Being the child of the 70s, you grow up in a totally different environment than you do right now. When I say child of the 70s I mean I was born in the 70s, just in case you were wondering. I guess, the differences in the way we were brought up – at home and in school, was also dependent on what was happening in our world at that moment. For instance, in my time, we were free to play outside with our friends, walk to the local grocery store with our buddy and even take the public bus to school (I was nine) by myself. Those were also the days when rote learning was popular in schools. The only reason you were in school (at least where I was from) was to attain academic knowledge. The aim of going to school back then, was to learn as much things, through books, as possible. And also, your teacher’s words were the ultimate holy grail.
Now, times have changed. We tend to be a lot more overprotective of our kids and probably all due to what we learn via the media. The upside to these changing times though, is the way the education system has changed – at least the school that my kids go to. I have to say I’m impressed that now, the kids are thought HOW to think and not WHAT to think. They are also taught to find out WHY such things occur and not just accept things as they are and that asking questions is perfectly fine. In my kids’ school, besides academia, they are also taught about the environment around them. How to care for it, why things happen, what would happen if they don’t and think of solutions to help protect it, which in my opinion is FANTASTIC. My daughters now have an appreciation of their environment. They don’t just think that littering is bad, in fact they do know WHY it is bad, which is undoubtedly a great thing. Their school also has a vegetable garden, where each year, certain classes would have a project to grow something. Last year for instance, the grades one and two had a restaurant project, that saw them creating menus and food picked freshly from the vegetable garden. They also have a chicken coop where the eggs are sold back into the community and the money raised is then used to purchase the food for the chickens and the garden. Amazingly simple yet a great big impact on helping our environment.
The school's vegetable garden
Herb garden with spring onions and even a decoration to ward off the birds!
This year, the grades 1 and 2 from my 7 year old’s team, have built their own butterfly garden. Decorated from recycled materials. They’re hoping to entice some butterflies into their mini garden. They learned about the different species, things that attract butterflies and so much more.
The Butterfly Garden - beautifully decorated by the kids
It’s amazing how much more rounded the education system now is. It’s always great to see the young being educated about everything around them and making everything count, therefore building a much more sustainable future. And just in case you were wondering, my kids go to a state school, so it’s doubly fantastic to know that we can foster such a wholesome education in public schools. Does your child’s school have interesting programs too?
