Elon Musk’s Incredible Speech on the Education System | Eye Opening Video on Education

Summary

The speaker argues that a college degree is not a necessity for success, citing examples of famous entrepreneurs who dropped out of college. They emphasize the importance of self-learning and evidence of exceptional ability over formal education. They share their unique approach to education by creating a school that focuses on individual aptitudes, problem-solving, and relevance of learning tools. The speaker advocates for a more engaging, interactive, and purpose-driven educational system, akin to video games, to improve motivation and learning outcomes.

Takeaways

• 🎓 A college degree is not a necessity for success, as evidenced by dropouts like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
• 💡 Exceptional ability and a track record of achievement are more important than formal education for hiring purposes.
• 📚 Learning can be self-driven and free, with vast amounts of information available online.
• 🏫 The value of college lies in demonstrating one's ability to work hard and persevere through challenges.
• 👫 College also serves as a social environment for young people to interact before entering the workforce.
• 🚫 The speaker aims to ensure Tesla recruiting does not require a university degree, emphasizing the need for evidence of exceptional ability.
• 🌟 The speaker created a unique school called Ad Astra, which does not follow traditional grading systems and focuses on individual aptitudes.
• 🎯 The school emphasizes teaching problem-solving skills and the relevance of tools in solving problems.
• 🎮 The speaker advocates for making education engaging and entertaining, like video games, to improve learning outcomes.
• 🤔 The speaker questions the relevance of much of what is taught in conventional education and the lack of explanation for why certain subjects are important.
• 📈 The speaker believes that conventional education needs a massive overhaul to become more effective and engaging.

Q & A

What is the speaker's opinion on the necessity of a college degree?

The speaker believes that a college degree is not necessary for success, as evidenced by successful individuals like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, and Steve Jobs who did not graduate from college.

What does the speaker think is the main value of college?

The speaker suggests that the main value of college is to demonstrate one's ability to work hard and persevere through challenging tasks, rather than for the purpose of learning.

How does the speaker view the current education system?

The speaker criticizes the conventional education system for being unengaging, likening it to vaudeville, and believes it should be massively overhauled.

What is the speaker's approach to education for their five boys?

The speaker has created a small, non-traditional school called Ad Astra, which does not follow a grade system and focuses on catering to each child's aptitudes and abilities.

What is the speaker's view on the teaching of problem-solving skills?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of teaching problem-solving skills by focusing on the problem rather than the tools, making the relevance of the tools apparent in the process.

Why does the speaker think education should be more like a video game?

The speaker believes that making education interactive and engaging, similar to video games, would make it far more compelling and easier for students to learn.

What does the speaker suggest about the relevance of the subjects taught in school?

The speaker argues that teachers should explain the relevance and 'why' behind the subjects taught, as understanding the purpose can significantly enhance students' motivation and retention.

How does the speaker feel about the progression of students through grade levels?

The speaker disagrees with the assembly line approach of moving all students through grade levels together, suggesting instead that education should be personalized and allow students to progress at their own pace.

What does the speaker think about the role of classmates in a university education?

The speaker believes that a significant portion of what one learns in university comes from classmates, rather than formal education.

In what context might a college degree still be important?

The speaker acknowledges that a college degree might be important for those seeking to demonstrate perseverance and the ability to see tasks through to completion, which can be valuable for certain career paths.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 The Relevance of Formal Education

This paragraph discusses the necessity of formal education, using examples of successful individuals like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, and Steve Jobs who did not complete college. It emphasizes that learning can be self-driven and free, and that the value of college lies in demonstrating one's ability to work hard and persevere. The speaker also mentions their own school, Ad Astra, which focuses on tailoring education to individual aptitudes and problem-solving skills rather than traditional grading systems.

05:03

🎮 Gamifying Education

The speaker compares the monotony of traditional education to a lackluster performance, suggesting that education should be engaging and entertaining like a well-made movie or video game. They advocate for an overhaul of the current educational system, which they find uninteresting and disconnected from practical applications. The speaker believes that understanding the 'why' behind learning is crucial for motivation and that education should be interactive and personalized to each student's pace and interests.

10:04

🤔 The Importance of Understanding 'Why'

This paragraph highlights the cognitive dissonance that arises when students are asked to memorize information without understanding its relevance. The speaker argues that knowing the purpose of learning a subject is essential for retention and engagement. They propose an educational approach that starts with a problem and then teaches students how to use various tools, such as math or physics, to solve it, rather than focusing solely on the tools themselves.

Keywords

💡College Degree

A college degree is an academic credential awarded by a higher education institution, often seen as a prerequisite for many professional careers. In the video, the speaker argues that a college degree is not always necessary for success, citing examples of successful individuals like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs who did not complete their college education.

💡Exceptional Ability

Exceptional ability refers to a level of talent or skill that is significantly above average. The speaker emphasizes the importance of looking for evidence of exceptional ability rather than formal education when hiring, suggesting that such ability is a better indicator of future success.

💡Self-Learning

Self-learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills independently, without formal instruction. The speaker mentions that everything can be learned for free, highlighting the availability of resources for self-learning as a reason why a college degree may not be essential.

💡Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is the ability to identify, analyze, and resolve issues or challenges. The speaker advocates for an educational approach that focuses on teaching problem-solving skills rather than just the tools or methods, which is more engaging and relevant to real-world applications.

💡Ad Astra School

Ad Astra School is a small, unconventional educational institution created by the speaker. It is characterized by its lack of traditional grading and its focus on tailoring education to individual aptitudes and abilities, aiming to provide a more personalized and effective learning experience.

💡Gamification

Gamification is the application of game design elements in non-game contexts to encourage engagement and motivation. The speaker suggests that education should be more like a video game, with interactive and engaging elements, to make the learning process more enjoyable and effective.

💡Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort experienced when holding contradictory beliefs or being confronted with new information that conflicts with existing beliefs. In the context of education, the speaker refers to the dissonance students may feel when they are asked to learn without understanding the relevance or 'why' behind the material.

💡Vaudeville

Vaudeville was a popular form of variety entertainment in the early 20th century, often characterized by repetitive performances. The speaker uses vaudeville as an analogy to criticize traditional education, suggesting that the repetitive nature of lectures and standardized teaching methods are outdated and unengaging.

💡Educational Tools

Educational tools refer to the methods, materials, and resources used in the teaching and learning process. The speaker argues against teaching tools in isolation and instead advocates for an approach that integrates them into solving real problems, making the learning experience more meaningful and practical.

💡Assembly Line Education

Assembly line education is a term used to describe an educational system where students progress through standardized curricula at the same pace, regardless of individual differences. The speaker criticizes this approach, arguing that it fails to recognize the unique abilities and interests of each student.

Highlights

A college degree is not necessary for success, as evidenced by successful individuals like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, and Steve Jobs who did not graduate from college.

The value of college lies in demonstrating one's ability to work hard and persevere through challenging tasks.

Learning can be done outside of formal education, as almost everything is available for free.

The speaker aims to ensure Tesla recruiting does not require a university degree, emphasizing evidence of exceptional ability over formal education.

The speaker created a unique school called Ad Astra, which does not follow traditional grading systems and focuses on individual aptitudes and abilities.

Ad Astra teaches problem-solving skills by focusing on the problem rather than the tools, making the relevance of the tools more apparent.

The speaker's children enjoy school, which is a positive sign, as the speaker himself disliked school as a child.

The speaker believes conventional education is often boring and lacks enthusiasm, which negatively impacts students' motivation.

Education should be engaging and entertaining, similar to how children are naturally drawn to video games.

The speaker advocates for a more interactive and personalized approach to education, allowing students to progress at their own pace in each subject.

The speaker criticizes the assembly line approach to education, where students are expected to move through grades in lockstep.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of explaining the 'why' behind what is being taught to students, as understanding the purpose enhances motivation.

The speaker suggests that teaching should involve solving real problems using various educational tools, rather than just teaching the tools themselves.

The speaker believes that a university education is often unnecessary, especially for those aiming to start a company.

Companies may value a completed degree as a sign of perseverance, but the speaker argues that this is not always the case.

The speaker sees potential in good schools but criticizes the lack of explanation for why certain subjects are taught.

The speaker compares conventional education to vaudeville, suggesting it is outdated and not compelling.

Transcripts

there's no need even to have a college

degree

at all or even high school the

i mean if somebody graduated from a

great university that may be an indeed

that may be an indication that they will

be capable of

great things but it's not necessarily

the case

you know if you look at say people like

bill gates or larry ellison steve jobs

these guys didn't graduate from college

but if you had a chance to hire them of

course that would be

a good idea so

you know just looking just for evidence

of exceptional ability and if there's a

track record of

exceptional achievement then it's likely

that that will continue into the future

well first of all you don't need college

learning learn stuff

okay everything is available basically

for free

you can learn anything you want for free

it is not a question of learning

um there there is a value that colleges

have which is like

you know seeing whether somebody's is

can somebody work hard at something

including a bunch of sort of annoying

homework assignments

and still do their homework assignments

uh and and kind of soldier through and

and get it done you know that's

that's like the main value of college

and then also

you know if you you if you probably want

to hang around with a bunch of people

your own age for a while

instead of going right into the

workforce

so i think colleges are basically for

fun and to prove you can do your chores

but they're not for learning i want to

make sure tesla recruiting does not have

anything that says requires

university because that's absurd

but there is a requirement of evidence

of exceptional ability

like you just can't if you're trying to

do something exceptional they must have

evidence of exceptional ability i don't

consider going to college

evidence of exceptional ability in fact

ideally you dropped out and did

something i mean obviously

you know you look at like you know

gates is a pretty smart guy he dropped

out uh

jobs pretty smart he dropped out you

know larry ellison

smart guy he dropped out like obviously

not needed

did shakespeare even go to college

probably not

so how would you educate your five boys

actually i created a little school

yeah what kind of school could you

subscribe to us sure it's i mean it's

small it's only got 14 kids now and

it'll have 20 kids in

in september it's called ad astra which

means to the stars

that's maybe a bit different from from

most other schools

is that there aren't any grades there's

no there's no like not grade one grade

two grade three type of thing

and making all the children go and in

the same grade at the same time like an

assembly line

um you know because some people love

english or languages some people love

math some people love music and uh and

different abilities different times it

makes more sense to cater the

education to match their aptitudes and

abilities

i think that's one principle another is

that it's important to teach teach

problem solving or teach to the problem

not to the tools so this would be like

let's say um you're trying to teach

people

about uh how engines work or you know

you could start by

a more traditional approach would be to

say we're going to teach you all about

screwdrivers and wrenches and

and you're gonna have a course on

screwdrivers or caution wrenches and all

these things and it's

this is a very difficult way to do it a

much better way would be like here's the

engine

now let's take it apart how we're gonna

take it apart oh you need a screwdriver

that's what the screwdriver is for you

need a wrench that's what the wrench is

for

and then a very important thing happens

which is that the relevance of the tools

becomes apparent

so we are five boys in that school yes

until when

this is from pre-school so far it's only

one year old

they like it they like it yeah and you

want to keep them away from regular

schools

no i just didn't see that the regular

schools

just they weren't doing the things that

i thought should be done like you know

those two principles they weren't

uh adhering to those principles so i

thought well let's see what we can do

maybe

creating a school will be better and

i actually hired a teacher from the

school they were at

who also agreed with me that there was a

better way to do it seems to be going

pretty well

i mean the kids really love going to

school i think that's a a good sign

you know i mean i hated going to school

when i was a kid it was torture

so the fact that they like they actually

think vacations are too long

like they want to go back to school wow

yeah exactly i mean it's actually kind

of funny like like

um you know if you think you're like

what is education like you're basically

downloading data and algorithms into

your brain

and it's it's actually amazingly

bad in conventional education because

like it shouldn't be like this huge

chore

like the more you can gamify the uh

the process of learning the better like

for my kids i do not have to encourage

them to play video games yeah okay

i have to like pry them from their hands

like like crack

and i think unfortunately like a lot of

education is very bored brilliant

um you've got uh you know someone's

standing up there kind of lecturing at

people

and they've done the same lecture 20

years in a row and they're not very

excited about it and

that lack of enthusiasm you know is

conveyed to the students

that they're not very excited about it

they don't know why they're there

like why are we learning this stuff we

don't even know why um in fact i think a

lot of things people learn

probably there's no point in learning

them um because

they never use them in the future well

we have to say like

people i think don't stand back and say

well why are we teaching people these

things

and we should tell them probably why

we're teaching these things because a

lot of kids just

in school kind of puzzled as to why

they're there

and i think if you can explain the why

of things then that makes a huge

difference to people's motivation

and they understand they understand

purpose so i think that's pretty

important

uh and just make it entertaining but i

think just in general like conventional

education should be massively overhauled

and i'm sure you

very much agree with that but it's a

it's like

i mean the analogy i i sometimes use is

like

you've seen like batman like like the

chris nolan

movie like the recent one and it's

pretty freaking awesome right um

and you've got incredible special

effects great script

multiple takes amazing actors

and great sound and it's very it's very

engaging

um but if if you were to instead say

okay that

even if you had the same script so at

least it's the same script and you said

okay

now that script instead of having movies

where we're gonna have

that script performed by the local town

troop okay and and so

every in every small town america if

movies didn't exist they would have to

then

recreate the dark knight right you know

with like home

like home sewn costumes and like you

know jumping across the stage

and not not getting their lines quite

right and not really looking like you

know

the people in in in the movie and and no

special effects

i mean that would suck

[Music]

be

[Music]

[Laughter]

generally you want education to be like

as close to

a video game as possible like a good

video game like

you do not need to tell your kid to play

video games

they will play video games on autopilot

all day

so if you can make it interactive and

engaging

then then you can make education far

more compelling and

far easier to do so you really want to

disconnect the whole grade level through

the thing from the subjects

allow people to progress at the fastest

pace that they can

or interested in in each subject

[Music]

it seems like a really obvious thing um

i mean i think like most teaching today

is is a lot like vaudeville

where um and and as a result just not

not that compelling it's like somebody's

standing up there and lecturing to you

and they've done the same lecture

several years in a row they're not

necessarily all that engaged or

in doing it a university education is

often

unnecessary that's not to say it's

unnecessary

for all people but um i i think

you probably learn about as much or the

vast majority what you're gonna learn

there

in the first two years and most of it is

from your classmates

now for a lot of companies they they do

want to see the completion of the

degree because they're looking for um

someone who's going to persevere

and see it through to the end and and

that's actually

what what's important to them so it

really depends on what somebody's goal

is if the goal is to start a company

i would say no point in finishing

college

so i think that's how it should be and

it shouldn't be that you've got like

these grades where people move in

lockstep

and so everyone goes through you know

goes like normally

you know we'll go through english math

uh

science and so forth from like fifth

grade to sixth grade to seventh grade

like it's an assembly line

but but people are not objects on an

assembly line

that's a ridiculous notion they're

definitely some good schools out there

but i think the some of the mistakes

at least in my opinion that i see being

made in education is

that the teachers do not explain

why kids are being taught a subject

um you know just sort of get dumped into

math and like

well why are you learning math what's

the point of this it seems like some

you know for some people like maybe it's

like i don't know why i'm

being asked to do these strange problems

but you know the why of things is

extremely important

because you know our brain has evolved

to

not to discard information that it

thinks

is has no relevance so then if on the

one hand

you you're being asked to memorize or

learn

say formulas but you don't not know why

this is the case then you have this

cognitive dissonance

of it seems irrelevant but i'm being

told to remember it

so i'll be punished so so i better

remember it but

so the why of things is very important

and

picking kind of a problem and then

using various educational tools to solve

that problem

like using math or physics or economics

to solve that problem

is far more engaging than teaching the

tools