“School feels like a burden, kind of like a list of tasks, rather than a place to learn or grow.”
This sentiment, expressed to me by a peer, encapsulate a troubling trend sweeping across America’s classrooms: a growing sense of apathy towards education. The symptoms are widespread and concerning, from plummeting attendance rates to a surge in academic dishonesty.
Even though the dropout rate has dwindled to 5% over the years, 40% of high school students describe themselves as disengaged, and over half say they don’t see the relevance of what they’re learning to “real life.”
As a student who has spent the last 11 years in public schools, these statistics are saddening but not surprising. I’ve watched this creeping disengagement transform into borderline resentment over the course of the pandemic. It’s not just about students zoning out during history class anymore. We’re talking about a pervasive lack of care that’s manifesting in alarming ways, from skyrocketing rates of academic dishonesty to a surge in disciplinary issues. Many students simply aren’t buying into the idea of schooling or education anymore
Depending on which studies you believe, somewhere between 80% and 97% of students admit to some form of academic dishonesty in the past year. Even more shocking? One study found that 75% of students confessed to cheating four or more times. When asked why, the most common response wasn’t about pressure or grades – it was about a lack of interest in the subject matter.
So, what’s driving this tidal wave? It’s a perfect storm of factors:
- The Great Disconnect: Students struggle to see how their classes relate to the “real world”
- The “School is Useless” Narrative: There’s a whole genre of social media content dedicated to bashing traditional education(often due to #1), and it’s finding a receptive audience in millions of K–12 students.
- Cognitive Overload: Between school, where students are taking a record number of APs due to an unprecedented pressure to succeed, extracurriculars, and the constant ping of notifications, kids are mentally fried.
- The Siren Song of Screens: TikTok, and a variety of other sources of digital dopamine, are far more engaging than trigonometry.
- One-Size-Fits-None Education: In a world of personalized everything, algorithms, ads, etc, cookie-cutter curricula feel hopelessly outdated.
The AI Wildcard
AI has thrown an entirely new dimension into the equation. Suddenly, cheating isn’t just easier—it seems smarter in a world where the future of employment seems like it will be defined by AI. Why struggle through an essay when ChatGPT can whip one up in seconds? Why learn how to do anything when it seems like AI will be able to do it in ten years? This technological leap is forcing us to confront some uncomfortable questions about the nature of learning and assessment in the 21st century. Ultimately, it’s intensifying the urgency to cultivate self-motivated learners, amplifying both the risks if we fail and the rewards if we succeed.
Charting a New Course
So, what’s the solution? There’s no magic bullet. But there are strategies that have shown promise:
- Real-World Relevance: Let’s connect the dots between classroom content and career paths, showing students the inherent value and usefulness of school.
- Hands-On Learning: Less lecturing, more doing
- Tech as a Tool, Not a Crutch: Harness the power of technology to personalize learning, not replace thinking.
- Building Bridges: Forge stronger connections between schools, businesses, communities, and most importantly, each other.
- Cultivating Curiosity: Foster a school culture that celebrates questioning and exploration.
This isn’t just about test-scores or colleges admissions. In fact, our society’s narrow focus on test scores and college admissions as the primary aims of education suggests it may be time for a shift in priorities. Public schools were established with a lofty purpose: to educate citizens capable of sustaining a democracy, recognizing that democracy relies on an informed populace. In an era marked by political deep-fakes and algorithm-driven echo chambers, the ability to think critically and synthesize complex information is essential for the continued health of our society.
In the words of education reformer John Dewey, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” The path forward isn’t clear, or easy, but the alternative – a generation of disengaged, apathetic, purely results focused citizens – would be a complete failure. As educators, teachers, investors and generally as people who care about education, it’s time to focus on reigniting the spark of curiosity and engagement in our classrooms. Our future depends on it.