Prof Jiang’s Predictive History (The Story of Civilization, Secret History, Game Theory and more) Game Theory 2: Why Schools Suck
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Feb 6, 2026 A lively class dissects why modern schools often fail literacy, creativity, and attention. Game theory is used to map competing incentives among students, parents, teachers, administrators, governments, and colleges. Concrete reforms are described — seminars, student-run projects, and curriculum changes — alongside the institutional resistance and social forces that make lasting change hard.
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Who Really Controls The School Game
- Power in the school game is not evenly distributed: parents and teachers dominate because parents pay and teachers implement rules.
- Government and colleges are distant actors who claim ideals but often act for convenience or revenue.
Students Play To Please, Not To Learn
- Students attend school to please parents and teachers and to gain social status; learning is often secondary.
- Grades function as signals of pleasing authority and securing future comfort more than proof of mastery.
Parental Face Shapes Education Choices
- Parents prioritize face and social positioning over authentic education, favoring expensive international schools and visible markers like foreign teachers.
- Admissions and prestige matter more than classroom learning for parental decisions.