The Nitty-gritty of an Education Rebirth (Part 3)

In part 2 I continued to build a picture of our present system and the need for change. I reiterated that because the system is built on a foundation of Neoliberal values and industrial structures, it simply cannot meet the needs of our children and young people who have been born in a completely different world from the one in which public education was conceived. Certainly, there have been attempts at change, but because the fundamental structures are set in concrete (like the foundations of a building), nothing has ever really “stuck” or grown into its potential.

So what has to change in the kaupapa for there to be lasting and authentic change within the system? Well, everything! As discussed before, our present kaupapa is steeped in control, compliance, regulations, productivity, performance and conformity. Our young people are seen as products of the system and as being prepared for the job market. The trouble is, the landscape of human existence has evolved so far away from those values that they have been rendered redundant. This has been accelerated by the technological advancements we’ve experienced in a relatively short period of time in history. Too many of our jobs are now non existent because of automation and now the burgeoning Artificial Intelligence (AI). Gone are the days when you went to university or tech (college), or did some sort of course and you went out and found a job. The rapidity of change that is our present reality, makes any of those guarantees moot. Information is streamed continuously and easily accessed by all, including AI. The ability to use machines and tools has all but become irrelevant and it is no longer enough just to know how to do things.Even the settings of our work-places have changed drastically, especially in the past three years, where working from home has become a normal thing for many. Obviously this is not true of the trades, but even so many of their functions will be taken over by AI and robotics in our future. It’s a stark and harsh reality for many. I am not saying that I like it or agree with it - but it is what it is.

Not only has technology changed how we work, but it’s revolutionized how we live! How we communicate, how we are transported, how we’re entertained, how we choose to eat, how we build and run our homes and businesses, how we learn, and even how we choose to express ourselves has changed drastically over the past two or three decades. Some resist the changes and some embrace them. I personally think, much like the Borg in Startrek, resistance is futile! We are hardly going to undo what we have manifested in our reality, much like us trying to “unborn” a baby. Technology is here. AI is here. We can either use it for our advantage or for our destruction. The choice really is ours. 

I seem to be painting an apocalyptic picture of a dystopian future, and indeed we have been conditioned into seeing the future as such by Hollywood and the like. If we don’t wake up and smell the coffee, perhaps the movies could become prophetic. We can beat our chests and gnash our teeth, or we can be still and tap into our true genius as human beings. Bear with me. I may be losing some of you at this stage, but this is incredibly important. Here’s the thing - we hold the power. Each and every one of us. Alone and together. Herein lies the answer to my original question. How do we change the kaupapa? We shift our collective attention to what REALLY matters, to what is our birthright, to what is literally “the be all and end all”.

We have been conditioned out of this intrinsic power that we are born with. We’ve been separated from it and actively taught out of it. When a child is born alive, any child, they have no concept of individuality. None. They are completely oblivious of their limitations - mental, physical or spiritual. They do not distinguish themselves from anything else. They are pure experience. At birth we are absolutely conscious without any limitations, fully connected to All That Is. We are conditioned into perceiving the world as we do through our consequent experiences. We begin to learn that we are separate from other things/beings (this process is called individuation), that we’re limited in our capacity and capabilities, and that our resources are limited. All of these perspectives or beliefs are learned, they are not our natural state of being. These beliefs become so embedded into who we believe we are that they become subconscious and influence our thoughts and behaviours for our lifetime, unless made conscious again, from which we can choose to change our behaviours or not. This schemata or pattern of beliefs from which we perceive our world is concretised when we begin to be “schooled”. The concept of “yours and mine” becomes paramount and the idea of ownership and control (of our environment and others) is well established by the age of seven, if not before. We develop personality and habits and opinions, and our behaviour is fully informed by these elements. Slowly but surely we move away from our original limitless potential, very ably assisted by an education system that does not deal in the quantum field overtly or positively.

We all feel this separation in our life, every single one of us. We spend much of our time seeking connection whether it be with our peers, our family, nature, technology, or Consciousness; our behaviour is intrinsically motivated by the need to feel connected. If that need is not met in any meaningful way, it leads to dire consequences in behaviour: depression, anxiety, paranoia, and worst, suicide. Mental and physical illness is a matter of disconnection or a lack of connection, be it neurologically or chemically. We spend our lives seeking connection. Ironically, it’s usually after or extraneous to our formal education that we begin to seek a way back to our original connectedness.It has almost become a right of passage - recognising that we do not feel fulfilled or that we haven’t reached our full potential, or we realise that we dream of a life completely different to our reality. This usually happens around middle age. I am making gross generalisations, certainly, but I am sure many of us of a certain age can identify with this phenomenon. Many dollars are spent on the rapidly expanding personal growth industry. 

What if our children were taught or shown their true power, the power of connection, from the time they began their formal education journey, at nursery school/kindergarten? There are already modalities that advocate for just this, such as Steiner Education. We wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel, we could just tweak it. Can you imagine how the world would transform if our focus was on nurturing and facilitating connection, creativity, and communication within each child? This is the necessary paradigm shift. This is the ultimate education. Being connected would mean that the huge problem of disenfranchisement would disappear. Being creative would mean that everyone would be able to make an authentic contribution to the collective human experience. And being able to communicate effectively would mean there would be far less conflict. Our young people would have a much more important role in this world. Being connected, they would have compassion. Being creative, they’d understand and take responsibility for what they create in their reality. Being able to communicate, they’d be far more able to express themselves in a way that others respond to rather than react to. With this in place, the rest (reading, writing, mathematics) follows. Believe me. It is my lived experience. 

In part four I will expand on the paradigm shift I am proposing, and give you some examples of my own work and experience with some of the young beings I have worked with. I hope you will continue to ride along with me on this journey to creating a whole new world through education.