This week’s guest post on Education comes from Krystallina,
Krysta, from Fairytale Comes Alive. Kyrsa is from Greece
First of all I want to thank
Julie for giving me the opportunity to express my opinion about such an
important matter.
I would like to begin with my
story. As a child I hated school. I had average grades (mostly because teachers
liked me for some reason –maybe because I was quiet). I had no interest
for most classes and teachers, so I was never paying attention in the classroom.
Therefore, homework was a huge mountain to climb. And I had no intention to. I
was not uninterested for my family’s judgement though, and so I was getting
very anxious to be good at something that really didn’t interested me at all.
Right before my teenage years, I began having terrible migraines. After a
couple of years I suspected that stress might be the problem, so I decided to
never care about grades (and other things too but that’s another story) again.
Guess what? I rarely have migraines now!
Arts, psychology, English and
writing were the classes that I really enjoyed (although there were so little
of it and most of the times the teachers seemed to be so bored and ‘teaching’
basic stuff was all they were doing). With the high grades of my favourite
classes, I was managing to pass the others, until 16. Then in the middle of the
school year I decided to stop attending classes. And something totally
unexpected happened. A teacher of mine, called me on my cellphone (I still have
no idea where he found it) and told me “You should finish school. Not because
it has something to teach you. Everything you have to know, you have already
learned it from somewhere else. You just have to finish it so you’ll have the
paper. If you don’t many doors will close to you. Krysta there are only two talented
kids in this classroom and you’re one of them. Don’t go away from this road.” I
was shocked. It was the first time someone has seen things from another point
of view. Not exactly my point of view, but he motivated me anyway. I was ready
to go back to school. But then, I couldn’t. I had so many things to see so many
things to do. And school was keeping me back.
That very night, I took a
backpack with a few stuff and left my house. The years that followed were
the most wild and furious years of my life. I travelled (inside my own country)
a lot, met so many beautiful people, read so many amazing books, had lots of
drugs, did a few different jobs (but most of the time I was not working), gave
away all of my super expensive shoes and clothes and kept only the ones I
really needed in an effort to get rid of my emotional attachment to materials
and did a bunch of other experiments too that made me the person I am today.
All the things I have learnt
from this full life I’ve been living, are my education. All these other
experiences like yoga, theatre, juggling, kids games, face painting, dancing,
cooking, sewing define me too. The biggest thing, the one that changed me the
most…the best thing I’ve ever done is of course becoming a mother! But
guess what? None of them I learnt in school!
Now, and even though, I have
“no proper” education and just like my teacher said many doors have closed to
me, I have an amazing job that fills me with joy and happiness. And even at that
hard times it pays relatively well. I’m very satisfied with the conditions in
my life. I keep trying new things, making mistakes, listening to my inner voice
(and other people voices too) and this is how I learn. People keep asking me if
I’m planning to go back to school. “No” I say. “I don’t have time for
school…there are so many things I have to learn!”
Now, we all know, that the
educational system needs changes. It’s very sad but I can’t find even one
reason that our kids should be going to school. And I can’t stop worrying about
the fact that my little one should go to school too one day. Do you think I’m
over reacting? Please, I would really like to read your thoughts!
Please Note: Images and words are Kyrsta's unless otherwise indicated
I think it depends on the child/teen/person. I did well in school and I thrived academically, and I more or less enjoyed it (except when I was a teenager and I was all withdrawn and depressing- I got over it). Children like adults need a learning environment they can thrive and what may work for one child may not work for another. I did well with the structure and I liked learning most things (still do)- but I've never really been a free spirit, I may have a creative side, but I also have a rigid side.
ReplyDeleteI will have my son in a regular, basic structured/formal school system and I'll see how he does. If later I feel that he would benefit greater at a school with a more creative or intuitive edge, I will be glad to accommodate. Perhaps do the same with your child? Never hurts to try something and if one way doesn't work, you can look to home school or put her in a different type of school.
Em you should write a guest post on Education for me!!
ReplyDeleteI think the public education system rigidly caters for the mainstream student. If you don't fit into that category you get left behind. Or out. I was mainstream at school, neither particularly good nor bad. I had the option of finishing in grade 10. My daughters didn't. They had to continue to grade 12 and they didn't fit the mainstream. Both of them could read before Grade 1. I recall spending the first 3 or 4 weeks visiting the eldest's grade 1 teacher nearly every day. She was bored and therefore disruptive. We moved when the youngest was in grade 6 and discovered schools here have cachement areas. She was so far ahead of everyone else in her new school. If I had it over again, maybe I would seriously consider home schooling!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately main stream has to aim for the middle of the road, any thing above or below this struggle
ReplyDeleteSometimes I find myself wondering what would have happened if they had been encouraged to reach their full potential instead of dumbing themselves down to fit the mainstream. Chereena was reading The Magician's Nephew (book 1 of the Narnia Chronicles) in grade 1, Amii was asking about like terms (algebra) in grade 2.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot to be said for home school some kids
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, I completely respect and value your opinion. You're telling YOUR story and thoughts and opinions about the school system in Greece and what you want for your child. I don't think there is one right way, Learning education can happen in a variety of ways, I think if a person has a kind heart and do what they are passionate for they will thrive no matter the method of education.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe homeschooling is illegal in Greece?! That doesn't seem fair, parents should have the right to choose to educate their own kids if that's what they want to do.
Certainly!
ReplyDelete