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The Oxford Dictionary defines intelligence as the "ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills." I think that definition is one of the simplest and most straightforward. However, the word "intelligent" has a wide range of meanings, as you can see by looking up its definition on Wikipedia.
However, there are two main components to intelligence:
- the first is gathering information or knowledge,
- and the second is using the information or knowledge gathered.
The aforementioned conditions must be satisfied for something or someone to be considered intelligent.
Take artificial intelligence (AI), for example. We refer to AI as artificial since it is not a natural phenomenon - it is man-made. It is referred to as intelligent because such devices or programs satisfy the criteria outlined above. To create information, artificial intelligence collects data, analyzes it, looks for patterns, interprets the results, and then utilizes the knowledge gained to address a specific issue. That's what AI does.
Human intellect isn't all that different from AI, I believe. The amount of human intellect also has to do with acquiring knowledge and putting it to use
Schooling and Intelligence.
Well, the term "school" is fairly wide and doesn't simply refer to primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions. Indeed, there are specialized institutions that develop certain human intelligence, such as business schools and finishing schools for women.
But I believe that for the sake of this conversation, we should restrict our discussion to the elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education.
Grades don't capture everything
One approach to assess someone's intellect at school is to look at their grades. One's perceived IQ level is assumed to increase with higher grades. Although intelligence tests based on grades are ineffective, this does not imply that the grades are meaningless or that they don't indicate anything.
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Imagine a class where everyone wrote tests honestly, without assistance, and had their answers fairly graded. The grades do indicate something, but they do not fully capture the intellect that a child, adolescent, or adult may possess
Because most schools, particularly those in underdeveloped nations, do not provide marks on subjects like art, music, or dance, they may not adequately reflect, for example, Michael's intelligence to perceive sounds and express them via dancing. However, given that writing, speech, and calculation make up the majority of school activities, it does reflect Mary's writing talent.
Beyond talking, writing and maths
But life goes beyond talking, writing, and math; it also encompasses the arts and the capacity to find solutions to issues outside the realm of books and papers. Therefore, it may be said that most students who do well in school are "book smart." And despite their alleged intellect, these so-called book-smart individuals could find it challenging to choose colours, solve a real-life puzzle, dress appropriately, cook, or engage in any other activity that is unrelated to reading.
Even though schools nowadays are changing, more extracurricular activities like athletics and the arts are being included and even graded. However, there is still a long way to go before schools can adequately reflect all types of intelligence. This is because certain intelligence can only be learned in certain circumstances; for example, you can't learn how to fish without being near a river or sea.
Uniqueness
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Each child's life is unique. Some people are considered intelligent outside the parameters of school, while others need to go through the educational system to develop their intellect.
Have you ever questioned why so many well-known scientists, artists, writers, actors, musicians, engineers, historians, and educators shocked the world with their intellect while never having attended a formal educational institution?
People like Michael Faraday, Henry Ford, Nikola Tesla, and Thomas Alva Edison are just a few outstanding examples of individuals who had little or no formal education yet nevertheless created amazing works that are studied in schools today.
To Educate
Schools merely serve to educate; they don't always produce bright people. What we do with our brains and how we approach problem-solving are two aspects of intelligence.
My conclusion
Schooling is a kind of branding. A branded product is more expensive and holds more value in the market than an unbranded one, but this does not imply that it will always perform better.