Beyond the binary definition of “Stupid” and “Smart” education: towards “Smupid” education?

Abstract This study examines the conceptual relationship between “smart” and “stupid” education binaries by moving beyond this simplistic opposition, tracing how broad scholarship constructs “smart education” and its antithetical complement. An analysis of smart education definitions reveals that the discourse is heavily weighted toward technological integration and personalization, while more recent formulations emphasize education as an overall ecosystem of values, policies, and practices. In contrast, definitions of stupid education reveal a complex and multifaceted critique of educational failure – encompassing systemic rigidity and uncritical techno-optimism. Notably, the same actors and stakeholders are identified as primary agents in both smart and stupid education, yet their roles and attributions are opposed. Such a perspective suggests that the smart/stupid binary is not a fixed attribute of actors but a dynamic outcome of their configuration in relation to all other actors in the system – how they are positioned, how they exercise agency, and how systems enable or constrain their contributions. Therefore, we argue and consider existing educational systems as smupid with four states (inept, benign, pernicious, and wise), depending on the degree of smart and stupid at the same time. We conclude by calling for more systematic thinking to increase smartness and reduce stupidity within these systems.