Children in our world

I've been reading The Happy Child: Changing the Heart of Education by Steven Harrison. It has me flushing out a thought that continues to return to me while thinking about the current state of education and an ideal state of education. But first, let me give you a little perspective from the book.

Education makes one fundamental mistake. It exists.

Education supposes that it has something to impart, and it is from this flawed perspective that all of its problems flow. Holistic learning is not transactional; it is interactional. Far from having something to teach, education has something to learn: it is not necessary; it just needs to get out of the way.

Let's all agreed that in today's world, we don't need people who know facts (facts can be kept and found easily--computers!), but we need people who are self-directed, who are good communicators and good decision-makers. The education system today puts facts and obedience first, not allowing time for students to learn self-discipline, to become good communicators or be directed by their own passions.

Let's also consider that youth are stored away for most of their first 18 years of life in buildings far from the every day society. These students are not allow to participate in our world. They are asked to learn. Teachers are asked to teach, but do teachers even have passion for the experiences they teach? Are teachers ever given the time to experience enough to educate youth?

This is where we come back to my thought... how can we get our jobs done while allowing children to be themselves but also be a part of our world. I would like to propose living in communities that members are willing to share their skills with curious children. Maybe we aren't equipped to live in a community that children can run free, but we might be equipped to come to the children's place. A school that allows not only for children to direct their own learning and discover there own passions, could be a place where adults can come and explore their passions and skills and be available to share these with youth.

I dream of a learning center that has space for the gardener, carpenter, seamstress to complete there work with the help of young ones. I dream of a learning center that also has a guest house for people to come visit and a workspace to compete writing, art, accounting, or other projects while youth are aware and allowed to be curious of visitors and activities. I also dream of a learning center where older youth come and go to participate in their own learning experiences in our world--taking on projects with the local newspaper, retail store, advertising agency, engineering company.

What do you dream?