25/11/2025
Have you ever wondered whether school taught you how to learn or just how to survive? Back in my first year at university, one of our teachers asked the group:
“What is an educational organization for? What’s the point of it?”
We all gave similar answers, something about
gaining knowledge,
developing professional skills,
preparing for adult life.
In short, our responses revolved around learning. Then the teacher gave his own answer. And it surprised us.
“An educational institution is just training for survival.”
The Purpose of Education: A Teacher’s Perspective
Looking back now, I understand what he meant by survival.
It wasn’t about danger. It was about adapting:
- figuring out how to manage time
- organize ourselves
- deal with pressure
- navigate rigid systems
And in many cases, these qualities matter even more than knowledge itself especially when you’re studying at university.
Because at the end of the day, can I recall something truly meaningful or practically useful from those years?
Nope.
My memories of school and university are about everything but practical knowledge.
So now I get it:
It wasn’t about learning or gaining new professional skills.
It really was about surviving those years.
Just a system that trained our brains to adapt and get by rewarding us for following rules and meeting expectations.
My Personal Experience with Learning and Memorization
Think back to your own school days.
For me, studying felt more connected to stress than to learning.
I hope others had a different experience. Tests and exams weren’t about new knowledge; they were about getting good grades.
And let’s be honest: how often did parents ask,
“What did you learn today?” versus “What grade did you get?”
Looking back, I realize I wasn’t studying for knowledge. I was studying for grades.
My brain adapted to the system: short-term memory, quick recall, fast forgetting.
A perfect circuit for handling studying without cluttering your brain.
One example stands out.
In university, we had an English exam where we had to memorize and retell an extract from 19th-century literature.
I memorized 99% of it and got the top grade.
But did I learn anything? What was the point of that task anyway?
Not a word. I have no idea what that text was about.
It was just another skill: surviving the assignment and moving on.
Even outside of exams, my learning strategies were pure survival mode:
I’d quickly skim the homework before class - less chance of forgetting it.
The Result?
My brain became very good at grasping information fast, storing it temporarily, and erasing it just as quickly.
The Current Situation in Schools
Sadly, I now see the same patterns in my 10-year-old daughter’s education. She goes to school every day without a clear sense of why. She completes tasks, listens to teachers, and does her homework with zero enthusiasm.
When she comes home from school, I always ask her:
“What did you learn?” or “What was interesting?” But she often doesn’t know what to say.
One day she told me:
“School is like a prison for kids.”
That sentence hit me hard. It reminded me of how I felt in school. When children feel school is something to endure instead of something to explore, real learning becomes impossible.
And it brings me back to my original question:
Is this really learning or just more survival?
The Lasting Impact of Survival Mode
What many people don’t realize is this:
That early feeling of “survival mode” in school can shape how we approach learning for the rest of our lives.
As a neurolanguage coach, I deal with this constantly. Many of my clients carry unspoken “learning traumas” from their past. We work together to unlearn old patterns and relearn how to learn.
A Path Toward Brain-Friendly Learning
These reflections frustrate me deeply. That’s why I’ve immersed myself in neuroscience and the science of learning. While I know I can’t change the entire educational system not even in one country I can change how I work with others.
And so, every day, I help my clients and team look at learning from a new angle. I listen to their experiences and recognize the same silent patterns, the subtle damage done by an outdated model.
My goal is to guide people toward brain-friendly learning:
- Learning that values understanding over memorization
- Curiosity over pressure
- Long-term growth over short-term success.
The Bottom Line
Take a moment to reflect on your own education.
Were you truly learning or just surviving? And what about your children?
Are they growing, exploring, and engaging or simply adapting to a system?
If you’ve ever felt like something essential was missing especially in language learning know this:
There is another way.
Learning can feel meaningful, joyful, and empowering.
And I’d be happy to guide you into that world — where education doesn’t just help us survive, but helps us thrive.