EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a transcript of a conversation by the reporters of the Devil’s Advocate after meeting as a group to discuss the research and interviews they conducted regarding the current state of education. These opinions are shared as a result of their findings and are not necessarily the personal opinion of the reporter. The criticism they heard, whether valid or not, sheds an important light on education today. (The Devil’s Advocate Reporting Staff)

During a recent editorial team meeting, we, the staff of the Devil’s Advocate voiced concerns that we have heard from students and from research we have conducted. This is the transcript of our reflections.

“The curriculum should take away some of the online stuff and let teachers have more freedom in their teaching. Teachers have to follow a very strict way of doing things, so they don’t get the freedom of doing their own thing. The more fun a teacher has, the more fun the student has, which shows when it comes time to test.” AG, senior

“Education has seriously gotten worse. Ever since covid started and ended, we have been attached to our phones and technology in the wrong way. There is absolutely no improvement and it’s just the same lesson plan format for each topic. It’s ridiculous. It’s more like we are forcibly fed AI.” AL, senior

 “To only give digital assignments and independent assignments, they should be giving students new things and new lesson plans to learn about instead of getting the same assignments and same lessons because if students are given the same assignments, and same lessons almost every time, it is boring and students will be disengaged.” APDP, senior 

“Concerns about modern education include dependence on technology, which can hinder critical thinking skills and contribute to illiteracy. These concerns are very prominent in teenagers, who worry that AI technology can lead to a decline in their intelligence. To address these issues, AI should be thoughtfully contributed into the curriculum and ineffective sites like Agile Mind which do not benefit students or teachers can be removed. Returning to traditional tests and quizzes on paper can help reduce cheating. Inform parents about social media and AI usage can help prevent students from using it. Blocking AI resources on school computers can prevent students from using AI and limiting computer-based curriculum may also be beneficial.” KB, senior

“Many students struggled with focus, motivation, and too much screen time. Some fell behind without in-person support, and not everyone had equal access to devices or the internet. Now, education is more of a mix using both classroom teaching and technology. Screens are still important, but there’s more awareness that balance, interaction, and real-life learning matter just as much. Even though we switch back to in-person classes, learning online is still used a lot and people still fall behind because they lose focus when they are against a screen.” LMF, senior

 “School needs to be more motivational and engaging. Schools can do this by adding extra breaks, such as recess and/or games in classes. Those games can be educational or not. Another concern is the use of AI and why. Many students resort to AI because they feel they don’t know the material taught in class. Students also use AI to get the assignments done quickly. There needs to be better time management done by teachers. Students have multiple classes with many assignments across the board. It can be stressful trying to get everything done in a week. Another reason students may feel unmotivated is because of the high use of technology for classwork. Personally, I learn better on paper. Many students feel the same way. It can be hard to focus on reading or learning material when the lesson is on a screen. Schools can improve this by bringing back physical books, paper tests, labs, and hands-on activities.” AR, senior

“Students are not the only people who are leaning on technology far too much; teachers are doing the same, and it is making everyone lazier. Taking away screens will increase literacy rates, more likely because of the effects it has on comprehension and attention span, on a psychological level. But the students’ level of enjoyment in schools will not increase. Taking away screens from students does not take them away from adults, like teachers and administrators, who will continue to lean on them for assignments and lesson plans. Engagement is what is most important to fix student performance…the evidence of the lack of enjoyment is most evident in ‘chronic absenteeism’. Students are not coming to school because it is monotonous and under-stimulating.” EA, senior

“The major concern about education is that they are streamlining for a one-size-fits-all approach. They are less likely to deviate from that path to help students who need it. This also increases the other major factor, student burnout. Schools and districts need to be conscious of this possible burnout and help to prevent students from becoming disinterested or bored. We need to increase student buy-in to the system by having better food, more options, and also more opportunities for fun.” EZ, senior

“One of the biggest concerns about education right now is the increasing use of AI in high school classrooms. It’s becoming really common for students to rely on AI to finish assignments, and a lot of that comes from pressure. Students are constantly stressed about getting good grades, keeping their GPA up, and meeting expectations for college. When everything feels like it’s about performance, it makes sense that some people look for shortcuts.” MD, senior

“Some teachers assign students too much work without thinking about what other classes the students might be taking and what they are doing outside of school, causing them to use AI or find answers online in order to finish the assignment on time. Furthermore, when the assignment gets too repetitive, or the teacher isn’t teaching the lesson, making the students search up the answers because they don’t know how to solve it. To make students thrive academically…school should try to make education more engaging, and let the students have some break times in between as well. When classes are more engaging, and the teacher is talking with the students, (they) tend to be more focused and enjoy the classes more. But when the class is just repetitive, without any engagement, (students) easily lack focus and get bored really fast ” SK, senior

 “The education system has become really bad after Covid. After being on computers for so long due to online school, and then coming back in person to learn to just be on computers again, wasn’t the best choice that they could’ve made…(many) believe the system isn’t just about learning, but more about passing the class. Kids tend to struggle and focus more on passing with the ChatGPT and AI coming into place because one, it’s  easier, and two, what is the point of doing the assignment if you don’t even want to teach your students and continue repeating with worksheet after worksheet, which also can lead to the use of AI?” JC, Junior