"However good the education system is, it cannot adequately prepare students for life in the adult world." Is this true?.
Before being able to comment accurately on the issue at hand, there are terms that are in need of definition. The word "good" is highly subjective. In order to judge if something is good, there must be a benchmark or a criteria in which the criteria has to be met before something is good. Therefore, before commenting if the education system is "good", we have to design a template to measure the success of the system.
We must have a clear idea on what "education" really is. Some believe that education should be a means of imparting knowledge, more specifically, knowledge about the world, to students. Others, however, believe that education is about molding a person's character, enabling him to become a better person. I believe that, the main aim of education is to nurture students to become responsible, productive members of society, and equip them with the knowledge and ability to overcome adversity in the real world. Therefore, the education system is the process in which these aims are met. .
In the real world, also known as life in the adult world, work is generally divided into three sectors, Research and Development, Business, and finally Government. Some examples of professions in these three sectors would be doctors, businessmen and civil servants respectively. When a student graduates from college, he or she is expected to join the workforce and become a responsible and productive member of society. Regardless of whichever profession he or she chooses, there are four basic qualities one must possess before being able to be prepared for life in the real world. It is the education system's responsibility to ensure that students are able to pick up these four basic qualities. Therefore, it is only against this yardstick, one can decide on the adequacy of the education system in preparing students for life in the adult world.