EDUCATION DOES NOT DEVELOP INDUVIDUALITY BUT CONFORMITY

Education today develops conformity rather than individuality in most cases.

Most of our formal education period is spent on what to learn and in what standard format to learn. There is often a specific syllabus that encompasses what we have to learn during a specified period of time and standard steps to how what is to be covered is learned and this includes even teaching methods. Examples include subjects such as mathematics which where students have to learn a certain number of topics, have to learn standard problem solving methods and teachers have specific teaching methods in most cases.

Our formal education system also includes standards that require us to pass common examinations in order to proceed to a higher level in education. Many schools even have certain compulsory subjects which students are forced to take up regardless of their interest in the subject.
All these clearly exemplify the conformity that education emphasizes. By setting such standard procedures and methods in education, a student is hindered from developing his own thinking, creativity and individuality. Every student that is subject to such an education system is molded to think in a particular manner with hardly any room for varying perspectives. Thus most of these students grow up more to be followers of existing systems and do not try to revolutionalize and think of more creative and better methods.

However, in certain cases, education develops individuality. The educational system nowadays is increasingly incorporating features such as leadership development of students through various methods such as co-curricular activities and leadership camps and workshop. All these help to teach students how to think as leaders and develop their individual leadership potentials. For instance, in co-curricular activities such as uniform groups, leaders are appointed and these leaders learn how to deal with different issues such as conflicts among members and learning to make full use of what you have.

Thus, to a large extent education does develop conformity.