pushing all the activities either.  Many agreed their lives were so hectic that the kids did not seem to love anything. They were being shuffled from one thing to another. Obviously the parents were not enjoying this rat race either. Some parents said they would try the three things rule. Some just didn’t think they could do it. Reflecting on the day, Steve and I wondered when these children ever got to just play or read a book with their parents. When could they just take a walk together? It is no wonder many young families say they seldom sit down to dinner together.

I recognize the culture has changed. Our children are in their thirties now. However, we still believe in the rule of three things. Parents must learn that the amount or frequency of activities they provide for their children does not reflect how much they love their kids. Nor does it guarantee their success and certainly not their happiness. Many times in life, less is more—even if you can afford the many things.

Scripture often speaks about the choices we make: Choose whom you will follow (Joshua 24:15);  Seek God first (Matt. 6:33); The account of busy Martha in Luke 10 when Mary makes the right choice. There are more but you get the idea.

Belinda Jolley, Columbia, SC

Do you agree that less is more? Can we increase the quality of our students’ lives by actually doing less? How?

Summary:

Help the next generation reach their ceiling by making good choices

When they know that the leadership team is on board and aligned, they will will follow

How to spot and develop talent

1. A passion for what they do

2. Intentional about constantly learning

3. Apply moral principles in their lives

4. Work on the fundamentals and the particulars will follow

What are some other ways to spot talent and develop leaders in the next generation?

Habitudes for Athletes is a unique leadership training program specifically geared for student athletes to prepare them for excellence in both their sport and life after school. Learn more at growingleaders.com/sports.