When I was in high school I didn’t know what I wanted to be but, I knew Pythagoras’s theorem like the back of my hand and the Periodic table like the alphabet. Yet I didn’t even know who I was.
Education is one of the most important aspects of a person’s life, as they are at the institution for a quarter of their life. Education is one of the most powerful tools especially when it comes to the moulding of impressionable young minds. Yet the system is not as beneficial as it should be. There are certain features of the system that should be changed and remodelled to better aid the young leaders of tomorrow. Instead of feeding them information to memorise for the exam, help them learn about themselves first.
Imagine, a way in which you could take an introspective dive into your psyche. If you could understand who you are and ultimately use this to decide what degree and career would best suit you. Well, this is imaginable. The Myers-Briggs type indicator was developed by Katharine Briggs and daughter Isabell Briggs Myers and is a remarkable tool in which one can determine which one of the 16 personalities suits him or her. This can then be used to highlight how they react in circumstances including their academic, professional and personal lives. Though many may roll their eyes when personality test is mentioned, however, this is the best one to use to find your personality type because “hundreds of studies over the past 40 years” says the Myers-Briggs Foundation, “have proven the instrument to be both valid and reliable”. If this were implemented in the school system and students took the type indicator every year as they went through high school, as children are constantly changing, then the confusion many face when it comes to deciding on a career and degree would be a smaller hassle.
Though the education system does benefit some people one can’t deny that the system does have flaws. The system teaches children to aim for success which often seems to mean choose subjects that will make a lot of money. Choose a degree that will make a lot of money, and eventually, they choose a career that makes them a lot of money. Tom Hodgkinson, a renowned author, says even by doing all this, “It’s a tragically limited idea of what life is all about.” As a society, we seem to pummel this into their heads until they no longer know what they want from their own lives. In 2013 CNBC did a survey on global job satisfaction and the conclusion was nearly 48% of people are unsatisfied with their jobs. This is a fate that we doom the children who are in school right now if we do not address this issue as soon as possible. The education system needs to be modified. We must teach children to do what they want, not what will make them the richest or wealthiest, but encourage them to pursue a career that will leave them fulfilled and have a sense of purpose. The Myers-Briggs type indicator is sure to point them in the right direction, as a guide not a set of instructions.
Pearl Munemo, a first-year student at Rhodes University did the Myers-Briggs type indicator last year while she was still in high school. Although she’d had the idea of becoming an author her school had put pressure on her to stick to Physics and Maths because in the long run this path would lead her to a job as an engineer which would not only pay well but is considered very prestigious. However, this didn’t sit well with Pearl, and when she took the type indicator she came up with INFJ-The Idealist, and everything came into perspective for her. “Life made sense after that” Pearl simply puts it. An INFJ type is a quiet, private individual who will often turn to written word to express themselves. These are attributes Pearl saw in herself and INFJ likely career choices is either a teacher, writer or a counsellor. Pearl Munemo already knew what she wanted but the Myers-Briggs test merely confirmed what she already knew and she left the laboratories behind to major in English and Journalism all paths that lead to the career she wants, to be a bestselling author.
If the Myers-Briggs type indicator was passed in the education bill that all high schoolers must take it yearly the education system would truly be doing a justice to the children. Not only for choosing a fulfilling career path but also this could benefit the teachers and enhance the learning experience. If teachers knew that Bobby was an INFP (very introverted, highly fearful of criticism and incredibly creative) then they could adapt a learning style that would enrich his learning and they would be able to deal with him according to his personality, rather than if a child misbehaves then they get shouted at. Every child is different, unique and special, and the Myers-Briggs type indicator would allow teachers to better understand their students to help them improve greatly.
However, though MBTI has had much commercial success selling many books and being implemented in eighty-nine companies of the US Fortune 100 make use of it, for recruitment and selection or to help employees understand themselves or their co-workers. It does have its critics, as most psychologists feel it does not hold ground because Katharine Brigs and her daughter Isabell didn’t have any training in psychometrics or psychological assessment. Briggs earned a degree in agriculture and Myers in political science. However, though Briggs and Myers didn’t have any formal training psychologists Ashton and Goldberg demonstrated that individuals without psychological training can create personality scales. Another common critique is that MBTI is based off of Car Jung’s theory of types. In the psychological circles, Jung is greatly disrespected who consider him a “mystic without any ideas of scientific relevance,” said by Carlson a professor in his book Studies of Jungian typology.
The Myers-Briggs personality test though it has many critiques, one can see that despite the criticism many institutions have adopted it. One must do what they may with the information they are presented with. Whether you take the quiz at the end of the day you choose what you wish to do with what you have learned.
To take the test yourself, click here
Education Beyond Restriction 