The Role of Educational Institutions***

I originally wrote this missive during the first year of my Bachelor of Education degree almost 10 years ago. My views have changed (evoloved) in some aspects over the years and with Teaching, but most of what is here still rings true.



In this piece I intend to reflect my views on what I feel the purpose of formal schooling has been in Canada, and discuss what role I feel educational institutions should play in our lives. I shall begin with my views on formal schooling in the past.

Tedeusz Borowski, a Polish writer, once wrote "The living are always right, the dead are always wrong". I feel this quotation characterises much of the way we have, and do, address history. We have the ability to travel back into time and observe the blunders and improve upon the advancements of the past. We can thus reflect upon the role of formal schooling in the same critical way, and hopefully learn from many of the errors we have made. Before getting too critical, however, it is vital that a definition for formal schooling is established, as it pertains to my writing.

In my view, formal schooling encompasses two separate elements: the social component and the academic component. The latter concerns itself with the general laws and principles held by conventional science and the technology of the day; in a word: academics. The more interesting, and perhaps controversial component is that of a social-political or cultural nature.

Having gone through the educational system in Nova Scotia, as well as having the opportunity to teach at a Gymnásiúm in post-communist Slovakia, I would say that the social education students receive is highly propagandist no matter where you go. The guidelines for what people are to perceive are clearly set. In fact, when looking at the curriculum set out by Alberta Education, one of the primary objectives is to encourage the development of "good citizens". What do we mean by this? Good citizens, but by whose standards? Residential schools for Native Peoples was one groups' interpretation for producing good citizens. It is an issue of separate perspectives.

The first myth we must dispel is that of an objective education. Canadian education, despite our highly regarded self-image, has been very narrow minded in much of its focus, with many dire consequences. Ultimately, there are cultural groups who have been neglected in the quest for a National identity. There are those who will argue for a more objective view or policies in education, to accommodate those who are oppressed or excluded by the status quo. Certainly a greater level of reason or fairness may, and most certainly should, be acquired. However, to suggest that anything be objective is absurd. To be objective means you do not exist. All reality is based on perception and perspective, and the only truth is that there is no truth. With that, all policy is made from bias and perspective, hopefully expressing the views of the greatest majority possible. In a nutshell, this is what I believe sums up formal education in Canada. It was, and is somewhat still, based on the views and priorities of the Victorian values inherited by the bureaucrats and politicians of their day. Anyone with a knowledge of such ways will immediately recognise the ignorance, conservatism and problems which have arisen from such roots, and continue to taint the way we approach things today.

Upon reflection, would I view formal education as it has existed in Canada to be evil or wrong? There is no definitive answer to such a query. On the one hand, I do feel the system was xenophobic, oppressive and unjust, but wrong…. ? By today's standards, yes. But to the defence of the policy makers of the epoch, they simply echoed their beliefs through their policies as well as emphasising our supposed British identity as we sent all citizens overseas to fight for King and Country. This does not go to say that Canadians did not suffer on the battlefields of Europe alone. Evolution always deals more severely with the victims than it does the mighty, until the mighty themselves fall.

To conclude on my first point, formal education historically in Canada, on a sociological level, was both propagandist and did not reflect Canadian identity, but rather presented ourselves tainted in the red, white and blue of the Union Jack. This was acceptable to several, perhaps even the ignorant majority. Ultimately it alienated and oppressed (if not directly hurt) many others. There are similar examples of this from all over the world, perhaps the countries of the former Soviet Block stands out as the most notorious examples. Ireland also used a re-invented past to perpetuate their independence movement from the British Crown. Essentially, formal schooling reinforced the legislative power's mythical version of identity; a necessary tool in the imperialist agendas of governments world-wide at the turn of this century.

It is with the issue of identity that I will address the issue of the role of educational institutions in our modern Canadian / global society.

When I entered the teaching profession, I held a strong pre-conceived notion as to a teacher's role and the objectives of Education. This belief has evolved considerably over the past few years as I have been exposed to and studied the multiple-aspects of teaching objectives and curriculum development. It is my opinion of what the role of educational institutions is that I will elaborate on here, rather than the official party line of today's policy makers.

Educational institutions should be based solely upon the conveyance academic content, in a manner so as to encourage others to think freely, creatively and develop their own conceptions to be challenged and shared with others. Furthermore, subject matter should be presented so as to represent various opinions, theories and beliefs in addition to transcending political, social and cultural boundaries. To clarify this, students should be given a variety of tools and then develop for themselves the discretion to utilise them to their best end. This might sound a bit dangerous, but true free thought can be rather threatening.

Here's two examples, specific to Native studies, the course for which this paper is being written, as to one aspect of multicultural academic exposure. The first took place during my first round of student teaching. Essentially, I was disgusted at how little material was to be presented regarding Native Peoples in the grade 8 History text. Rather than give the students a museum rendition of Native culture, I had a good friend of mine, of the Cree Nation, come in and perform a sweetgrass ceremony for my students. This worked, and to great effect.

My second example deals with how other cultural teachings might be applied to other fields such as Science. Again, with my Cree friend, we did a curriculum development project for the Multicultural Centre in Stony Plain. Our project combined science and the teachings of the Native Medicine Wheel and traditional myth to explain ecosystems to elementary school children. Again, it worked and made both a great scientific and cultural impact.

I believe the best way to address cultural issues is through a variety of exposures, and, often subtly so that the illusion of having other cultures thrust upon ones' own does not conspire. Whether a class consists of one culture or several, education is a global issue and we formulate our uniqueness by way of contrast to others. To be educated is a twofold process: to know oneself and ones' world. While I feel there is plenty of good to be derived from studying one's own culture, a sense of ego or xenophobia can evolve as, ultimately, the unknown is generally what we fear the most. I feel identity is something every individual must search for themselves, and is not necessary, nor really all that possible, to be perpetuated in our schools, especially given the multicultural make-up of the Canadian population. Culture, on the other hand, is something that exists if its people exist. If we allow educational institutions to promote culture, then it is their version of that culture that is promoted. I grew up in Nova Scotia, ate traditional Scottish foods, played in a Pipe & Drum Band and frequently attended ceilidhs. This was my environment, propagated by its descendants, as it was not taught in our schools and, historically, was oppressed by the British Crown's representatives. It survived and existed because the people did. Honestly, when one's culture is oppressed I feel it stands the greatest chance of survival! In any case, I also feel schools are quite limited in their influence over culture anyway as the real marketing of our identity comes from the media and television.

In conclusion, the past of formal schooling has been one tainted with bias, propaganda and popular convention, yielding several outcomes ranging from illogical to tragic. The remedy for this is not to be easily found, nor easily prescribed. As for views on the role of present and future educational institutions, there are a vast number of priorities and agendas held from one individual to the next. The path education seems to be taking at present is a holistic one which tries to make everyone feel accepted and maximise their potential, regardless of special needs. I agree, in sentiment, that this is a great and noble objective. However, as history teaches us, good intentions can often go awry, doing more damage than it does good. I can offer no solid solution to this, perhaps other than the objective of education should to give others the assortment of tools they require to develop an ability to think freely for themselves, based solely on academics, just as government should legislate political and not social or cultural issues and individuals should live freely together with an open mind, and to each their own.

Reasoning on Reason


One of my favourite quotations of all time comes from the Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw. He wrote: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

No better statement captivates so many of the wrongs in our lives and the world at large. Certainly, in my position of being a Correctional Officer, I see this in abundance with both the inmates whom I supervise and those that I work for/with. Is there ever a point in time when those with reason relinquish the stranglehold that the unreasonable have held in the past and persist in doing so in the present? I am gob smacked at how those with reason allow themselves and our world to be dominated by the unreasonable. We see this in areas ranging from environmentalism to waging war. We endeavour to make reasonable laws to protect the innocent while, in turn, pave the way for the guilty to prosper. I feel like screaming a lot of the time and am amazed at those who look at me like I’m the one who’s crazy. We voluntarily enslave ourselves like the Mother of a mass murderer who pleads to the courts that “Hannibal’s a good boy”. It’s like modernising Marx’s comments on “religion” being “the opium of the people”, simply interject corporate consumerism or the American Dream.

People are lazy. I know that fighting takes a lot out of us, so it seems logical to take the easiest road and pick our battles. Fair enough. Sadly, it seems that we don’t pick these battles until it is far too late in the game, then our odds of winning them are slim to none – c’est la vie. Just look at Healthcare funding in how it’s all treatment for ailment’s as opposed to being preventative. How many folks join groups like MADD before someone they know get killed by a drunk driver, or give to Cancer research before a loved one gets sick? People lobby against smoking, but what about McDonald’s? The air we breathe is sick, the food we eat is biologically engineered cut full of preservatives and sprayed with chemicals, yet most of us say “hey, that’s terrible” and nothing more. It is neither my position nor my intent to slight or criticise those who have been drawn to a particular cause in reaction to some tragic event in their lives, but rather to ponder why the passion to pursue similar goals and social needs does not exist accross the board.

Yes, I’m ranting. No, I don’t mean to say that we should all become Hippies (I hate Hippies) and do nothing but “fight the man”, but I am advocating that people become more active in the living process. I propose we do this by (a) acting reasonably, (b) do our best to assist others in acting reasonably, (c) do our best to develop our critical thinking skills and attempt to resolve unreasonable issues with reason and take decision making away from the unreasonable and (d) be willing to sacrifice convenience for those things that are reasonable. Christopher Fry wrote: “I’ve begun to believe that the reasonable/ is an invention of man, altogether in opposition/ to the facts of creation” when referring to his firstborn infant. Never one to scoff at a youthfulness in our character, I do question how many of us truly mature according to one’s potential.

Such simple words… perhaps I am unreasonable to even suggest such things.

Suffrage and the Psyche


I’ve always considered myself to be progressive when it comes to issues of sexual and racial equality. Listening to the news a few minutes ago, they reported that another Canadian soldier has died in combat over in Afghanistan. I support our troops 110%, regardless of my political opinion of the mission. Each time I hear of one of our own being killed leaves me feeling for the soldier’s family and friends and a gratefulness that the fallen were willing to serve in the name of our country. Today’s news, however, had an extra sting to it in that the fallen soldier was a woman.

Woman in combat has been a contentious issue for some time. My own reaction to hearing that the fallen soldier was female demonstrates an instinct that exists deep in my psyche. I wonder why? Is it because I have a daughter and am protective of my wife and family? I know that it doesn’t represent a feeling that women are not capable of such roles. I proudly serve with several stellar female Officers in the men’s maximum security prison where I work, doubting their abilities no more than I might many of the males Officers with whom I work. My sister-in-law is also proving herself to be an excellent Officer in the British Army. No, I feel, perhaps, that it is men who are not capable of having women in such roles.

So what does this say about the role of gender in our society? I know that we have been re-educating ourselves with programmes such as affirmative action and constantly challenging our assumptions. Is this working or has it been reviled by either a sense of being manipulated and coerced by political correctness? Are we failing, as a society, to address the issue of gender equality at an intra-psychic/ inter-personal/group level? I know that many have viewed things like affirmative action to simply be failed attempts of universal suffrage and have resulted in having lesser qualified individuals in certain positions due to gender/race. I agree with this to a degree, but also acknowledge that the first step toward equality required a rather messy entrance in a world where women couldn’t even vote 60 years before its implementation. I admit to being critical, for example, when men and women have different fitness standards to do the same job, whether that be a Police Officer, Firefighter, Soldier, etc. The whole ‘P.C.’ wave has made some ridiculous splashes along its route to shore. So often we do see the Orwellian practise of “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”. That, sadly, are some of the negatives in accomplishing a greater moral good. You’ve got to break a few eggs to bake a cake, right? What’s important is that we, as a society, don’t become distracted by these shortcomings and strive toward the goal of genuine equality.

In closing, I just want to tip my hat to all women, regardless of vocation, and apologise as I am still a work in progress! My condolences to the families of all our fallen troops – their spirit lives on in all that we represent as a nation!

Don't Know if I Can Bear It...


Summer has arrived here and, for the next few months my land of ice and snow becomes a tropical paradise. Or perhaps just a demi-paradise as a full fledged paradise would have the mountains three hours closer and an ocean. Totally contrary to the weather, I’m actually getting a bit excited about our hometown Oilers play-off run in the National Hockey League, setting aside my anger at insane wages and last years lock-out. I’ve also completely thrown myself back into watching Baseball, ending a many year shunning of that sport, once again welcoming the Boston Red Sox into my heart. Heck, I’ve even been watching a bit of NBA Basketball, wooed slightly by the underdog L.A. Clippers doing so well, not to mention Steve Nash; the short white Canadian who has won the league MVP for a second straight year! All in all, I think I’m just longing to play and submerse myself in things of my youth. Must be the lazy days of summer. Of course, I’m staying active – went out and bought a new pair of Rollerblades today as a matter of fact… now if only I could learn to stop on the damn things! Who would’ve thought stopping on ice is far easier than on pavement!

As my playful tone in this entry sets the mood of my missive here, let me direct you all to another playful web site. This site runs a close second to the Belief-O-Matic featured in an earlier entry. This site asks you a few questions and then determines what you will return as in your next life. So, as quick as the links will let you, visit http://www.reincarnationstation.com/ and see what’s in store for your next kick at the cat.

My result: in my next life I will return as a Bear. It goes on to say: “Almost 32% of people will be reincarnated as a higher form of life than you. You're not perfect, but you've lead a better life than most. With a few changes now, your next life could be even better.”

I don’t know how I should take this exactly. Oh well, quoting the Pogues: “I’ve been in a palace, I’ve been in a jail/ Just don’t want to be reborn a snail/ Just want to spend/ Eternity/ Right where I am/ On the sunny side of the street”!

"Shoplifters of the World, Unite and Take Over"*


As we push close to twenty years since the collapse of the Berlin Wall, I still find myself to be fascinated with the Soviet experiment that took root in Russia in 1917, the Cultural Revolution in China, as well as the other incantations Communism took in places such as Cuba and North Korea. There is a definite attraction to the passion demonstrated during the Spanish Civil War as the Reds battled Franco’s fascists, or the countless other insurgencies that de-stabilised Central America for decades. I am a child of the Cold War era who grew up under the spectre cloud of global nuclear annihilation. Even though Communism was represented as a force set to come over to the Free World and eat our babies and had records of brutality on its citizens, I still feel some sort of pang of affection for the ideology and passions that began the movements.

To begin, it is clear that what grew to be known as Communism in places like the USSR under Stalin, or what exists today in North Korea are in no way related to the worker’s paradise outlined by Marx. The aforementioned regimes were and are more oppressive than almost any of the others in history, Stalin, for instance, being responsible for some 20 million deaths. Being the hyper-cerebralist that I am, however, one must also question the true face of what existed in those countries, differentiating from the images cast by Hollywood and our media biases/agendas. Certainly that is evident, for example, in regards to the portrayal of the Islamic world in our present day with language like “Axis of Evil”.

In 1992-93 I lived in the former Czechoslovakia – it was the year the country broke into two. So, when New Years arrived in 1993 I was in a small Carpathian Slovak town teaching English. Living in Slovakia was an eye opening experience and one of the happiest times of my young adult life. The people there were full of life and the social life, though sometimes marred by alcoholism, was incredibly pro-social and active. People didn’t spend their days in front of the television or in seclusion, but rather participated in activities and, as few folks even had telephones, socialised a great deal. Certainly, when weighing the material wealth of the people over there at this time against my home country, there was no comparison. On the other hand, if you weighed what these people possessed in terms of self and society, I think the West pales in comparison. For example, under Communism (and everyone I met hated the Communist, wooed by the flood of the forbidden and Western media), the factories would organise hikes for its workers and their families. When I lived in Slovakia they continued this practise. So, one day a student invited me along to a trip to Mala Fatra. We left at 5 am and drove for three hours, hiked our butts off for 8 hours before meeting everyone ranging from grandchildren to grandparents for a meal in a pub before the bus trip home. Then the magic happened. As we drove through the darkness, no one on the bus read, listened to a walkman or played Gameboy, but rather everyone sang traditional Slovak folk songs. Granted, this spawns from a culture with a long, monogamous history, but I also feel this was the case as a direct result of a people not inundated with material things.

Don’t get me wrong: Communism failed. That being said, should we view Communism as being a bad word? I suppose Socialism is more apropos, so we can use that if you like. Think about it. Massive corporations own everything these days and, though our standard if life in the West for the most part is decent, is there not a necessity for Socialism in our society? In Canada most people are fighting to keep our free Medicare system. There are many who believe that post secondary education should be more accessible if not free to those who demonstrate that they are willing to work for it. It’s interesting as I am a Shop Steward for my Union local, but if you were to suggest Communist or Socialist ideas to most of my membership they would look at you like you had two heads, even though the vehicle that they are supporting is a direct result of the labour movement that consisted primarily of Communists at the turn of the 20th century. Again, I understand the stigma attached with the C word, and, sadly, must acknowledge that many folks are passionate about things without ever asking why, thus leaving those of us who do query as such baffled at those who continue to move without thinking. I guess life exists for each individual based on where they place their priorities

In closing, again, I long for the ideology and thought that once dominated politics. Sadly, and perhaps safely for the time being but my qualifier on that is a rant times ten in its self, Western governments will exist as CEO competitions, using fear to mislead the masses into following along with their agendas so long as they aren’t too outlandish. Perhaps, ironically, I am cynical. Definitely I’m overly cerebral. That’s just me.

As an epilogue to this missive, why not check out the Marxist Party of Canada’s web site: http://www.mlpc.ca/ if only for a chuckle and a breath of ideological fresh air, skewed with good intentions!

*From The Smiths

Spark


A fairly taxing week has come to a close and I am feeling refreshed and in a more focused mindset as I return to my regular duties working down in the Hole. The Crisis & Hostage Negotiator training course that I have just completed not only provided me with some seriously needed mental stimulus, but renewed my hopes and career aspirations with the Correctional Service of Canada. I was fortunate to go through this rigorous training with 14 other exceptional candidates. These people came from the Officer ranks as well as other parts of the Service, and represented a figurative spark in the darkness of the great bureaucracy of which I am a part. To work with these people and hear their ideas makes me hopeful that one day they will occupy more significant positions in the Service and bring about the changes that are needed. I also made a few really good friends and had some amazing conversations as well as helped each other go through a plethora of ordeals that seemed to occur in the private lives of my colleagues all at once.

It is interesting to see how positive interactions and experiences spread like a wildfire on a tinder dry prairie. I fell more motivated at present than I have in a very long time and hope that I can keep on riding this wave for a long time to come. Part of this involves supporting others to embark on new experiences, while spending more time on those things that have become mundane, breathing a new life into them. We, as creatures, are funny in how we so often know that certain things make us feel on top of the world, yet neglect to pursue them for some unknown reason. I truly believe that there is a masochist gene in all of us – it’s the one that says “nah, skip the gym and an watch TV”. Being a bit of a fitness addict, I know I feel great when I hit the gym and don’t if I skip it. Honestly ask yourself how many times you have extinguished ambitions by simply not overcoming simple inertia! We all do it.

To have ambition is one thing, but it is like a hyperactive child off its Ritalin when not focused in a direction. I have resolved to further develop my Chess playing from the cerebral side of things, and am definitely going to get into a regular Martial Arts programme - I have been dabbling back into Judo as past enteries denote - as I know that my desire is there. I must keep applying my Chess patience to my physical level of intensity.

Live, develop yourself and love those around you. One life – carpe diem!

Artwork "La Paradise" by Marc Chagall

You Should Be Paranoid


For a week now I have been pushing my cerebral capacity to its limits in a course training me to be a Crisis and Hostage Negotiator. It has certainly been a refreshing break from my daily rigours of working in the prison, even though our entire focus has been preparing myself and my colleagues for those times when things go sideways in a hurry. I must say I feel somewhat amazed knowing that the basis of the training that I have been receiving is no different to that received by people who negotiate in high profile media standoffs and hijackings! In fact, part of the course includes analysis of the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco, Texas, and the Gustafson Lake standoff here in Canada.

Furthering the “neatness” factor, I am being trained with and by guys who train FBI and RCMP negotiators who, through the mediums of Hollywood and Urban myth, seem like the superheroes of the negotiation world. There are even going to be chances to train with the FBI…. oh please be Agent Scully!!!

As would be expected, the fascinating side of the training that I am presently engaged revolves around the psychological sphere. It is amazing the number of tactics that can be implemented and, as a result of our social conditioning, have limited to complete success in manipulating behaviour. This is, of course, equally as scary as the same tactics used for good can be used for bad. Certainly we see evidence of psychological guerrilla warfare in many facets of our world, expressive particularly in the realms of marketing and trend setting. At the end of the day we can all be influenced and that’s frightening.

…Perhaps I’m doing this right now… to you… my reader…send money and follow me!....

Of course I say this in jest… but still send money and follow me… the fact is that there are many amongst us that are dead serious… send money now and be free!

Life, simple? NOT!