The Nitty-gritty of an Education Rebirth (Part 2)

In part one I briefly discussed the present state of affairs in education today - “briefly” being the operative word. This is not the forum for in-depth analyses of systemic shortcomings. There are many a dissertation and books written on the subject! Suffice it to say, that our education systems, in general, leave a lot to be desired due to their underlying kaupapa (values and modus operandi).

To understand exactly what that kaupapa is, it’s important to have a quick look at the historic setting of public education. Public education was set up during the industrial revolution. It was very much grounded in the supply of skilled labour for the burgeoning factories, mines and related industries of the time. Schools were set up as production lines - age batching, uniformity, time constraints, bells, etc. Right from the onset schools were designed for compliance and control. This is not a judgemental or opinion statement. It is a statement of observation and “fact”. Very little has changed since. Remember the foundations of a building determine its extent and capacity. (A great video to watch about this is the late Sir Ken Robinson’s RSA video.)

I have written previous blogs about social engineering and  the continued pushing of the control and compliance cart. Historically, we have gone round and round in concentric circles, chasing our tails and forever getting deeper and deeper into the hole we’ve dug that is “education”. Never has this been so obvious than presently in New Zealand. Teachers are on strike today as I write. Every single pay negotiation round is almost identical. Teachers are buckling under the pressure of systemic weightiness: crowded classrooms, lack of resourcing, lack of training, lack of support, crowded and irrelevant curriculums, increasing regulatory compliances, “managing” behaviour and learning differences (as our children become less and less conformist and more and more disenfranchised by an outdated, unresponsive system), increasing workload (even though every pay round “addresses” this), and teacher supply (are they surprised with all the previously identified issues?). It is absolute insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I can see it now, being somewhat outcast from the System. Objectivity is a great revealer. In this quagmire of issues, the value of our profession gets lost. Teachers become defensive about wanting more money, feeling like they are being judged for earning what they’re worth and forgetting that they, in fact, are what keeps the System in business. The kaupapa of the System has subjugated those teachers who remain in it. The mandates in 2021 did a great job of offloading anyone who had the fortitude and capacity to “push back” by refusing to be compliant. This is not damning or criticizing those who remain in the system. The majority are dedicated to their students’ welfare and practice from their hearts. However, the System would misguide them by their need to “do the right thing” and be everything to everyone, not least of all the Ministry and those who will be obeyed. I have read open letter after open letter, where teachers are trying to push forward these systemic issues and defend their salary increases that should happen automatically with inflation and cost of living expenses rising. That they have to defend their worth by kidding themselves that pay isn’t the issue, saddens me. 

 Here’s the crux: if those who uphold the System by working within it (even those who think they’re not) are struggling to survive materially, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually, how on earth do you think our children are coping? The short answer is, they’re not. The burden of all the mentioned issues above weigh heaviest on the very ones we are meant to be uplifting, and facilitating growth in.

The explosion of technological advancement that has happened within the last couple of decades has copped some unwarranted blame, in my opinion. Technology is not a sentient entity in itself…yet! It is a tool. How that tool is used is entirely up to the user. How we teach our children to use it is our responsibility as a collective (not just teachers and education institutions). This presents a conundrum. Failing to nurture connection, communication and creativity has left our young people vulnerable to the “negative” aspects of or the things we don’t want about the technology industry. Technology has opened many doors that we seem to refuse to enter, such as, increased the means to connect globally, given us time to concentrate on what really matters by providing readily available information, ability to pass on menial tasks and concentrate on what we feel really matters to us, and given us the opportunity to be exposed to a myriad of perspectives from which to view our world.

Basically, the kaupapa our present system is born of values wealth accumulation, compliance, control and separation. We can postulate that it isn’t all we like, but that doesn’t change the evidence of this in the current mess we find ourselves. So, what will it take to create something different? What will it look like? How will it happen? That all depends on individual choices and our collective realisation that we all create our reality.  Firstly, we have to take responsibility for what we’ve created by acknowledging that is how we’ve got here. This can be a bitter pill to swallow for many. It requires going through “the dark night of the soul” and facing certain truths about ourselves individually. This isn’t easy. It requires a letting go of beliefs and constructs that we’re so prone to define ourselves, our reality and others by. It requires we turn inward and rely on the esoteric to inform us without the distraction of the exoteric. It requires us to let go of the drama that is our present circumstance, understanding that drama isn’t actually REAL. It requires that we soften our views and let go of our egotistical opinions in order to be open to intuition. It requires a new connection with ourselves, the Earth and each other in order to facilitate a renewed connection with Consciousness - that which is all things, in all space and time. I may have lost many of you at this stage, but I also know that many’s sense of curiosity will be peaked, while many will fully resonate with these words.

In part 3, I will begin to paint the picture of what a “new way” may look like. I will begin to construct the possibilities and discuss a new kaupapa on which to grow our children’s and our future. I hope you continue to join me on this exciting journey of discovery and rebirth.