The true foundations of education – our future
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The true foundations of education – our future
The future of our world rests largely upon the choices we make around the way we live and the way we go about educating our children. Do the foundations of our current education system engender a true way forward for our society and humanity as a whole?
To ensure our growth and evolution, it makes sense to be ever open to deepening and broadening our awareness of what is needed to support and equip our children to live in the world – a world in which they are being ‘educated’ every moment of their lives through the multitude of influences that come into play, whether it be parental, media, music, religion, or culture.
We begin our lives connected – playful, joyful, loving, with an innate ability to express our own unique intelligence. Most children start life with this loving foundation. How then is it that so many end up railing against society, education, family, subsequently living on the very edge of life –
- disconnected
- violent
- bullying
- apathetic
- seeking out pornography
- suffering from exhaustion and depression
- self-harming
- even suicidal
As a society we have amassed tremendous knowledge, know-how and technological progress, and yet we have social and educational systems that allow a huge proportion of our kids to slip between the cracks and fall into a distressed way of life.
What got lost along the way?
There is patently more to the purpose of Education than academic grades, functional skills and information recall.
Education is equally about ‘a way of being’ – a way that resonates with our deepest truth and provides a true reference point from which to live – an education that develops our awareness and ignites true wisdom and knowledge. Therefore it is vital that our intelligence be the kind that is truly meaningful, based or founded upon connection, relationship, and love – people first.
What happens to the natural intelligence and way of being we begin life with?
Children have a natural gift and intelligence that knows this way of being: it is something that everyone is born with but is not generally fostered. Children naturally feel everything that is going on, much more than they use their ‘thinking’ capacity. They can feel whether an adult is open to connecting with them or not, loving or not, no matter what words are being said. This ability, which keeps children connected to the truth of things, can gradually shut down as they experience the intensity of living in the world.
First and foremost we can lay the foundation and prepare children by nurturing their innate intelligence. If this capacity in children is nurtured and allowed and not shut down, they can then begin to develop a strong sense of who they are.
How to support children dealing with school
Teaching a child energetic awareness is even more important than teaching them to read and write.
Knowing who they are and what they stand on builds a foundational stability – one which helps them to move forward and participate in their own future. In a very real and practical way it can assist them to navigate situations they are faced with – whether it be on social media or in the schoolyard. Such stability gives them the perspective and power to be able to say "No", for example, to bullying in the playground, or to internet pornography.
Imagine an Education system that is able to play a powerful role in helping and supporting our children to deal with all they encounter in life.
Developing the practical and necessary skills needed for life can only be enhanced as we establish this way of being as a supportive foundation for ourselves and our children. However, only when we allow ourselves to re-evaluate the quality of our own foundations – looking afresh at our purpose in life and at the way we live and impart knowledge – will we be able to initiate the new foundations for an education system that supports true evolution.
As parents, teachers and educators we can lead the way by bringing the qualities of connection, honesty, love, and openness into our homes and places of education each day.
The future is in our hands
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