Just a thought #1: What should we learn at school?

Have you ever considered how the syllabus taught in our schools originated? How, where and when it was formulated? And how often it is updated?

You may say of course it is updated, because our history books and science text books are updated all the time. But what I mean is the broader context of what we learnt and what our children are learning. I’m talking about the actual subjects not the contents of those subjects.

Let us take a look at the problems in our society for a moment. Unemployment, relationship problems leading to high divorce rate, materialism, wars, short term thinking. STOP.

Now let us look at what we spend 12 years and sometimes more learning about in school – cos and tan maths formulas, Shakespeare, periodic table of elements etc... Now don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these subjects or that of learning about them, but be honest, when was the last time you used a cos formula in everyday life?

 Now, I am not saying that we must not teach our children how to read or write, or count and develop team skills, respect and all the other fine things developed over 12 years at school. But what I am saying is that it can easily be updated. And we could be the innovative change in doing that. Making that difference!

Could the specific advanced contents of subjects like maths and science and English be focused on in university or for students that show direction in those particular fields?

Is it far fetched to think that children of today could learn about relevant issues and solutions or maybe even come up with the solutions for THEIR future?

I can’t help my nephews with their homework when they need to do long division or collective nouns because they were long forgotten after I left my high school front doors.

Here’s an idea – teach kids of today things like – conflict resolution, relationship management, renewable energy, biomimicry, political policies, business entrepreneurship – things that will actually benefit them after they reach 18 years old.

How can we create a successful country and indeed a successful earth if we are not taught how to do it? That is where the ‘University of Life’ comes in, but cant we get a head start.

We need serious solutions for this century NOW, not tomorrow or in 20 years time. And where better to start than with our youth – after all aren’t they the future, aren’t they the ones that will have to deal with our mistakes and failures?

The human race has made some outstanding achievements in the fields of science, literature, arts, society, policy etc, but our advancement has also been out downfall. Let us move with the times and not wait for a solution to our problems but be a part of the energetic reason and sense creating a future for our children!

Just a thought…