This I believe: education should be viewed qualitatively, based on the principle that human actions cannot be graded on a number scale. I am an individual; I am unique; and I deny the constraints that hinder my creativity.

In school, my teachers are pleased. I am doing well, they say. But according to what rationale? Education has become a game- there are winners and losers, the competition is intense, and yes, you can cheat. I am one of the winners. I understand exactly how to manipulate the system to my advantage, gaining maximum points while expending minimal effort. I know how the deduce the correct answer from multiple choices every time; I know what critical information must be included in my essays in order to please my teachers.

Short of cheating, I am the very best at this game. A game that is said to involve knowledge- which I am beginning to doubt- and which definitely does not entail wisdom. When I reiterate the previous day's lesson in order to pass a test, there is no reason for me to understand the information; my “knowledge of class content” and therefore my grade is not affected by quick memorization. And within a week, all learning will have escaped my mind.

A high school diploma was once extremely valuable. But now it is merely a means to attend college- and college has become the only way to get a job. Once, humans used education to collaborate and create a better world. But now, I can see that education has evolved into a method of survival, a brutish tool in this selfish, competitive, and ignorant world.

This is not education, knowledge for self-improvement, a love of learning; this is a system that measures my ability to live up to another's standards, “playing the game” to ensure a decent future. Increased school days, homework, and testing will not fix this problem. But a respect for quality education and personal responsibility will. All I wish for is to be viewed as a person, not a number. I seek my own interests; I discover my own purpose; I lead my own life.