The thing is we're not particularly sure what we want from it

但我們並不確定我們想從學校真正習得些什麼

The aim of education should be to prepare us for the challenges of adult life

教育的目的應該要是，能讓我們為未來的大人生活做準備

Yet from this perspective it's clear that schools fail all but a tiny portion of their students

從這個角度來看，很明顯的，學校教育並不是很成功。但對於少部分的學生而言

Whether in highly academic private schools

不管是在私人的高等學校

Or in deprived government-run ones, trouble-dealing with life's challenges

還是在公立的學校，克服人生的種種挑戰

remains very widespread indeed

的確仍是非常廣泛的

Human ingenuity, energy, goodwill, and talent

人類的創造力、活力、友好和天分

is being lost on an industrial scale

已經大規模地喪失了

to get more ambitious about education doesn't necessarily mean spending more money

想要讓教育更有意義，並不全然代表是要花費更多的金錢；

building more schools, employing more teachers, or making exams more difficult

建造更多的學校；聘請更多的老師；或是讓考試變得更為困難

Rather, it should mean focusing more on the real purpose of education

相反的，這應該表示，需要更專注於教育的實質目的

There are two fundamental tasks it should help us with: working and sustaining good relationships

這裡有兩個最基本的任務可以幫助我們：建立和維持良好的人際關係

In order to address these needs a future national curriculum might specify

為了要實現這些需要，一個未來的課程或許會表示出

that the following subjects be studied

需要研讀這些科目

Firstly, capitalism

第一個：資本主義

A conspiracy of silence exists around the economic system we live within

沉默的共犯在我們的經濟社會中存在著

We find it hard to change its bad sides or defend its strengths

我們發現，很難將它不好的一面改變，或是防止它變得更加強大

because we simply don't fully understand how it works

因為我們不完全了解它究竟是怎麼運作的

A subject like maths should be geared to teaching its number one utility for 99% of the population

比如一個科目：數學。它被設計來教導 99% 的人口

dealing with money

如何處理錢財

Such classes would demystify the global economy

如此的課程可以解開世界經濟的神秘面紗

by teaching students the importance of the means of production and how profits are made

藉由教導學生生產的意義和盈利是如何產生的

The role of cashflow, HR leadership, marketing, and competition would also be studied

現金流、人力資源領導、市場和競爭的重要性也會被研讀

In a perfect school system, you'd also then study a really big second subject

在一個完美的學校系統中，你將會學到另一個非常重要的第二課題

yourself

你自己

Young students would be introduced to the idea that we humans

年輕學子或許會被帶入人們

are extremely prone to misunderstanding ourselves

極易傾向於誤解自己的課題中

They would be taken through the concepts of delusion, defensiveness

他們每天都會被帶入錯覺、防禦、

projection and denial in everyday life

推測和否認的思想中

Individual tutors would be on hand to help students toward personality maps

個人教師會在身旁來協助學生，帶領他們前往自己的專屬道路

with particular attention paid to their neuroses and fears

將格外的注意他們面對的恐懼

Doing this would ensure that students learn a lot

做到這個就可以確保學生學到了

about how complex they truly are

他們是如此的複雜

and what types of people they would be best suited to hang out with

還有，什麼類型的人是最適合他們交友的人

A crucial unit would be devoted to career self-knowledge

一個很重要的部分是：對於職業的自知

What job are you best suited to?

什麼樣的工作最適合你？

Students would spend three hours a week

學生每周會花 3 小時的時間

exploring what they might do with their futures

去探索他們未來可能會從是什麼行業

Then we would study relationships

接著，他們需要研讀「人際關係」

Being intensely aware of the social and individual cost of every unhappy relationship

能夠立即察覺每項不盡然是開心的人際關係的社會與個人代價

An ideal education system would emphasize

一個理想的教育會強調的是

the acquisition of skills that help people

能夠習得可以幫助他們自己

to live better together

可以擁有更好的生活的能力

There would be units on kindness and forgiveness

不僅友善和原諒會是元素之一

as well as on anxiety reduction techniques

而且減少焦慮的技巧也是

In this educational utopia, it wouln't only be children who would go to school

在這個教育理想國裡，不僅僅是小孩需要去學校上學

but adults as well

成人也需要

Schooling would be for life

終生學習

Education wouldn't just be taking place in classrooms

教育不只會在教室發生

media and the arts would be made to maximize their teaching potential

媒體和藝術畫作也有教育的功用

and help to teach people what they actually need to learn

幫助教導人們，什麼是他們最需要學習的

We're so hung up on the challenges of running a massive education system

我們太執迷不悟於要挑戰擬定出一個偉大的教育制度

we're failing to pinpoint the real source of its problems

我們失敗在找尋實際資源的問題上

These are primarily about money, salaries, or discipline

主要問題在於金錢、薪資和訓練

These are only a consequence of a more fundamental problem

這只是更多基本問題的結果

Right now and with no one quite meaning for this to happen

現在沒有人想讓這件事發生

we've simply got the wrong curriculum

我們只是制定了一個錯誤的課綱