Education: As the new school semester begins, this topic is on the minds of many people, students, parents and educators, alike. What is it; how do we improve it and why, formally, do we really need it? Well, the latter question is being answered by young people worldwide — including North America — with their feet. They are quitting high school in droves, (1) though this may be improving (It is important to note that the statics are not consistent in all studies). The corollary to all of this is that, “More than two in every five young people in today’s workforce are unemployed or are working but poor, a striking reality that is impacting society across the world.”(2) Why? We continuously hear the old canard that the marketplace has changed and we are not preparing our young people for a new, dynamic and ever-changing economic reality, etc., etc. I think that this is overly simplistic.

Traditionally, the answer lies in the response to the question, “In existence, what is our principal motivation?” I maintain that the riposte is, “The quest for self- improvement and adventure — spiritually, intellectually or financially: in short, to understand the meaning of life” If we remove the opportunity to achieve this goal, either through enabling a sense of entitlement in our young charges or by drowning them in sea of materialism, ennui is the net result. We need to begin to construct a pedagogical model that is more based on human initiative, on effort, than a “chance” score after a test: little is achieved through thinking small. Theoretical studies are but a tiny piece of the knowledge necessary to lead a productive and successful life.

As the eminent educator Sir Ken Robinson (b. 1950) tells us on TED Talks, “If you think of it, the whole system of public education around the world is a protracted process of university entrance. And the consequence is that many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they’re not, because the thing they were good at, at school, wasn’t valued, or was actually stigmatized. And I think we can’t afford to go on that way… (We have to be) prepared to be wrong. And by the time they get to be adults, most kids have lost that capacity. They have become frightened of being wrong. And we run our companies like this; by the way, we stigmatize mistakes. And we’re now running national education systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make. And the result is, we are educating people out of their creative capacities. Picasso once said this; he said that all children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up. I believe this passionately, that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it.” We need; therefore, to help our young people understand that life is a grand undertaking: the results being not all good and not all bad. It does hold an element of risk, though. Do we take this risk, a risk on ourselves, or do we live a life of quiet desperation?

It is patently obvious that “safe” is no longer an option. Everything is moving too quickly to hide and hope that life will just give us wealth (in all senses of the word) without effort and hard work. Our compatriots will have to “work like dogs,” but we will somehow be exempt from this requisite requirement. Tragically, no matter how pampered and spoiled a person’s upbringing, this is untenable except, perhaps, for the uber rich.

The great news is that I can be my own master. I can orient my life to find success and fulfillment on my own terms. I can control the life that I want to lead, with the caveat that life is fickle and not always fair. Robin Sharma (b.1964), the great personal coach and life trainer leaves us with a great acronym: HUMAN, the stronger your relationships, the stronger your leadership—Helpfulness, be helpful to everyone; Understanding, try to understand what a person is really saying; Mingle, try to expand your circle of friends and associates; Amuse yourself, have fun in life and Nurture, improve other people and yourself. These truly are grand and liberating thoughts. (2)

(Parts of this essay were first published in August, 2013)

A closing thought: What is perhaps the truest of all is that we can never stop our education. The remarkable event you come to at sixty is that you understand the phrase attributed to Socrates (469-399 BC), “I know I know nothing.” Life then is lived forward in an exciting state of ignorance. Everything appears to be new and fresh, just because it is. You are looking through the lens of experience without understanding — if that makes any sense. If you have labored for hours to find a setting on your phone only to have a youthful compatriot find it in seconds, you will know what I mean.

To sum up: This week, we spoke about a and inclusive education. We have work to do.

A philosophical question: Global warming is upon us. Why do I often wear the wrong clothes — on the warm days, I enshroud myself with too much clothing and on the cool days not enough?

Just for fun — Beethoven 

This week on your pensive stroll, please concretize and circumscribe your own life plans.

Every day look for something magical and beautiful.

Quote: Each day should be complete when I close my eyes. The next day, I must be prepared to awaken like a newly born swallow, ready to spread my wings.

Footnotes:

1) Most Dropouts Leave School Due to Boredom, Lack of Encouragement, Report Finds

2) Weak recovery in youth labour markets demands a sweeping response

3) Robin Sharma