Education Theology

The fear-based nature of the traditional education system renders it incapable of effecting the kind of change we need for humanity to realize it's true self.

Call me an idealist but I wholeheartedly believe that the primary goal of the evolution of our species is to move toward Oneness. And that the path to Oneness is Love - pure and simple.

The way our schools and our world works today it is very much about separation through labels, competition, comparison, and judgement. Ways of being that fail us as a race; as citizens of the planet.

In school, children are pitted against one another - grading on a bell curve being one of the ways it is a standardized practice. They are placed into streams: Smart, Average and Slow (subtext: stupid). They are made to compete for better grades than their peers. The high achievers are praised, the "non-achievers" are ignored, even forgotten.

The mainstream system of evaluation is based on the notion that all humans must know all the same things at the same time. What is that about? We do not expect all 26 year olds to be proficient in all the same skills and have the same knowledge base.

Sure, literacy and numeracy are The basic knowledge base upon which most other pursuits are based. These are skills that are easily acquired through real life however and need not incite as much fretting and worry as they do today. Tutors and homework and studying and drills and flash cards and toys and games and TV shows and songs and books all geared toward making sure children learn to read and do math.

(I feel like I've gone on a rambling tangent here. I apologize. This is the product of early morning writing between molecules, quarters, gyroscopes, ladybugs and nerf bullets.)

The main point of this spiral is that "education" - rather, Learning - in an of itself, is good and desirable for all. Learning is Living and Living is Learning. Therefore we never stop learning. Learning is great fun! AND in a systemized environment, it MUST take place within the context of Love. Co-operation rather than competition, individual assessment of progress rather than standardized tests, recognition and value for all intelligences instead of just one, and an appreciation for the balance of community and individuality.

Love and Learning are the journey and the destination.