Camping and the Future of Education
It was during a family camping trip several years ago that the idea hit me that downshifting might be a positive and beneficial thing to do. I realised, when preparing for our holiday, that the questions I was repeatedly asking myself were: “What’s the absolute minimum we need to take with us?” “What can we live without?” “What can I definitely not live without?” And this was not preparation for some kind of endurance test but rather for a holiday - a time of relaxation, enjoyment, simple family pleasures.
Last week, my youngest son and I spent another camping holiday at HESFES, having fun, learning lots and reminiscing with some old home educating friends. Having home educated my two sons for about 10 years, they are now both well past the rather inappropriately named “compulsory school age” and I am officially retired as a home educating mum (although I accept that home educating grandparenthood might be a possibility in years to come!). Last week was an uplifting reminder of the many simple, sustainable, humane reasons we had for quitting the system, of pursuing educational heresy, of entering the realms of the non-conformist.
On our return from HESFES, I found the latest issue of Permaculture Magazine waiting for me on the doormat. When I picked it up for a quick glance through , it fell open at page 56 and the star letter: “Our Abstract Education” by Elizabeth Perkins of Wiltshire. In her letter, 16 year old Elizabeth states “My first concern is that much of what I have been taught at school seems irrelevant when I consider the issues our planet is facing right now. The environment and climate change are like side issues, mildly interesting topics that make nice assemblies now and then, but not to be taken too seriously. I am taught abstract ideas which I know will not serve me in later life, despite what I am told.”
Whether we choose to home educate our children or send them to school, what will a suitable education look like that can help prepare the next generation for a more sustainable way of living and working?
Some ideas might be:
1. Smaller, local schools and family learning centres.
2. Prioritising sustainable skills such as growing and preparation of organic food, handicrafts and manual skills such as sewing, knitting, weaving, carpentry, metalwork.
3. Including small, local business management and basic organisation and administration skills.
4. More cycle and pedestrian routes to schools and learning centres.
5. Prioritising interpersonal skills that include non-violent communication, dialogue rather than debate, cooperation rather than competition.
6. Prioritising personal skills such as self-care, preventive medicine, personal empowerment and self-motivation.
What else would you add to this?
Last week, my youngest son and I spent another camping holiday at HESFES, having fun, learning lots and reminiscing with some old home educating friends. Having home educated my two sons for about 10 years, they are now both well past the rather inappropriately named “compulsory school age” and I am officially retired as a home educating mum (although I accept that home educating grandparenthood might be a possibility in years to come!). Last week was an uplifting reminder of the many simple, sustainable, humane reasons we had for quitting the system, of pursuing educational heresy, of entering the realms of the non-conformist.
On our return from HESFES, I found the latest issue of Permaculture Magazine waiting for me on the doormat. When I picked it up for a quick glance through , it fell open at page 56 and the star letter: “Our Abstract Education” by Elizabeth Perkins of Wiltshire. In her letter, 16 year old Elizabeth states “My first concern is that much of what I have been taught at school seems irrelevant when I consider the issues our planet is facing right now. The environment and climate change are like side issues, mildly interesting topics that make nice assemblies now and then, but not to be taken too seriously. I am taught abstract ideas which I know will not serve me in later life, despite what I am told.”
Whether we choose to home educate our children or send them to school, what will a suitable education look like that can help prepare the next generation for a more sustainable way of living and working?
Some ideas might be:
1. Smaller, local schools and family learning centres.
2. Prioritising sustainable skills such as growing and preparation of organic food, handicrafts and manual skills such as sewing, knitting, weaving, carpentry, metalwork.
3. Including small, local business management and basic organisation and administration skills.
4. More cycle and pedestrian routes to schools and learning centres.
5. Prioritising interpersonal skills that include non-violent communication, dialogue rather than debate, cooperation rather than competition.
6. Prioritising personal skills such as self-care, preventive medicine, personal empowerment and self-motivation.
What else would you add to this?
Add your View
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Comment by Sally Lever on September 29, 2009 at 3:44pm - Tony - with my small business marketing hat on, I'm curious to know what would be required for you to sell more of these books. Do send me a private message if you'd like to chat it through. Maybe there's something to be tweaked in your promotion plan or you're not quite reaching large enough numbers in your target market.
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Comment by Tony Mythen on September 22, 2009 at 4:53pm - The Antons promote most if not all of your ideas, in a fun and exciting way and help children achive a better quality of life, I first published the early learning books back in 1995 so why do i only sell one or two books a week, is it maybe that people realy dont care enough! for example i have been advertising and promoting them for months on this very site and i wonder how many people on this site who care have actualy took the time to look at the Antons for their children and the benefits they bring to us all, have you looked at the Antons? http://www.antons.co.uk There is a free e-story on the home page, please read it i would love your comments.
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Comment by Sally Lever on September 22, 2009 at 4:26pm
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Have just returned from being away on holiday and have enjoyed reading everyone's comments.
Couldn't agree more with you Roberta on what you say about schools losing their way and concentrating more on academics rather than vital skills. The balance seems to have tipped a bit too far in that direction. One thing I attempt to do with coaching clients is to help them to see that we are far more than just our minds. Whilst our minds can be very useful, they can also do plenty to sabotage us in following what our hearts yearn for by rationalising (rational-lies).
As Gary alluded to, there does seem to be this idea in schools that children have to not only come up with answers but "the right answers" and this then leads to youngsters learning to defer to the opinions of others rather than to value their own unique contributions. Think of the damage this can do to us in our adult lives! I enjoyed your account of your conversation with your daughter, Gary. A lovely demonstration of what it means to still be in touch with an approach that questions and challenges the status quo. Isn't that what helps us to grow?
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Comment by Gary Lennon on September 22, 2009 at 2:21pm
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For me education should be facilitating the development of the potential of the person. Nurturing and empowering like adding sunshine and rain is the pleasant (if sometimes challenging) duty of us as parents.
The time spent by adults 'adjusting' to real life after 11 - 20 years of systemised 'education' is fundamentally flawed. Teachers teach facts, Lecturers 'lecture' methods (and more facts). Couldn't employ 'enablers, enlighteners and entertainers' in our big system and let the 'person' come out thoroughly powered up ready for life?
I agree with the sentiments and suggestions of most of those already given, so only wish to add a few things to the posting:
1. Educate children about their life ahead and what it could be. Liberate them from historical experiences of parents, teachers, siblings, 'local' ways, etc. The technology is there to share "You could do this / be that / offer this / support these" and then create pathways to get there. (Careers Offices / Teachers should be given an empowered role, rather than a restrictive one)
2. Give children the tools and locations to create their own futures.
For example: Learn how to visualise, develop and select new ideas and engage with others to gain support and resources (personal favourite). Enable them to value their own opinion, how to give and receive feedback, be supportive and take the lead whenever it is apt.
Use schools as a 'safe' environment for protecting our children during the day, yet use the best elements of technology to allow them to be creative and facilitate what comes to them as important and valuable.
3. Fasttrack leaders, winners, entrepreneurs, socially able, communicators, ideas generators into groups, teams, projects, forums and whatever other groupings that are genuinely supported to bring about community beneficial, prosperity driven, generosity motivated activities that they believe in.
Probably a bit idealistic, or at a tangent, but it's all I could manage today!
One last thought. I suggested to my 8 year old daughter in a conversation about homework that it isn't important getting the answer right but to use the opportunity to explore in her mind different ways of looking at what the question meant that she could have a choice in how she answered it. I also said it doesn't matter whether she got 'it' right or wrong. She said "Daddy, I wish we were taught more like that at school" - I'm not inflating my ego, just makes me wonder why it can't be so.
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Comment by Roberta Rose on September 5, 2009 at 4:20pm -
I feel what happened in our institutions which we call schools is that they lost their way and concentrated on acedemics instead of vital skills,crafts, things that have a child grow into an adult who can create and love what they do in a sustainable manner.
Home educators or smaller schools would be far better and we can turn back the clock as you are just starting on your journey Trinto When children have access to education they can recover from conflict, as it empowers them by giving them skills, livelihood opportunities and hope for the future. Also schooling brings the youth to be off the streets, which can break down the infernal cycle of violence and conflict through their ability to be involved in building peaceful and prosperous societies.
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Comment by Pamela Ostrom on September 5, 2009 at 3:55pm
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Beautiful posts from everyone, thank you for all your words of inspiration! I am reminded of a saying, "Conceive, Believe, Achieve".
We do manifest the future -- and when we imagine a better future that our present circumstances, believe that it WILL happen and work with all our heart for it then that's what manifests.
Who among us imagined the internet? I read and article about how it was created -- by just a handful of research scientists looking for a better way to share information. And now, here we are connected around the globe in a network to support one another emotionally, spiritually and financially. And we're growing both in strength and in numbers.
I do not consider myself an optimist. I see myself as a realist who knows that when we see things as they are now -- all the sadness and the horrors as evidenced by Trinto's post -- and we ask the Universe for a better way...the Universe responds. Through US. The Universe responds by helping us help each other!
Thank you, Trinto, for the work that you are doing to make a better world for all of us. I am so happy to know that I am supporting your wonderful work through the Share Program!
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Comment by Sally Lever on September 5, 2009 at 2:16pm
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Trinto - I feel a mixture of extreme sadness and also hope reading what you have to say about the plight of children in war-torn countries. It must be absolutely awful for the them to be caught up in all that and especially when they're in their formative years.
Your four principles and premises make a lot of sense to me and I have every admiration for the work that you are doing to alleviate this immense suffering.
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Comment by Sally Lever on September 5, 2009 at 2:13pm
- Allan - thanks for your kind and supportive comments and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to spot your post!. Parents who home educate their children or send them to some smaller alternative schools do indeed have the confidence to support them in an education system that is largely free of testing and exams. Some do exams, for example they take GCSEs from home by corresponded course, or join Adult education when they're old enough. Some go back into school or college at 16 to do their GCSEs and further education in the system. The important difference here, I think, is that in these circumstances, the youngsters are engaging in the study for qualifications of their own volition. They tend to be well motivated then.
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Comment by Trinto Mugangu on September 4, 2009 at 6:22am -
I cannot agree more with you...I was writing today a grant proposal for orphaned children in eastern DR Congo and I came to the same conclusions as yours, here is the excerpt from it...Check our website at www.fondamu.org....and help us do our job for bringing children orphaned by warfare to school....
Ever since 1996, warfare has been sweeping out eastern DR Congo, especially in Ituri, North and South Kivu. About 5.4 million people died there from warfare and displacement. Many were victims of rape and human rights abuse. Children were orphaned and drafted in armed forces. Children lost out on their education and the opportunity to develop vital life skills. If the youth do not catch up on their education to acquire crafting skills, the warfare infernal cycle would continue unabated in DR Congo.
In 2001 villagers around Nyabunkungu near Walungu in South-Kivu started on their own to put the orphaned children back into school for fundamental & vocational education. Villagers built a makeshift school of 10 classrooms, out of banana leaves. In 2007 the Mugangu Foundation (FONDAMU) teamed up with the community to improve their learning and self-sustaining living conditions.
We learned the following four principles and premises that:
1. Family and community mutual help is the most effective mechanism through which the vulnerable orphaned children and rape victims can be protected against exploitation or abuse; and it is a fundamental stepping stone to help the vulnerable segments of society to move beyond for self sustaining livelihood.
2. Fundamental and vocational education is a basic right that children are drawn away from by insecurity and warfare. When children have access to education they can recover from conflict, as it empowers them by giving them skills, livelihood opportunities and hope for the future. Also schooling brings the youth to be off the streets, which can break down the infernal cycle of violence and conflict through their ability to be involved in building peaceful and prosperous societies.
3. Self-support of the youth along with their mastering and exercising a craft that procures a steady income, no matter how small it is, are essential for reducing poverty in the community and for recovering from war without resentment and lingering. Also steady income prevents young people from being exploited and thus they participate positively in family stable livelihood and resilience to the effects of war.
4. Marginalized youth can be one of the key drivers and fuels for warfare. Marginalization entails them to seek for enrollment in armed forces to own a gun with powers to steal people from their belongings.
All the best. Trinto Mugangu
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Comment by Allana Lane on August 5, 2009 at 2:41pm -
This is all amazing. I think there must be thousands of ex teachers out there Sally, who would love to feel valued again and contribute to some home teaching or smaller groups.
I wonder if parents would have the confidence to bring up thier kids without testing and exams. And I wonder if employees would shape up and smell the coffee. Pieces of paper,marks and ticks, don't tell us anything about what a child knows or understands. They just tell us what a child does not know!
I know so many people who have these paper degrees and other exams only to be working in some dead end job...because it's less stressful and that's where the money is.
I think running supportive courses as you do Sally, is just great.
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