Education of Children in the VillageTown
Place the classrooms on the plaza.
As a society, education of the next generation is essential for continuity and improvement of civilization.
In the past century, we evolved a bizarre form of age segregation in which our children are taken out of society and housed in isolated, uninspiring structures where they have little contact with adults except for harried teachers trying to control 30 students. Instead of fostering a passion for learning, considerable energy is devoted to a power struggle as students constantly test the patience of the teacher. Outside role models come from pandering media and games, especially video, creating false expectations for children as to what life is about. This bizarre educational system evolved to serve pecuniary interest and private agendas with the unfortunate outcome of poorly educating the next generations while distressing parents and concerned members of society.
Children learn by observing and interacting. Children learn to speak at home; they are not taught, it’s part of how human brains develop. They learn better if their parents talk not only to them, but, in their presence, to each other and to visitors. Children taken out into the community learn how to behave, not because someone teaches them, but because anti-social conduct elicits an adverse response. This is natural, it is how human beings are wired, and in every traditional society, children, adults and elders all share the same space. This is how culture, knowledge and expertise are passed from one generation to the next.
In our civilization, we developed advanced knowledge such as mathematics, the sciences and the arts that are not so easily learned in day-to-day living. For this we need more focused learning environments, with teachers who mastered their particular subject matter. In theory, this is why we need schools. However, somewhere along the way, the system got hijacked to serve the interests and agendas of special interest groups and to serve as babysitters for parents who must commute to somewhere else – away and unavailable all day long.
The VillageTown could, but does not have to use public education – if the state system proves so intractable that the VillageTown is forced to look at alternatives. However, it will not accept building (or bussing students to) separate campuses outside of the villages. Classrooms will be on the plazas, in the guild halls and some in the greenbelt. In this way, students observe the life of the community as a natural backdrop to their day-to-day learning. Instead of an institutional cafeteria, they will eat on the plaza, in the cafés, with their parents and other adults, or perhaps walk home for a family meal. Sports will be in community gymnasiums and on the greenbelt using the same facilities that adults use, although the schools have priority during the day. Parents will naturally be more involved with their children’s education, and the classes will make use of community resources in teaching. People running businesses will observe the students and in time some will be offered work after school and on weekends.
Through proximity parents and the wider community become more aware of the children’s education. The teachers should welcome this and take advantage of it. Within a community of 10,000 there will be people with remarkable stories. When the curriculum calls for a particular lesson plan, the teacher may use word-of-mouth or the VillageTown intranet to put out a call for someone to augment the lesson. The learning becomes real, personal and meaningful when instead of just a teacher and textbook, a member of the community comes in and talks about the subject. This applies at all levels of learning.
The change is simple – change only location. It saves capital development costs. It requires less overhead. The school system should contract with VillageTown corporation to provide for management of the paperwork, thus freeing teachers to focus on student learning rather than administrivia. It is simple and logical, not ideological or pedagogical.
At the same time, these changes are subtly profound as they remove so many obstacles to learning. Once again they are obvious, normal ideas in a world that has become abnormally dysfunctional. It really does take the village to raise the child.
Wouldn't you love to live in a place where the parents actually have a say in their children's education again? A Village Town in Eastern Missouri could do just that. Let me know what you think.
I like this a lot. You have covered not only the physical space requirements but also essentially capability of teachers and suitability of curriculum. Who is responsible for hiring the teachers, how do you determine which ones to keep or replace? I suppose that is essentially the role of those elected to lead the schools (I specifically did not say manage). I especially liked the part where you said "...we need more focused learning learning environemnts, with teachers who mastered their particular subject matter." I have seen a couple instances where doctors, scientists and engineers have returned to high school education, bringing their experiences and expertise to prepare and inspire to an entirely different level than most schools dream of.
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