Throw away the text books...

In the last post I outlined my dissatisfaction with the current education system and basically how it prepare us to be good little robots. Sapping all the inquisitiveness out of us rendering us susceptible to media and government brainwashing. You can read all about this in Pt 1 Rolling out the parrots.

There are many differing theories for everything would you not agree? Do you agree with everything you family or friends say? No it the answer! 

This being said then why are we teaching our kids there is only one answer to everything or one way to do everything?

 Take the history of man their are many  examples of communication between the Pre-Inca civilisations  and Ancient Egyptians yet this is said be be crazy talk. I am currently reading a book that scientifically details this evidence (a future  post there). I digress; but basically the point I am trying to making is evidence for this theory it's not mentioned in our schools, is should a least be discussed. My suggestion would be to encourage kids to explore all options, research and find the best fitting explanation that works for them. Not only would this encourage dialog between kids but also with their teachers; on top of making it fun.  I would go as far as to say scrap the name teacher and call them facilitators as they assist and direct learning. With this way of learning children would  more likely feel like doing it rather than copying of the board and repeating at the end of the year then forgetting. 

An example of this is when my ex's boy. He'd come back from school a (church of England school) saying about God and all the miracles he does (or was it Jesus?). One evening he was talking about Jesus walking on water. I asked him what he thought about it, the conversation went a little like this:

his reply "well he's Jesus" 

"ok so why does that make him special" my attempt at being diplomatic. While my ex was giving me that look of don't start the whole religion talk again he's five!

"My teacher was telling us today Jesus could walk on water cos he was the son of god" 

"OK what do you think"

"Well I can't do it"

"I don't think he was special, I think he was a clever man who taught people how to be wise also. But when people wrote about him, these stories got made more exciting to make a good book. I think there have been many like him" Then ex decided this is an opportunity to make a sharp exit and make a cup of tea"

"But only Jesus can walk on water"

"Well thats not strictly true" Cue a few videos of Shaolin monks walking on water 

"But my teacher said only Jesus could walk on water"

"what do you think"

"Well the men in dressing gowns can too, is my teacher wrong then?"

"No she just wants to believe one story and has not looked at other possibilities. In life you need to look at all the sides and make up your mind what is best for you. What you think is real" 

"But I like the baby Jesus not the older one, so can he be a baby one all the time, could he walk on water"

The ex comes in with the tea and says

"Ok reading time......"

"The thing is to remember is each person is different so sees and understands things differently , so no one is wrong they just have a different idea"

"Can I watch more Shaolin monks do things Jesus did and show my teacher tomorrow" I got a look here and it was my que to end this conversation with him.

My point from this was he saw there was another option and wanted to naturally share it with his teacher, this would create dialogue in turn leaning of both sides.  But our system does not allow this. Instead kids have to follow one idea and not question it. 

Another example is reading their have been many cases where children have been left and not pressured to read. Eventually they just start naturally. Again an example: the ex's boy. He struggled reading when he started school, they pressured him. We said just don't do it, dont worry. Then there was the parents evening where they were concerned we said were not bothered he will do it in his own time. Sure enough he started reading signs, asked what sounds letters made asking words. He would enjoy reading signs and looking for his favourite words on menus for example. Then his reading progressed and he became a great reader but the time he was six. We allowed him to explore it on his own when he was ready to he requested to learn and excelled.

All in all it needs to be the child's choice. We can teach the basics through play and everyday life. Like for example I used to take my ex's boy; I know I keep using this example, but it's the only one I have and can therefore explain it better from direct experience. So back to the example, I used to take him to the woods we would have fires and chop wood for the fire at home. He would at first just run around asking about trees and the likes or mainly animals, I answered what I knew then bought him nature books and told him to look it up himself or we would look it up together for what I did not know. Eventually he became interested in using the bow saw and axe; now he was only five or six at this point so obviously I did not give him a bow saw or an axe to himself but I taught him how to use it safely and facilitated him having a go. Once he wanted to know about making fires I taught him about what materials to use how to build, one about using birch bark as a light etc. With in this you can then implement maths counting etc, science also: for example the elements needed to make fire and so on.

The role of a teacher would then be to develop appropriate projects that cover the basics, but more importantly allow children to explore and find their own interest so later on in life they can identify a specialised subject to train in. This specialised subject would probably be taught in the traditional way without all the current restraints obviously. 

Which neatly brings me on to my final ish point about examinations! Why do we test children so young? I mean what is the benefit of testing a five or six years old? Other than making school league tables that is. Kids brains are still developing at this age and up to well some say late teens. All these tests do for the kids is create unnecessary stress and potential feelings of failure and inadequacy, I've heard of kids as young as five wetting themselves during these examinations, yer way to go thats going to develop them isn't it! Personally I don't think we need any form of examination until the children are specialising in a subject and even then it should be a practical test with a variety of formats verbal, written and practical, under relaxed real life conditions. In current examinations we dont represent real settings. Our brains will remember better in a natural setting we have been taught or where we will be completing the relevant tasks.

Personally I think homeschooling is the best option, but this is becoming increasingly difficult in todays culture. One because of the need to bring in the money (you could teach them to use Steem and earn their own money) and two the increasing number of countries and laws preventing this! I mean her in the UK you can home school but the government can check to see the level of education and force them to go back to school if they don't think your teaching the right things.

Well that's my idea and I am not expert on the subject or should you take my views with any authority. I did my best to teach when I was the farther figure and I hope if he remembers me and anything I said it's to question everything and listen to his instinct. When I have kids one day I will adopt as much of what I had discussed here as possible. And that folks is a wrap!

Also typed by my fair hands:

Two years on and she's not forgotten X

What happened to education.? Pt 1 Rolling out the parrots

Are we walking into the mother of all traps?