Capitalism... or a great way to predict your future?

The reason why I decided to post this video in my blog is because I feel it is important to question why we take standardized tests in the first place. I remember feeling the fear that the teachers and other students placed on me and on these tests. You have to do well. If you don’t, well you won’t get into a good college. If you don’t get into a good college then you can get a job. If you don’t get a good job, then you can’t make money. If you don’t make money, you won’t meet a girl. Basically, your whole life is determined by this one test. To be quite honest, it was nerve wracking.
Still, I’m trying to find why these tests? I feel that companies are making so much money off the study aides that they provide for the students. Just like in the video, there are even podcasts that you can listen to on your Ipod. The tests have snowballed into a multimillion dollar money making company that has become the standard for everyone. Not only do I hate the idea of people paying more money into Education, but I don’t like the idea that they already have this cookie cutter form that we must all try to fit in order to become so-called successful. Education to me has become conformity.
The same can be said about what kids do outside and inside of classroom sphere. Take graffiti for example. The students enjoy tagging stalls and walls all over town. Just like in the video the institutions see this as an opportunity to take what the students enjoy and put it in an institutional setting… let the students decorate the walls of the school with their graffiti or let’s use podcasts to sell our learning materials. It this education or a way of making money and forcing kids to conform to some norm?