The 3 R's
 |
| Learning to read, count and write
A man has always been able to sell his physical labour without needing any education. However, workers were far more use in the industrial revolution if they could at least read and write. Consequently, in the beginning of the Victorian era, there was an emphasis on the importance of the 3 R's - Reading, wRiting and 'Rithmetic. With these basic skills, a person could work in a factory from a very early age, and fuel the economic machine that fed the Establishment.
|
 |
| Training a low-cost work-force |
The spread of imperialism and colonialism was largely responsible for the global spread of education. The motive was to create a workforce which could generate wealth for the foreign powers and, as in Europe, there was no incentive to educate children more than was necessary for their economic employability.
Back in the U.K., the function of schooling was divided into two basic models. On the one hand there was the teaching of skills with a market value, (absurdly referred to, even today, as "vocational training.") On the other hand there was broader education which included subjects that were mainly of pure academic value, such as Latin and Greek, History and Literature.
Since the Thatcher era, education in Britain has moved steadily away from academic pursuits and towards saleable skills. Languages, Literature and the Arts in general, have been neglected as Britain continues a decline towards a dumbed-down population who could be trained to produce "stuff," and then paid to consume it.
Since the Thatcher era, education in Britain has moved steadily away from academic pursuits and towards saleable skills. Languages, Literature and the Arts in general, have been neglected as Britain continues a decline towards a dumbed-down population who could be trained to produce "stuff," and then paid to consume it.
 |
| "Just sit still and pay attention!" |
Much of the curriculum of the 20th century could be taught by rote, in what came to be called "Chalk and Talk." The teacher stood in front of the class; wrote with chalk on the board, and talked about what he had written, using a pointed stick to emphasise what he was saying. It was very much a one-way communication: teacher talked and the pupils listened, and it was up to the pupils to pay attention and try to understand what the lesson was all about.
Pupils were treated as passive receptacles with sponge-like brains that would absorb whatever information was trickled into them. This information would be memorised because it would need to be accessible and retrievable when the time came for examinations.
 |
| Students in India taking an examination which might decide their future |
All around the world, the primary measure of employability is certification based on examination results which means that schooling becomes a process of learning how to repeat what you have learned - not how to analyse and evaluate.
Stretching their minds
 |
| Small classes encourage enthusiastic learning |
At Building Blocks pre-schools, we have to balance our curriculum between stimulating creative thinking and reaching bench-mark standards to ensure a smooth progression to the Grade-school system that will teach our children up to age 16.
After three years at a Building Blocks pre-school students progress to an English-teaching medium school with a scholarship that not only subsidizes their school fees but also gives them an intensive after-school programme.
An Inspiring Trip to the International Airport
 |
| A special visit to the International Airport |
There are also extra-mural activities like this educational trip to the International Airport.
On this excursion to Bangalore International Airport, they learned things that they would never learn in the classroom, and it opened their eyes to opportunities they had never dreamt of.
In one afternoon, they came to realise that what matters is where you want to go to, and not where you are coming from.
- and what better thought at the end of the day than choosing where you want to go in your life!
In a couple of months' time, the next year-set will graduate from Building Blocks and we are still looking to fund another 61 scholarships to give our kids from the slums an education that will change their lives forever.
All donations are most gratefully received
