Learning: gone bananas

One of my musings as an educator is the sometimes obvious reality that the meaning and value of education have become somewhat rather lost.

Today, in my History class with one of my academically performing Form 1 classes, for example, my students panicked when they were being given free reign and I gave them an open topic such as "Sketch out your ideal government, in any given era, and in any area of governance." 

The lack of parameters were a horror to my kids and they were obsessively concerned whether they were doing the work right, "Cikgu macam ini betul kah?" "Cikgu, boleh lukiskan ini kah?" Don't get me wrong, it is wonderful to see kids trying and wanting to be their best. I did though, spend an entire period just affirming them that they are free to explore ideas and was even slightly disappointed that none came up with anything outrageous which would challenge the status quo. It struck me that perhaps, just perhaps, they have gotten some absurd embedded message that..they should never make any mistakes, and if they do not "do well" in school, they're done for. It is no wonder why many of our kids who are not naturally inclined to be scholars feel left out in our curriculum and find their needs not catered for in school. 

Even from a point of view of a teacher, the strong emphasis on science-based subjects and excelling in exams feel like that recently viral experiment of monkeys being subjected to a test where all monkeys in the first sample are negatively reinforced if any one of its members climbed the top of a ladder to reach a banana.

The monkeys learn to fight any monkeys which attempt to do so and the original set of monkeys are gradually replaced until none of the monkeys contained are from the original set. Yet, these monkeys continue the learned behaviour of beating up any of their own who tries for the banana. Teaching in today's context can feel a bit like that.

In case that wasn't clear enough, yes I do mean that we teachers are monkeys who do things as they've always been done and well as for who's soaking us with the cold water..I'd rather not say. We play the tyrannical teacher, push our students to stoically pursue academics excellence, adhere to every form of paperwork thrown our way, and we don't actually know why. We've just been told that this is how it is. It is very difficult to remember that each child is unique, with his own unique set of skills and talents, and that true education should help the child reach his full potential. 

Here, we recall to mind this illustration:

 

And so, most schools have been reduced into factories which churn out a heterogeneous workforce and we implement a blanket policy in our nation's education. It is very tempting indeed, as a teacher, to enter class and teach to the book. Everyone sit quietly. No monkey business (yes, pun intended). Listen to me as I teach. Do not interrupt. 

Unfortunately, I cannot as yet offer a better alternative to what we have had in place for decades, at least not one with guaranteed success. This post covers only so much of the bigger picture, and serves merely as a thought-provoker and to challenge various areas of the system today to see if there might be better ways of educating today's nation.

If this were really the "right" approach to education after all, it is curious that we have yet to see a new bout of a Renaissance.