Neuroscience | Learner Weblog

This post on how children educate themselves sounds interesting. Can children educate themselves. Of course. However, what does it mean by education by themselves?

This led me to ask more questions than having answers to how children educate themselves. My questions evolved on how the graduates of the school would adapt to a world where “power” and “socialization” are shaped totally differently from that of the “ideal school”. The hiring and firing of teachers in such a school (with “one year contract”) seems to me that teaching is based on a “customer” first perspective, which may have lots of implications. What happens if the students are not performing and learning? Are the teachers responsible for their learning, because they are not “liked” by their students? Would this lead to a “teacher’s contest”? What makes the difference between a “like-able” and “unlike-able” teacher? Are the criteria for “teaching” and “learning” open, transparent and “educational” within such an education system? How will the teacher help and support students in school? What criteria are used to establish the effectiveness of teaching and learning in such schools?

A democratic education and learning system is great provided that the rules are truly made for the sake of education, with the benefits and value of learning for learners in an education system, with purposes of education as mentioned: socialization, academic and developmental.

Otherwise, the true meaning of education is lost, when students found that what they have learnt through education wasn’t equipping them with the competencies and capability necessary for personal growth and the real world. Here they found that they have to compete with others when they are in the real world of business, and that there are certain accountability and responsibilities that they have to meet at work.

We might have a lot of happy students, but if students have not learnt what might be required in the real world, at work, or when they are expected to learn independently, what would happen? If students are not ready to solve problems, or to connect and socialize with others, because they have been brought up in a different world, then would we need to question the assumptions behind such an education?. This may be the paradox we are facing with education and learning in an ever changing education ecology.

This may be a different story if it is education of adults.