Formal Education and Success – Argumentative Essay

Formal education refers to the knowledge gained through learning and tutorials offered at school by teachers and educational professors. Success has been always everybody’s dream since the pre-historic days. No one would like to be referred as a failure while observing others prosper in life. Formal education is believed by many to be the path or the key to this success as it is regarded as the root of the knowledge applied in business, leadership and even performed other tasks such as invention of new things. Great inventions made by scientists are believed to have their basis in the formal education of which it enhances the relationship between formal education and success (Olson & Joann, 77). Therefore, it has become a trend of parents enrolling their children in school in the quest to offer them a bright future. However, it can also be argued that education is not all it requires to prosper in life. One can be a deficit of formal literacy and yet be a prosperous individual. There are many who never seen an official class, and yet they are recognized in the society as significant individuals. Didn’t individuals in the pre-historic eras possess leadership qualities? Didn’t they assets symbolizing how wealthy they were? And yet there were no schools then only informal education offered by elders to the children. Must a person possess the formal education to be a successful businessperson, leader or recognizable personnel in the society?

There have been great inventions made from the knowledge of the books of which symbolizes formal education. Individuals invented technology of which is the controlling factor in the world leading to globalization through the application of subjects learned at school such as physics. Through these inventions, the individuals have made significant steps to success by earning a lot of money from the knowledge and also becoming famous across the world. For example, Bill Gates invented computers through the application of knowledge learned from physics’ books making him one of the most recognized individuals and also he got rated as the richest person on the globe

(Young & Jeffrey, 25). Being a famous and also wealthy represents success and therefore Bill can be regarded as a successful businessman of which came through formal education. Other inventions have been made relating to the computerized devices such as applications installed on the devices. Most of the new inventions made through knowledge acquired at school and from schools. The legends behind these patents have become successful people and recognized by people using them. Therefore, a consensus can be made that formal education through inventions has made a lot of people successful; hence indicating that formal education is the key and the path to success.

In business, one must have the required qualities to be able to influence others and also have good management. Sound management skills are essentials in business to avoid inconveniences that can get caused by losses incurred or poor leadership; hence, to get successful deals in business one must have the needed qualities in that field. The knowledge required for a successful business are not inherited; therefore, it indicates that one must go through learning and of which is a formal education to gain the knowledge. One must read books relating to the subject to gain the knowledge of business needed for propelling to success (Olson & Joann, 75). Business involves employment and one cannot get employed without formal documents from recognized schools; therefore, indicating that without formal education one cannot be successful as being employed is an achievement in life and of which is a form of success. For example, one cannot be hired to work as a CEO of a company without valid certificates to proof that one has gone through formal learning. Therefore, formal education is a must factor to be successful in life.

Street children are regarded as failures in life since they own nothing. Most of them were abandoned as little children by their parents due to lack of finance to raise them; therefore they have never had a chance to go to school. Due to lack of formal learning they cannot seek for employment to cater for their needs unless there is the intervention of a second party to take care of them (Benjet & Corina, 413). It is clear that if they had formal education they would have looked out for jobs and also have the knowledge to look out for opportunities to be successful. Therefore, from a point of view of which is a fact, the street children lacks a sense of development and be successful people in life since they lack formal knowledge of which is a requirement.

However, the above points can be opposed in the argument that one does not need formal learning to be successful in life. Success comes in many diverse ways apart from school learning as one can acquire wealth through inheritance, use of talents and luck of which is for the few. During the era of pre-historic period, formal education was not applicable to people as they did not yet know how to enroll in school and get taught. Haven’t they made great inventions of which were significant achievements and a form of success in their lives? A patent achieved can be regarded as an achievement and during the evolution period many inventions were made ranging from farm tools to industrialization and yet formal learning had not been introduced. The people achieved many things such as making of ploughs cutting tools of which it indicates that they succeeded in formulating ways to make their work easier. Also, great legends behind the invention of first technological devices did not have a formal education when they achieved their patents. The scientists applied their knowledge acquired through interaction with the world to significant contributions to the successful modifications done on technological devices in the modern world. For, example Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in the 19th century through the application of observations done on the working of some tools (Beauchamp & Christopher, n.p). He did not require formal education to come up with the patent, and yet it can be referred as a success since other modifications done on the telephone derives knowledge from his work. Therefore, a consensus can be made that it is not a must to be formally literate to make a success in something.

Success can get derived from the application of one’s talent in performing a particular task. There are successful individuals in terms of riches and popularity in the world who have gained it through talents and not formal learning. Some of the most famous people are those expressing their talents and skills as a form of employment to their benefit and some to entertain others. There are individuals in the music industry who are recognized to be wealthy and popular of which it could have different if they were to consider their formal learning. It is clear that the individuals in question have achieved their success through talents and not formal education. Also, individuals in sports are successful through their skills such as boxing, playing soccer, rugby among others. For example, Floyd Mayweather of which is an American boxer became famous and wealthy through sporting (Schulberg & Budd, n.p). Therefore, it is evident that one does not have to apply formal learning to get successful as there are other means that can lead a person to success.

Therefore, the argument on whether must one apply formal education to succeed in terms of wealth, fame and achieving goals can be done using diverse point of views depending on the people involved and the time. Though it is an essential to success, it is, however, not a must to apply it as many have achieved their life’s objectives, become rich and famous through other ways apart from formal learning. Hence, one must not have school education to succeed.

In conclusion, it is evident that at some point formal education is applicable to succeed like Bill Gates did on his patent of computers but also one do not require it to achieve great things like the case of Alexander Graham. Other means apart from education can get referred to as the core or the path to success such as talents and skills since many have achieved significant things in their lives through them like boxers, footballers, and musicians. However, education is an essential in performing different tasks in life as it has an added knowledge other than the general one.

Works Cited

Beauchamp, Christopher. Invented by law: Alexander Graham Bell and the patent that changed America. Harvard University Press, 2015.

Benjet, Corina, et al. “Youth who neither study nor work: mental health, education and employment.” salud pública de méxico 54.4 (2012): 410-417.

Olson, Joann S. “Transitions from formal education to the workplace.” New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education 2014.143 (2014): 73-82.

Schulberg, Budd. Ringside: a treasury of boxing reportage. Random House, 2012.

Young, Jeffrey R. “A conversation with Bill Gates about the future of higher education.” The Chronicle of Higher Education 25 (2012).