The lengthy number of years that a person spends to finish his formal education might be frustrating. This frustration is possibly true for students and parents since it requires time and considerable resources.  

Some might neglect the early years of education and would tend to invest in the latter end of their educational years. Although high school and the collegiate years seem to have a bigger impact on a person’s future career, this is not entirely the case.

Middle school is incorporated by education experts in the country’s curriculum for hefty reasons. By “reasons,” here are a few of them.

1. Competencies Taught in Middle School

Curriculum can be defined as the totality of learning experiences. The learning areas to be explored within academic institutions are English, Languages, Science, Technologies, Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, and Arts.

Within these learning areas, students are expected to develop general capabilities such as: 

• Critical and Creative Thinking
• Ethical Understanding, Information and Communication Technology Capability
• Intercultural Understanding
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Personal and Social Capability

Contrary to the popular belief that learning is solely cognitive, there are three learning domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. With the overlapping and complex areas that address the needs of learners, it is necessary to have a middle school in formal education. Middle school encapsulates the teaching of competencies to avoid congestion in the curriculum.

2. Formal Operational Stage Transition

A key figure in education, Jean Piaget, presented his theory of Cognitive Development. This theory argues that children’s thinking and behaviors develop as they age. In line with this, he presented four stages in human cognitive development, namely:

• Sensorimotor (0–2 years old)
• Preoperational (2–7 years old)
• Concrete operational (7–11 years old)
• Formal operational (11 years old onwards)

Middle school caters to children aged seven to nine, aged 12 to 15. In this stage, abstract thinking becomes a norm in their cognition, arguably a key milestone in higher education. Therefore, it is integral to positively exploit the potential of the formal operational stage among learners. 

3. Differentiated Learning

The 21st-century education landscape hosts an increasing rise in the integration of differentiated learning in students’ learning experiences. Differentiated learning as a teaching approach enables learners in the classroom to explore their inherent intelligences. Here are the presented nine types of intelligence:

• Bodily–kinaesthetic
• Existential
• Interpersonal
• Intra–personal
• Linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Musical
• Naturalistic
• Spatial intelligence

Differentiated learning encourages students to accomplish tasks and represent their learning using their chosen media (arguably influenced by their type of intelligence). Middle School institutions of excellent quality will welcome diversity and facilitate omni-modal means of integral skill development.

Quality learning experiences help shape learners. Appreciating student diversity might also have a desirable intrinsic impact on students. So, choose quality institutions with lifelong impacts on learning.

4. Global Competitiveness

Among developed countries, 12 years of compulsory education (which excludes undergraduate studies) is mostly a shared denominator. By the ages of 16 to 18, students are expected to finish formal education in preparation for the tertiary level.

Without three years of middle school, graduates will fall short based on the international norm. Governments of developing countries are also striving to provide their graduates with ample educational training to adhere to global standards.

Uniformity with other countries regarding compulsory education is convenient for students who desire to study in foreign countries. Upholding the standard will reduce the chance of having conflicts in their educational requirements.

Furthermore, employment will not be hindered if graduates have sufficient formal education. Being well-equipped allows learners to rival and stand out from their overseas competitors.

Middle School is Indispensable

Tertiary education is a challenge for students. The demands of undergraduate studies are high and are difficult to meet, especially if students’ foundational skills are not honed. 

Formal education exists to prepare learners for the challenge of higher education. Skills are intentionally, progressively, and simultaneously introduced and taught as auxiliaries for further learning.

Middle school, in particular, enables learners to progress with the convenience of fun and explore their inherent potential. Therefore, quality middle school is a non-negotiable in pursuing future academic and employment excellence.

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