Why not considering changes in the educational system?

he world of education is weighed

down with contentious concerns.

Undoubtedly, the documentary

film, ‘ La educacion

prohibida’, made an outstanding research

about the background facts on notorious

issues regarding elementary, middle and

high school. Its chief theme is to look into

the modern teaching methods screening not

conventional didactic experiences around

Latin-America and Spain. But a question

arises: is it possible to introduce a totally

new educational program? Speaking

personally, whilst watching the

documentary film I could make up my mind

and realized that it is possible.

Undoubtedly, if this new implementation

takes place in our country definitely it will

have great impacts. As it is stated by Albert

Einstein ‘I never teach my pupils, I only

attempt to provide the condition in which

they can learn’. I have an unshakeable

belief that Argentinean education is highly

rewarding in providing the individual with

a new educational system.

Sense of love, integration, respect and

freedom while discovering are the key idea

when learning. Current ways of learning

encompasses a traditional approach which

is accomplished by means of stress and

boredom. It is widely asserted that old

generations as well as the new ones are

equally educated in certain ways. In the

past, students were in charge of

authoritative professors that proclaimed

obedience and attention. All students in

orderly rows, with uniforms, and in some

cases boys and girls divided. The main aim

is to focus the attention in providing

children a good quality of living. As Angela

Camargo from Pachamama School

(Ecuador) declared, ‘here the curriculum is

set up in a road, and kids are who walk

down that road. First playing freely

(exploring, finding, investigating) and then

learning’.

Consequently, the

professor is not the

protagonist but the

kids.

The traditional educational system is no

longer meeting today’s demands. Schools

are not managing the way young people

learn. They are trained by inhabitants that

grew up before the internet era. Many

educators still require the skills to teach

modern youth in the way they are

accustomed to. It is time for a change.

Blogging and trying to foster autonomous

learning is the best way to change.

Institutions pretend scholars have the same

extra homework and the same time to

perform the entire subject as the curriculum

is set up. Lack of attention could be seen to

individuals’ opportunities instead of

developing each scholar his own interest

such as music, arts, language, math and

other dimensions.

T

However, there are those against the change

of the educational system. According to

opponents, they make a persuasive

argument that

scholars do not need

new schools;

instead, they just

need a little more

time at school.

Others declare to improve students’

achievement they need to do more

homework. Others utter that children not

only are more time in front of the computer

but are also inclined to play computer

games instead of reading. As Mary Dorr

affirmed on facebook, ‘Books give you

knowledge and knowledge gives you

power’. Of course everybody is entitled to

their opinion but, it is my firm conviction

that considering a new educational system

could be profitable for future generations.

All in all, undergoing education involves

different viewpoints. Taking into account

pleasure, love, integration, respect,

freedom: it is thought the less stressful

education is, the better for kids. Concerning

the fact of having technology and being

acquainted with it

is crucial for

learning. As

regards a new

educational

program, it is my

firm conviction that a change in the system

is well worth taking since it is actually

feasible. Finally, perhaps if those opponents

watch this documentary film, maybe they

will end up changing their opinion! Due to

the previous points, Why not considering

changes in the educational system?

By Daniel Alejandro Gomez.

Education in Argentina, an unresolved issue?

By Lais D. Büttner “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, do not adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” In the 5th century BC, the well-known Chinese philosopher, Confucius,

established the way out for the Argentinian conflict related to its constant failure in education. Ignorance, illiteracy, gullible population- is that what we must expect? Imagine a nation with those characteristics, because this is our students’ final destination with such an education. It is my firm belief that the educational system in Argentina hangs in the balance as certain aspects related to schooling need to be shifted out of a necessity which comes together with society’s development. One of the main aspects which are bound to be questioned has to do with the

infrastructure. From the educational point of view, this has to do with the basic

systems and services that are necessary for a country or an organization to run

smoothly, for instance buildings, water and power supplies. Obviously, Argentinian

schools lack these three basic amenities. Most buildings remain from the 1800’s

when Sarmiento officially inaugurated them without mentioning that in those

times electricity generation was a privilege for a few. Coldness in winter and heat

in summer days contributes to prevent students from concentration and promote

bad behaviour. The educational budget for infrastructure from 2008 to 2011 was

supposed to be $1934 million in order to finance this shortage schools. Up to

March 2012 only $633 million were used according to the province political party

that governs the different provinces. To name just a case, Buenos Aires has

received only 13.66% from what it was promised in 2008. Because the classroom

atmosphere creates the ideal set for any acquisition, infrastructure should be a

topic to be under consideration urgently. Is it fair for students and teachers to

deal with this lack of investment?

Another point that should be taken under consideration has to do with the question of the educational superstructure which needs to be radically changed. The system itself comes to be outdated and inefficient. As a proof of this, not only apathetic students but also reluctant ones can be witnessed in everyday classrooms due to the boredom they experience in many lessons. At any rate, as far as I am concerned, the existential educational law currently in force covers all these aspects previously mentioned though they are not put into practice.

People in general think conductivism keeps on being an icon in education leaving

behind the vital changes of the 21st century students. Therefore, education will

not change until we recognize and challenge its central role as a superstructure

which legitimizes the base of our society.

However, and unbelievable as it may sound, there is a certain percentage of

people who oppose this viewpoint. This opposition seems to have its base on the

Educational Law slogan: “...time for equity and quality”. Although it sounds good,

it is far to be in practice. It would be worth to mention the netbooks availability

for those who are in inferior circumstances, the Encuentro channel which

provides interesting facts and historical resources or on-line courses for free.

Nonetheless, while it is highly acceptable that all these resources do contribute

to optimize the process of education, it is completely out of the students’ reality

with no internet connection nor TV at home and, in the worst of the cases, not

even electricity at school!!

To finish with and because of my long interest in education and my experience in

the field, I would like to call your attention to Confucius´s quotation once more:

it is obvious that the educational system is not reaching the goals and this may

be due to the mismatch between real needs and the government priorities. What

can we do, if anything, about education? Are we the ones who are supposed to

make the difference?

By Exequiel Dornelli

a educación prohibida is a movie that struck the educational community since it pointed out

several examples of flaws that have never been considered before. One of these is the critique towards the rigidity present in every single aspect of the whole system, from timetables and physical space to even the classification by age of the students. Is it possible to rearrange everything from the very foundations without ending in chaos? Are we prepared to undergo these drastic changes? It is my firm conviction that these revolutionary ideas are inconceivable because our society is a solid structure. It does not allow extreme changes and these new approaches would take such a long time to be developed, that their efficacy is not even possible to be estimated.

Many attempts have been made throughout history, without success, to reform educational systems and paradigms. Yet plenty of individuals could not adapt themselves into these utopian visions. In a way, whenever the stability of a system is threatened, a sense of disorder is perceived and this indubitably affects society as well. Education

should definitely prepare youngsters to life, taking into account the current reality in which we are immersed. And the reality in our case is that specific roles and positions are already established; and that is something not to be disturbed.

The New School is the latest innovation in pedagogical theory, but as the famous saying goes: “all that glitters is not gold”. Certainly, this is not the first revolutionary discovery in which many hopes are pinned to. But that is the point: the new always looks better. Positivism is undeniably necessary, but progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged since some worthwhile dimensions might be lost in the track e.g. curricula organization or age classification. As teachers of English, we are reliable witnesses of the history of our profession and the excitement caused by the subsequent new teaching methods. This feeling may be an explanation to all the hope raised by the New School.

Nevertheless, a significant percentage of the population fiercely opposes to preserve our

L

educational system as inflexible as it is nowadays. The New School has been proved to be successful in a few countries and the hope remains. It offers freedom to the individuals, respect towards diversity and an incredible flexibility as regards organization in the educational field. It should be stated that the effectiveness of such radical approach cannot be equally applied in different contexts, since it has been tested only in places with plenty of economic opportunities and resources (something still unknown in our area). What’s more, given our day-to-day reality, can our government afford to invest massive amounts of money to cope with such diversity?

To sum up, which is the path our schools should follow? Without any doubts, I daresay that schools are formal institutions that necessarily have an inflexible structure which corresponds to life in society. It is true that improvement most of the time comes with change, but we should no longer pursue a change only to try something fresh as we risk to lose already effective aspects. Charles R. Swindoll once asked about the concept of change said:

“We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude”

What if our attitude towards our current system should change and accept it as something worth preserving.

Education and Education and Education and Education and school:school:school:school: Are they synonyms?Are they synonyms?Are they synonyms?Are they synonyms?

By Yoana Robol

An article written by a specialist

in education states that ¨Education

must promote the desire, the

willingness and the joy to learn¨.

This is a true nature that schools

should take for granted in order to

not only promote academic subjects

but also instill values, confidence

and ways of facing life into learners’

personal integrity. Education and

school are not objectively viewed as

synonyms owing to the fact that

schools impart didactic knowledge

without pondering learners’ human

integrity. In other words, schools do

not educate for life. To what extend

school and education have

something in common? I am totally

convinced that although education’s

aim is forming individuals to confront

everyday problems and situations,

schools are not completely

concerned about and therefore they

are not seen as equal to education.

Education is a continuous process

of learning dissimilar fields that go

beyond academic subjects,

however, schools set limits when

teaching learners. Since people are

born, education prevails in familiar

and external environments. Then, it

goes on at schools where teachers

are supposed to generate motivation

and interest, educate for everyday

situations and help learners to be

better in life. It happens to be the

issues that schools are not

concerned about. Education is what

allows students to relish challenges,

freedom, ideas and moments

wherever they take place. Creativity

develops students’ willingness to

discover innovative and unknown

facts that life presents them daily.

Furthermore, education, being a

space of discovery, limitless, joy,

self understanding, harmony and

experiential learning, shapes

youngsters’ future. A common

misconception arose when the

debate about education at school

revolves around society and affects

offspring and families. As Donald

Walters affirmed ¨The goal… is to

teach children the art of living, while

giving them, in addition, the

knowledge imparted by a

conventional education¨.

If schools do not exceed the system

restrictions, how may education be

connected to schools? Again, it is

affirmed that school has nothing to

do with education itself. Apparently,

the grim reality depicts that schools

are not prepared for forming future

creative individuals. According to

many articles published in ¨La

Nación¨ Newspaper, two reasons

are listed. The former states that the

matter pertains to the educational

system established at schools.

Syllabuses are concentrated in

contents that provide learners with

basic and traditional subjects such

as Math, Biology and Foreign

Languages. Society has changed

and therefore, education has

advanced and altered its methods of

learning. Right of freedom, choice

and expression are demanded by

students, rigid ideas and rules

require being removed from modern

schools. The situation calls for

innovative fields as well as novel

methods to be applied to the

lessons. As regards the second

justification, when teachers’ vocation

is not the real one, acts of will are

not carried out and success in

students’ process of learning is not

fulfilled. Most teachers take the

teaching profession as a job only

and thus, negative consequences

are not reckoned. It may be thought

that emotion, enthusiasm, idea, joy,

truth and view are not conveyed by

most tutors. As Albert Einstein

phrased, ¨It is the supreme art of the

teacher to awaken joy in creative

expression and knowledge¨.

Nevertheless, some educational

authorities and tutors claim that

school system should be aimed at

restrictions otherwise learners’

inappropriate and impulsive

behavior could not be regulated. It is

a coming back to the traditional

school in which the only one who

spoke was the teacher and students

were passive. Neither freedom of

choice nor freedom of expression

was allowed. Learners worked in

activities under pressure in a limited

time. Some conventional teachers

are reluctant to accept the reality.

Today, learners are the active

protagonists. How are teachers

going to induce children to learn if

they do not maintain interest,

motivation, emotions and freedom

during the lessons? Education is

totally different to what it was in the

past and innovative tutors should

reflect on.

Undoubtedly, today education

occurs in every existent context and

is acquired throughout discovery,

creativity and willingness. Currently,

schools do not pursue the common

aim of educating for life. The system

continues operating equally and

fundamental alterations could not be

undergone. What matters is the

creation of an atmosphere where

students learn with enthusiasm

discovering unknown facts and

without limitation expressing

themselves their unease. By

analyzing the situation and thinking

over the satisfactory outcomes,

education and school should be

taken as synonyms as well as

operate cooperatively. If this

adjustment is absolutely potential,

why not extend education beyond

schools syllabuses

Are students from secondary schools prepared to

face society demands?

By Mariana del Valle Aguirre

Bill Gates, one of the most famous and successful American businessman, founder of the most important leader computing companies in the world, once gave a speech to graduates from high schools about “how feel-good, politically-correct teachings created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.” Do you consider this happens in our country as well? This matter leads to many questions as regards the kind of models we, as society require. Bearing in mind real facts shown nowadays on this generation comparing to my own, fifteen years ago, I reckon that you will understand my point of view. In fact, it is my firm belief that failures faced in society could be led by the lack of educational politics and commitment among teachers-learners-parents.

Students from secondary schools are not prepared to face society demands due to the fact that the government is not taking part in a responsible and accurate form. For instance, having a Minister of Education who needs to be aware of the assignments of necessary resources, who should be able to understand the nature of educational activities and develop with efficiency the functions of plannings, decisions, organizations, control and motivation being in the position of a teacher inside a class dealing with learners, makes me doubt whether he is able to handle

countless demands connected to issues such as weak classroom managements as well as the lack of respect for authorities in educational institutions. Being able to influence decisions that affect a country or a society as regards education, seems to be quite a challenge! Well, it is indeed true that especially our society needs to have a prime educational politics due to the fact that with this one, the single production, distribution and also the merely academic knowledge would turn into something obsolete.

Another fundamental issue which should be changed is the lack of commitment of parents-teachers-learners. Just to let you know something which used to happen in the past, when students got bad written reports on their copybooks, their parents told them off for having bad behaviour or low marks, and talked to the teacher apologizing because of their children. Nowadays, the students do the same, but this time, their parents tell the teacher off for doing they do not clearly know what, to their children. Perhaps, now parents mistakenly think that their children’s education is a task for schools only, which is not true at all. Education begins at home! As regards learners, the concept of independent learning is vanishing. Moreover, learners had lost their routine of studying by their own. Most of them find it difficult to do it without supervision.

Parents seem not to follow students’ homework at home though they are always ready to criticize teaching techniques at schools.

On the contrary, there are people who are convinced that adolescents are prepared for the future to come, for instance, “Greenpeace”, one of the most environmental organizations in the world, is formed by a group of teens who are willing to help animals in extinction and nature itself. However, something that is out of question is the fact that there is still lack of commitment among the “necessary triangle” such as the teacher, learner and parents as it is seen nowadays. The only way of realizing about this

issue is paying attention and following the students’ development at school.

To sum up, my only concern to outlook a nearest future is that those matters might look like dominoes; once you begin doing something right, it is certainly going to achieve an expected goal; however, if you begin it in the wrong way, it will never reach or either fulfill it. Having the luck of a good education ruled by a prime educational politics and commitment among teachers-parents-learners which is indeed something feasible, I am quite sure it will be likely to relish an affluent country with successful professionals in the future.

Does Society’s evolution considerably influence the educational

system?

By Noelia Alegre Balbi

Throughout time the national

educational system adopted different

ideas, subjects and modalities from

foreign countries. Terms like CALL,

NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)

and ICT appeared in the educational

system in the last years, (…) is

Argentina’s society prepared for these

advances and adjustments?

Understanding how society develops

and grows is extremely significant

before applying changes in the

educational system. Through research

on methodologies, theories,

pedagogical approaches and fresh

ideas, the quest for full development of

human faculties and a better world,

have been discovered. Not only foreign

educational ideas but also new

technologies and resources based on

society’s necessities had provoked

radical and abrupt changes. It is my

firm belief that society’s evolution has

considerably influence the educational

system.

Through time, foreign educational ideas

were adopted and incorporated by the

national scholarly system according to

the society’s needs. Federal Education

Law, for instance, was amended from

Spain in 1994. As the film “La

Educación Prohibida” established:

“[…] foreign models are emulated to improve

education but this action has not prevented

the numbers of school as social realities are

[…]”

For many decades the traditional

education was essential for

Argentineans. However, at the end of

the twentieth century, Argentina met

with the new generation achievement.

Nowadays, the country depicts an

uneven development and social

differences dramatically deepened.

Argentinian society needs

contemporary and stimulating ideas

about education. The social

requirements are taken into account,

and also innovative brainwaves

provoke enormous influence in the

national educational system.

The introduction of ICT in different

activities not only involves performing

the actions through other channels, but

it also implies profound changes in

habits, procedures and the amount and

quality of information, which ensues in

deep transformations. Some people

describe those changes as paradigm

shifts; as a complete and utter move

from one era to another, from the

industrial to the knowledge society. The

updated and accurate knowledge is not

only in a limited number of areas of

wisdom, but it also arises in network

societies. You tube, E-mail , Google,

Apple, Blog, for instance, are brand

new terms which depict the citizens´

necessities to acquire tools and skills

that enable them both to use and

produce cognitive, critical actions, and

to be aware of the abundance of data,

in order to apply these concepts to

different contexts and learning

environments, and build relevant

knowledge based on them. Society’s

development through time, affects the

educational system.

On the other hand, supporters of

traditional models claim that the

society’s changes should not affect the

education. The educational actors, such

as teachers, students, and the

educational project, are prepared for

transformation. Apart from that, the

Argentine educational system follows

the foreign countries footsteps, such as

Spain, where the educational systems

are ready for the society progress.

However, I believe that society’s

evolution has considerably influence in

the educational system.

To sum up, I would like to restate the

fact that society’s evolution have

strongly influenced the educational

system. The population necessities to

incorporate new tools, to communicate

and to work are some of the reasons.

We are able to see the needs in our

students. They are who help us not only

to incorporate innovative ideas but also

to improve the educational system. A

possibility of improvement has been

presented by the arrival of new

technological developments and

methodological theories from different

parts of the world.

Essay ►‘Does school allow diversity among Ss?’

As Nelson Mandela once stated ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which

you can use to change the world’, education in schools is said to be highly

beneficial for every human being. However, can we regard education as a

weapon the way it is nowadays approached by school? One of the main

purposes of education is to improve the good quality of life in all its aspects by

considering, for instance, that each individual is unique and different from the

rest. As regards skills, schools should focus on the enhancement of all the

abilities so as to be developed to the full. Likewise, schools in Argentina

normally fail to include all the issues related to skills that would lead education

to a change in paradigm. Moreover, it is my firm belief that argentine school is

far from allowing diversity among scholars by getting rid of the current

philosophy concerning education. School in Argentina should start considering

a change in its curriculum in terms of diversity.

The fact that most teachers do not usually focus on all the skills the students

possess is an approach to be taken differently as regards educational issues.

‘Students do not think’ is a phrase commonly heard nowadays when referring

to the intellectual skills pupils display. But are they actually taught as it is

expected in the 21st century? Reading habits, understanding linguistic

expressions and critical thinking are some skills the majority of students lack

nowadays when dealing with a piece of text. One of the problems that prevent

students from developing such skills is that they are not usually taught in a

comprehensible fashion. When asked to compare pieces of texts, students are

not normally given guidance concerning the process required in order to handle

them quite properly. So students are exposed to an educational system in

which they are asked to perform a certain task but not provided with an

explanation. What is more, this fact leads most teachers to deviate from the

skills referred to and focus on others in which students are more likely to

succeed such as creativity or management of technological devices. In turn,

these teachers generally reward students for performing better than others,

which further confirms the rejection of diversity in schools. As it can be

noticed, in order to face diversity, Argentine school should include all the

issues regarding skills so as to deal with education appropriately.-

Due to the traditional approach presently used, the school in Argentina

generally neglects to favour diversity among students. Most schools in

Argentina take a teacher-centred approach rather than a student-centred one in

which they would feel actively involved thus avoiding development of the so-

called skills which ensures acceptance of diversity. In the present world the

model of knowledge is focused on research and development, knowledge that

is valid based on explaining reality and finding solutions to problems. In this

way students will be able to start constructing their own learning thus

displaying the skills which accompany the 21 st century students’ needs such

as the so-called Kinesthetic learning. Students who have a predominantly

kinesthetic style are thought to be discovery learners: they have realization

through doing, rather than thinking before initiating action. Currently, it is

required a school which teaches knowledge, but also focuses on learning

related to problem-solving of everyday life. This means that the traditional

method should aim at a more pragmatic view so that students will be likely to

increase their present competence in a wide range of skills. Nowadays

education is expected to promote competence, which is far more complex and

goes beyond common knowledge. It might seem to be an arduous task

provided that Argentine schools are intended to embrace diversity in their

curriculum so as to put aside the conventional method.

On the other hand, proponents of opposing views argue that it is necessary to

keep on applying the traditional approach. Such views are based on the fact

that focusing on diversity through the different skills is not what really matters

since it would be some kind of counterculture. These individuals argue that if

students are taught with the so-called ‘New Paradigm’, education would be

undoubtedly in the wrong direction. It is also claimed there would be no point

of attending school if the new approach of the 21 st century focuses just on the

skills that go beyond the actual contents taught at school. It is alleged students

in schools should be taught all equally and not given the possibility to think

differently, otherwise the school would become too much inclusive.

Irrespective of the opposing views, following the traditional approach and

teaching students equally is not to benefit them whereas allowing diversity by

concentrating on all the skills is bound to be rewarding for argentine education.

All in all, there are several matters to go on reflecting upon education in

Argentine schools. There are currently numerous challenges as well as the

need to take joint action. It is vital for the future of our society and mainly the

students to devote considerable effort by going deeper into the nature of

educational issues as well as setting guidelines in order to transform the

educational system profoundly. The first step to take is to reckon that assent of

diversity is of the utmost importance. It is not enough to improve the current

education but to radically transform it. A question arises: Can we really expect

the school to put aside the conventional approach and take on the challenge of

education in the 21st century?

by Sergio Fernández

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ssaammee wwaayy,, aatt tthhee ssaammee

ppaaccee?? TThhee mmeetthhooddss,,

tteecchhnniiqquueess aanndd ccoonntteexxttss

eeaacchh oonnee ooff uuss nneeeeddss

dduurriinngg tthhee lleeaarrnniinngg pprroocceessss

ddiiffffeerr.. TThhee bbeelliieeff tthhaatt

eevveerryyoonnee ccaann pprroocceessss tthhee

rreecceeiivveedd iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn,, aanndd

ccoonnssttrruucctt tthheeiirr oowwnn

kknnoowwlleeddggee eexxaaccttllyy aass mmoosstt

ooff kkiiddss ddoo,, iiss cclloosseellyy

rreellaatteedd ttoo oouurr eedduuccaattiioonnaall

ssyysstteemm ffooccuussiinngg oonn

sscchhoooolliinngg iinnsstteeaadd ooff ttrruullyy

ssiiggnniiffiiccaanntt lleeaarrnniinngg;; aanndd

aaiimmeedd aatt rreeaacchhiinngg

hhoommooggeenneeiittyy bbyy ssuuppppllyyiinngg

eevveerryy ssttuuddeenntt wwiitthh aa lliittttllee

bbiitt ooff iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aabboouutt

eevveerryy ssuubbjjeecctt wwiitthhoouutt

nnoottiicciinngg tthhee iimmppoorrttaannccee ooff

hhiigghhlliigghhttiinngg ssttuuddeennttss’’

uunniiqquueenneessss aanndd ddeemmaannddss

iinn oorrddeerr ttoo ooppttiimmiizzee

lleeaarrnniinngg.. IItt iiss aa wweellll

kknnoowwnn ffaacctt tthhaatt tthhoouussaannddss

ooff cchhiillddrreenn hhaavvee bbeeeenn

eexxppeelllleedd ffrroomm oouurr

eedduuccaattiioonnaall ssyysstteemm,, ssiinnccee

tthheeyy ddiidd nnoott ssuuiitt tthhee

rreeqquuiirreemmeennttss ttoo kkeeeepp ppaaccee

wwiitthh tthheeiirr ppeeeerrss,, wwhheenn iitt

wwaass tthhee eedduuccaattiioonnaall ssyysstteemm

tthhee oonnee ssuuppppoosseedd ttoo aaddaapptt

ttoo cchhiillddrreenn’’ss ddeemmaannddss..

BBeeaarriinngg iinn mmiinndd tthhee

tthheeoorryy ooff mmuullttiippllee

iinntteelllliiggeenncceess wwhhiicchh ssttaatteess

tthhee ffaacctt tthhaatt eevveerryy

iinnddiivviidduuaall oowwnnss aa

ddiiffffeerreenntt kkiinndd ooff

iinntteelllliiggeennccee iiss vviittaall..

DDiivveerrssiittyy iinn tthhee ccllaassssrroooomm,,

aass wweellll aass ssttuuddeennttss’’

aabbiilliittiieess aanndd iinntteerreessttss,,

mmuusstt bbee rreessppeecctteedd aanndd

eennccoouurraaggeedd.. IInn tthhee wwiissee

wwoorrddss ooff PPllaattoo,, 442288 BBCC --

334488 BBCC::

““DDoo nnoott ttrraaiinn aa cchhiilldd ttoo

lleeaarrnn bbyy ffoorrccee oorr

hhaarrsshhnneessss;; bbuutt ddiirreecctt hhiimm

ttoo iitt bbyy wwhhaatt aammuusseess hhiiss

mmiinndd,, ssoo tthhaatt yyoouu mmaayybbee

bbeetttteerr aabbllee ttoo ddiissccoovveerr wwiitthh

aaccccuurraaccyy tthhee ppaarrttiiccuullaarr

bbeenntt ooff tthhee ggeenniiuuss iinn hhiimm..””

AA ccoommmmoonn kknnoowwlleeddggee ffoorr

eevveerryyoonnee;; tthhee iiddeeaa ooff

eevveerryyoonnee bbeeiinngg ttaauugghhtt tthhee

ssaammee ddooeess nnoott rreessppeecctt

ddiivveerrssiittyy eeiitthheerr.. TThhee

kknnoowwlleeddggee wwee aaccqquuiirree

sshhoouulldd bbee ssiiggnniiffiiccaanntt ffoorr

uuss.. NNoott oonnllyy aarree wwee

eesssseennttiiaallllyy ddiiffffeerreenntt ffrroomm

oonnee aannootthheerr,, bbuutt wwee aallssoo

ppuurrssuuee ddiiffffeerreenntt ggooaallss..

TThheerree iiss aa ppooiinntt iinn lliiffee aatt

wwhhiicchh eevveerryyoonnee,, ssoommee

eeaarrlliieerr tthhaann ootthheerrss,,

ddiissccoovveerrss wwhhaatt tthheeyy wwaanntt

ttoo ddoo aanndd wwhhoo tthheeyy wwaanntt ttoo

bbee iinn tthhee ffuuttuurree aanndd ffoorr

tthhee rreesstt ooff tthheeiirr lliivveess;; tthhaatt

““DDiirreecctt hhiimm ttoo iitt bbyy wwhhaatt aammuusseess hhiiss mmiinndd””

iiss tthhee mmoommeenntt wwhheenn oonnee

eexxaammiinneess tthhee ttoooollss

aavvaaiillaabbllee ffoorr mmaakkiinngg oonnee’’ss

oowwnn ddeessttiinnyy.. EEdduuccaattiioonn,, ooff

ccoouurrssee,, rreessiiddeess iinn tthhee ffiirrsstt

ppllaaccee.. BBuutt,, rreefflleeccttiinngg oonn

oouurr eedduuccaattiioonnaall ssyysstteemm……

ddooeess oonnee lleeaavvee sscchhooooll bbeeiinngg

pprreeppaarreedd ffoorr ffaacciinngg tthhee

aarrdduuoouuss cchhaalllleennggee tthhaatt

cchhoooossiinngg aanndd ccoommpplleettiinngg aa

ccaarreeeerr rreepprreesseennttss?? AAss iitt

wwaass oonnccee ssaaiidd,, tthhiiss ssyysstteemm

ooff oouurrss iiss nnoott bbuutt aa ““ssyysstteemm

ooff iinnddooccttrriinnaattiioonn””,, aanndd

wwhhaatt cchhiillddrreenn aarree ttaauugghhtt

iiss ““aann aammaallggaamm ooff ccuurrrreenntt

pprreejjuuddiiccee aanndd cchhooiicceess ooff

tthhiiss ppaarrttiiccuullaarr ccuullttuurree””.. IItt

iiss ppiivvoottaall ttoo bbeeaarr iinn mmiinndd

tthhaatt wwhhaatt iiss ccrruucciiaall ffoorr

oonnee,, mmaayy bbee aabbssoolluutteellyy

eexxttrraanneeoouuss ttoo mmaannyy aanndd

vviiccee vveerrssee.. PPllaannnniinngg aa

ccuurrrriiccuulluumm ffoorr eeaacchh

ssttuuddeenntt wwoouulldd bbee

ccoommpplleetteellyy uunnaacccceeppttaabbllee;;

nneevveerrtthheelleessss,, ccrreeaattiinngg aa

mmoorree fflleexxiibbllee oonnee,, wwhhiicchh

ooffffeerrss aa wwiiddeerr aassssoorrttmmeenntt ooff

aalltteerrnnaattiivveess,, aanndd ggiivviinngg

ssttuuddeennttss tthhee cchhaannccee ttoo

cchhoooossee tthhee ssuubbjjeeccttss tthheeyy

ccoonnssiiddeerr ppeerrttiinneenntt ttoo tthhee

sseelleecctteedd ccaarreeeerr-- aallwwaayyss

ppaarrttiinngg ffrroomm aa bbaassee,, ii..ee..

hhaavviinngg aa ccoonnssiiddeerraabbllee

nnuummbbeerr ooff ccoommppuullssoorryy

ssuubbjjeeccttss,, wwoouulldd bbee

aaddvvaannttaaggeeoouuss,, bbootthh ffoorr

tthheeiirr pprrooffeessssiioonnaall ffuuttuurree,,

aanndd ffoorr ccoonnttrriibbuuttiinngg ttoo

tthheeiirr aadduulltthhoooodd aanndd

mmaattuurriittyy,, iinn vviieeww ooff tthhee

ffaacctt tthhaatt tthheeyy wwiillll bbeeccoommee

ccoonnsscciioouuss ooff tthhee ccoossttss ooff

ffrreeeeddoomm bbyy bbeeiinngg

tthheemmsseellvveess rreessppoonnssiibbllee ffoorr

tthheeiirr aaccaaddeemmiicc ggrroowwtthh..

TThhiiss ccuurrrreenntt ssyysstteemm bbyy

wwhhiicchh aa lliittttllee bbiitt ooff

iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aabboouutt

““eevveerryytthhiinngg”” iiss bbeeiinngg qquuiittee

ssuuppeerrffiicciiaallllyy ssppoooonn ffeedd,, iiss

nnoott bbuutt pprreeddiissppoossiinngg

cchhiillddrreenn ttoowwaarrddss kknnoowwiinngg

nnootthhiinngg aatt aallll..

EEvveenn ssoo,, mmaannyy ppeeooppllee aarree

aaggaaiinnsstt aa cchhaannggee..

OOppppoonneennttss aarree ooff tthhee

ooppiinniioonn tthhaatt aann aaddjjuussttmmeenntt

ooff oouurr eedduuccaattiioonnaall ssyysstteemm

iinnttoo aa mmoorree fflleexxiibbllee oonnee iiss

wwoorrtthhlleessss,, aanndd wwoouulldd oonnllyy

ccrreeaattee cchhaaooss.. BBuutt ssoommeettiimmeess

iitt iiss nneecceessssaarryy ttoo ggoo

tthhrroouugghh cchhaaooss ttoo ffiinndd

oorrddeerr.. IItt iiss wwiiddeellyy ccllaaiimmeedd

tthhaatt iitt iiss iillllooggiiccaall ttoo lleett

ssttuuddeennttss cchhoooossee bbyy

tthheemmsseellvveess,, ssiinnccee ggeenneerraallllyy

tthheeyy aarree nnoott rreeaalliissttiicc aabboouutt

tthheeiirr ffuuttuurree,, hheennccee tthheeyy

nneeeedd gguuiiddaannccee.. IInn aaddddiittiioonn

mmaannyy hhoolldd tthhaatt ssttuuddeennttss

mmuusstt rreemmeemmbbeerr tthhaatt tthheeyy

aarree bbeeiinngg ““mmoouullddeedd”” ttoo ffiitt

iinnttoo tthhee ddeemmaannddss ooff oouurr

ssoocciieettyy.. MMyy ooppiinniioonn iiss tthhaatt

iinn ssppiittee ooff oovveerreemmpphhaassiizziinngg

tthhee ffaacctt tthhaatt eevveerryy cchhaannggee

iimmpplliieess aa ccrriissiiss,, iitt ccoouulldd bbee

mmoorree bbeenneeffiicciiaall ttoo bbee mmoorree

ooppttiimmiissttiicc aabboouutt tthhee

rreessuullttss.. IItt iiss wweellll kknnoowwnn

tthhaatt oonnllyy aa ffeeww lluucckkyy oonneess

rree bboorrnn wwiitthh aa cclleeaarr iiddeeaa

ooff wwhhaatt tthheeyy wwaanntt ttoo ddoo

wwhheenn aadduullttss;; tthhiiss iiss aa

rreeaalliittyy,, aanndd tthhee rreeaassoonn

wwhhyy II,, pprreevviioouussllyy ssuuggggeesstteedd

tthhaatt tthheerree sshhoouulldd bbee

vvaarriioouuss oobblliiggaattoorryy ssuubbjjeeccttss

ooff ggeenneerraall iinntteerreesstt..

TTaakkiinngg eevveerryytthhiinngg iinnttoo

aaccccoouunntt,, iitt iiss wwoorrtthh

rreeccaalllliinngg tthhaatt ddiivveerrssiittyy iiss

ttoo ffoosstteerr ggeenneerraattoorrss ooff iiddeeaass..

SScchhooooll sshhoouulldd pprreeppaarree

cchhiillddrreenn ttoo bbee ccoommppeettiittiivvee,,

aanndd iitt ccaann bbee aattttaaiinneedd,, nnoott

bbyy eexxppeeccttiinngg tthheemm ttoo bbee

hhoommooggeenneeoouuss,, bbuutt bbyy

hheellppiinngg tthheemm ddeevveelloopp tthheeiirr

oowwnn aabbiilliittiieess.. BByy

wwoorrsshhiippiinngg ddiivveerrssiittyy,, tthheeyy

wwiillll bbee ccoommppeettiittiivvee wwiitthhiinn

ssoocciieettyy;; bbyy wwoorrsshhiippiinngg

hhoommooggeenneeiittyy,, tthheeyy wwiillll

oonnllyy eenndd uupp ccoommppeettiinngg

wwiitthh eeaacchh ootthheerr.. ““TThhee

mmiinndd iiss nnoott aa vveesssseell ttoo bbee

ffiilllleedd,, bbuutt aa ffiirree ttoo bbee

kkiinnddlleedd..”” GGiivvee cchhiillddrreenn

tthhee ttoooollss tthheeyy nneeeedd,, aanndd lleett

tthheemm bbee..

““DDiivveerrssiittyy iiss ttoo ffoosstteerr ggeenneerraattoorrss ooff iiddeeaass..””