Why conventional education isn’t suitable for everyone and doesn’t define success. Based on my own experience I know firsthand how daunting the pressures of trying to pursue higher education can be.
When I was 16, during my fifth year of secondary school aiming to complete my Scottish Highers (equivalent to A-levels), I started to feel that conventional education was no longer for me. I was determined to learn practical skills instead, so I decided to leave school after consulting with my parents.
Instead, for the rest of that year, I got a job as a kitchen porter. It was great exposure to how a commercial kitchen operated both front and back house. Meeting and working alongside a wide range of people gave me an appreciation for the hospitality industry.
Whilst working there I spoke with the general manager frequently, who started as a kitchen porter and spent 10 years working various hospitality jobs until they reached their position. They explained how they wished they had gone to college, as gaining the right certification would have propelled their career more quickly. Following this I spent time researching relevant higher education courses to discover some catered to both practical and theoretical elements.
However, I would require Scottish Highers to enrol at college for the Higher National Certificate program in Professional Cookery. This prompted me to return to school in my sixth year and complete my Highers allowing me to enrol at college. After completing the course and having enjoyed developing my culinary skills, I realised I wanted to learn more about the industry as a whole. This involved going to university, where I completed a BA in Hospitality Management.
Today, I am now fortunate enough to run my own business, as Managing Director of Cheers Global, an export sales agency specialising in the UK drinks industry. However, without that experience in my formative years, I am not sure I would have ended up having the career that I have had.
While my own experience resulted in my obtaining a degree, it was far from a conventional route to tertiary education. It gave me a whole new appreciation for factors that impact others such as those with learning difficulties, mental health issues, and socioeconomic differences. Standardised curricula can limit individuals with neurodiversity, an entrepreneurial mind, or even the more critical thinkers among us. Even as young as seven years old, (year two) children are being tested and labelled. SATS at 11 (year six) can dictate GCSE predictions and high-school sets, which in turn impacts the available opportunities at 16. If a child doesn’t test well at these young ages for whatever reason – anxiety, dyslexia, tiredness – their path is already limited.
There needs to be more emphasis on alternative pathways such as vocational training, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs didn’t complete formal schooling – Richard Branson, Philip Green, and Simon Cowell, to name but three.
Also, a greater appreciation of people with special needs and diverse learning challenges getting recognised and accommodated in society.
For example, mental health, high stress, and anxiety levels can impact the ability of someone to perform. I believe the education system should take a higher proportion of grading from coursework, showcasing someone’s work over a greater period instead of a one-off end-of-year examination.
Soft skills such as communication, negotiation, adaptability, and problem-solving should be given a greater focus, alongside life skills such as budgeting, growth mindset, and stress management. An academic focus alone isn’t enough, and business skills should not be the sole purview of GCSE Business Studies students – an unrealistic subject at best that does not truly reflect the journey of starting a business. Young people should be taught what starting a business is about, rather than a very academic, exam-based focus on different economic theories. At no point in school is entrepreneurship taught, let alone encouraged.
On a cultural level, more needs to be done to challenge convention and how we view personal fulfillment and non-traditional achievements as indicators of success. Traditional education provides a foundation for many, but success is diverse and from my experience individual. Ticking the boxes of ‘school, university, job’ is not realistic or desirable for many, and the alternatives should be championed from day one.
