Blueprint for a Money-Less Economy

About twenty years after completing my formal education, I began learning Hebrew. However, I quickly realized I was at a disadvantage because the instructional books frequently referenced terms like “articles,” “prepositions,” and “adverbs.” While I vaguely remembered these terms from school, I had no clear recollection of their meanings. Before I could learn Hebrew, I had to relearn English grammar—starting with the definitions of articles, prepositions, and adverbs.

Now, twenty years later, I still remember those grammar rules. So, why didn’t I retain them when I first learned them in school? The answer is simple: I had no interest in them at the time. But when I became motivated to learn a new language, these concepts suddenly became meaningful and important to me.

Looking back on my primary education, I can honestly say much of it felt like a waste of time. For most subjects, I retained the information just long enough to pass the tests, and then it vanished.

The modern education system, designed during the Industrial Revolution, serves a single purpose: to produce obedient workers for factories, a.k.a. drones. Before entering school, children approach the world with curiosity, questioning everything with open minds and wonder. But this natural curiosity is stifled as they are made to sit still in chairs for hours each day. Those who struggle to conform are often medicated into compliance. Students are conditioned to follow orders, raise their hands, and stand in lines—preparing them for a life of factory work devoid of creativity or resistance.

Imagine how much more we could achieve if our education system focused on nurturing individual interests rather than imposing a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach. Our current model benefits no one except the factory owners who designed it.

For example, my favorite high school activity was writing reports. I enjoyed conducting research and crafting well-organized essays—it was my passion. Yet no one ever told me I could turn that passion into a career. Instead, like many others, I ended up working in factories. Years later, I rediscovered my love for writing, publishing a couple of books in my spare time. Eventually, I left factory work to pursue writing full-time and have since published several more books. But I can’t help wondering how much further along I’d be in my writing career if I had nurtured this passion straight out of high school instead of following the path laid out for me.

An educational system should provide children with a broad spectrum of experiences in both the arts and sciences. The goal should be to help each child discover their passion. Once that passion is identified, their education should focus on developing and expanding it, giving them the tools they need to thrive in their chosen field.

Jeff A. Benner
(1-21-25)

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