We Badly Need An Unconventional More Real World Relevant Education System [Hint: The Key to Eliminating Youth Unemployment]

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Rob Siltanen

In my best practice parenting articles at (www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets) over the past decade, I’ve advocated a total and radical overhaul of the conventional Education System the children, especially in my part of the world (in Nigeria/Africa) are exposed to.

Understandably, not many parents and educators are happy with the ideas I propose.

But that does not matter.

This is a change that can cause youth unemployment to be drastically reduced – and we all want THAT!

I know their “majority” disagreement does not matter because I’ve been down the road of believing “alone” in an unpolpular but viable idea before – and have been proved right many times!

Indeed, reactions in some quarters, to my contrarian Ideas as a Best Practice Parenting Advocate, remind me of how my now widely accepted idea of selling custom Excel-VB Solutions (see (www.excelheaven.biz) got me roundly mocked, ridiculed and criticised everywhere I offered them less than a decade ago!

And that’s why I rarely bother about those who disagree with me on ideas my experiences already convince me about.

The quote I began with – above – captures my sentiments perfectly in this regard.

Rob Siltanen’s quoted words resonate with me in terms of the success I enjoy today selling “ordinary” Excel files and my writing skills internationally, 100% via the web – despite being told “Who’s going to pay you to do that here? This is NOT America” when I started out over 10 years ago!

I chose to think and act different from what I saw others doing. Irefused to let the crowd force me to change. Today people relate with/buy from me as if what I do and how I do it is normal and common place.

But in reality, even now, I remain more the exception than the norm!

This is why I remain resolute in my conviction about the need to give my kids real world relevant education that empowers them to be financially independent much earlier in life.

I’ve evolved a model that contradicts conventional wisdom about educating young people.

It is based on eye opening and often painful experiences I’ve had in my adult life, AFTER undergolng conventional education in my society and excelling at it – only to discover it was far from adequate to prepare me for success in tje real world of my society!

The modified approach I advocate, puts Income Earning Vocational Skills Based Training at the foundation of every child’s exposure to formal education. My kids are being taken through this system already and the positive and lasting benefits are apparent despite inevitable teething problems.

I predict that a few years from now, parents and their kids WILL be asking me and miy kids for ideas about how to achieve the results we will be putting on record. Mark my words!