Brief 004: Does education really work like a ladder?

I used to think education was pretty straightforward. You go to school, then secondary school, then university and hopefully, a job. But the more I think about it, the less sense that makes. Education isn’t really a ladder, it’s more like a map.

There are schools, universities, vocational institutions, professional bodies, online courses, apprenticeships, workplaces, mentors, books and even things you teach yourself, and you can move between them.

You might go to university, learn something completely different online, pick up skills at work and later take a professional qualification.
Someone else might skip university and learn a trade. 
Another person might start working first and study later. 
Someone might change careers at 35 and suddenly become a beginner again.

None of these people are necessarily less educated. They’re just taking different roads. And this is where I think we sometimes get education wrong.

We spend so much time asking: “What qualification should I get?”
When perhaps we should be asking: “What do I actually want to be able to do?”

Because those are not always the same question.

If you want to become a doctor, there are certain roads you really do need to take.
If you want to become an electrician, another route may make much more sense.
If you want to start a business, you might need a strange combination of financial knowledge, practical experience, marketing, people skills and a willingness to learn things as you go.

And if you’re changing careers?

You probably don’t need to start your entire education from zero. You might just need to figure out what you’re missing. That’s the part I find interesting.

Education isn’t just about collecting certificates. It’s about building capability.
What can you understand?
What can you do?
What problems can you solve?
What can you learn next?

And perhaps most importantly:
Do you understand the road you’re taking?

Sometimes we spend years following a path simply because everyone around us is on it. School, university, another certificate, another course, another qualification, and somewhere along the way, nobody stops to ask: “Wait… where are we actually going?”

Maybe that’s a question worth asking.

My question for you is: If education is a map rather than a ladder, who chose your road?

Your parents?
Your teachers?
Your culture?
Your circumstances?
Or you?

And if you could choose again today…
would you take the same road?

Read the next Brief here: Brief 005: When does your education actually end?