Day 143 — Speaking: Education & Learning（教育・学び）

Well, if I had to pick one, I'd probably say science — chemistry in particular. I just found it satisfying to actually see a reaction happen rather than only reading about the theory.

Honestly, it depends on what I'm studying. For memorising facts, I much prefer working alone, but for anything that involves discussion or problem-solving, group study tends to bring out ideas I wouldn't have thought of on my own.

Definitely. Back when I was at school, almost everything revolved around textbooks and the blackboard, whereas now a lot of learning happens through videos, apps, and interactive platforms. It feels a lot more self-directed these days.

I'd say practical life skills — things like managing money or basic cooking — because schools tend to focus so heavily on academic subjects that these everyday skills often get overlooked entirely.

Well, that's actually a pretty tricky question. I mean, technology has already replaced a lot of what teachers used to do, like delivering basic information, since students can now just look things up or watch a video. Right, I get that some people think this means classrooms will eventually disappear, but I'm honestly not convinced — a lot of what happens in a classroom, like debate and social interaction, isn't something a screen replicates very well. So, on balance, I'd say technology will keep changing how we learn, but I doubt it replaces the classroom entirely.

Now, this is one where I can genuinely see both sides. On the one hand, free tuition would obviously level the playing field for students who can't otherwise afford it. That said, someone still has to pay for it, and I do wonder whether unlimited demand without any cost might actually lower the overall quality of teaching. So, I'd probably lean towards some kind of means-tested system rather than making it completely free for everyone regardless of income.

Well, the obvious advantage is that it basically future-proofs you — industries change so fast now that the skills you learned at twenty are often outdated by forty. I mean, the downside, though, is that it can feel genuinely exhausting; there's a real risk of never feeling like you've actually finished learning anything. Anyway, I'd still say the advantages outweigh the downsides, especially given how quickly certain fields, like technology, are moving.

Right, I think this really depends on the subject. You know, for something like basic arithmetic, there's honestly no substitute for just memorising your times tables. But for higher-level problem-solving, memorisation alone gets you nowhere — you actually need to apply what you know to situations you haven't seen before. So, I'd say memorisation lays the foundation, but creativity is really what determines whether someone can use that foundation for anything meaningful.