Thursday 9 October 2014

Quality Education Demands Moral Conviction

Have we lost sight of the real meaning of education? A recent Winnipeg survey found that respondents felt that we needed to focus on basics in education. But what does that mean to each of us? There obviously is strong support for the “3Rs,” but the core subjects only are a part of the concept of education. Some of us are upset that the schools offer such a diversity of programs, and involve students in myriad extra-curricular activities. My position may be contrary to that of some readers and constituents of Seven Oaks. However, even though the most recent survey suggests that Manitoba students are last in the 3 Rs, that same survey also points out that our students have unique challenges, and, even with those challenges, 86% of students across the province perform at or above expectations. Each school division is different, and Seven Oaks’ approach to non-compulsory learning has placed our youth in a strong position relative to other areas. Our approach is working.
Our school division mission statement reads, “The Seven Oaks School Division is a community of learners, everyone of whom shares the responsibility to assist children in acquiring an education which will enable them to lead fulfilling lives within the world as moral people and contributing members of society.” Having been deeply involved in crafting this statement, part of it carries particular significance for me. I particularly focus on the phrase, “lead fulfilling lives within the world as moral people.”
In no way should this be construed as suggesting that I think that we, as educators, should determine what is moral. Morality, for me, is more abstract, yet more meaningful than the common, religious connotation associated with the word.  What is important is the type of person you become, and how you can be discerning enough not to be unduly influenced by propaganda or taken in by incorrect information.-If we teach our children to be independent thinkers and people who care about others who are different than themselves, if we instil in them the power to not be afraid to speak up and if we encourage our children to understand the value of differences, we will have educated them in being powerful, significant, unique and contributing members of the world around them.
We cannot delude ourselves into believing that Canada is immune to intolerance or unfairness. Indeed, the world is shrinking each day, as every part of the globe becomes interconnected with every other part of it. To pretend that problems do not exist, or to insulate our youth from the realities does them a great disservice, and the best way to protect them is to arm them with knowledge. From ISIS to aboriginal issues, from third world worker servitude to anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim sentiments, both racial tension and human atrocities do exist, and need to be addressed, in our schools, at home, in the workplace and on the street. We need to be intolerant of intolerance.
Fifty years ago, the 3 Rs may have been enough for a student. Forty years ago, advanced education became a necessity. Thirty years ago, technological changes  all but eliminated a future built on factory work in Canada. Twenty years ago, IT became a critical part of learning. Ten years ago, geopolitical and worldwide human rights came to the fore. Now, we live in a world where potential is unlimited, but opportunity for all is not. When our youth are denied equality and fair treatment, resentment builds, and valuable skills that these people possess are lost. It is no surprise that the ones that are marginalized tend to lash back at the world around them. What is surprising is that many of us still resist the idea that we should spend a great deal of our time developing a complete student, and demand that we revert to the “basics” of “readin’, ritin’ and ‘rithmetic.” – the 3 Rs.
The basics, today, include a focus on making the most of individual talents, supporting those who are disadvantaged in some way and need our assistance, embracing the uniqueness of every student and helping to develop children who believe in each other, who want to contribute meaningfully in all ways to the world around them and who may be ostracized or mistreated in other parts of the world but are valued in our school division, our province and our country.
I support high-quality core education and traditional programs, but I support them only as a part of a complete education. By teaching our children how to respect each other we also teach them to embrace each other, and a person who feels valued inevitably repays that support.  It is the ideal “pay it forward” scenario.
I believe that we need to teach the 4 Rs, not the three. That fourth “R?” Respect. It is integral to educating our youth.



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