The next coming 5 weeks I’m attending a series of meetings at my work focused on creating educational materials. The target is to adapt to existing programmes in a way it fits the level and background of teenage aboriginal girls of a Girls Academy in Australia. During this whole process of going through the materials and methodology I started thinking about the general educational system. The predominant methodology I experienced during my school career is basically based on traditional learning methods. Teacher in front of the class explaining the theories, learners seated two by two trying to concentrate and listen for a full hour. Next hour, exact same routine.

During my University time I took a course called Education & Development. Expecting to hear nothing but praise about what education can do for development. I mean education is the key to development; every child deserves proper education. Who dares to doubt these statements? The first class started with the origin of education in the way we recognize it today, with a classroom, teacher and black board (probably now exchanged for a projection screen or even newer technology). This form of education started to create solidarity, a feeling of belonging to a group or nationality. In short, create some order and structure and make people believe in a common goal and good: building a great nation together. This form of education became today one of the best export products of the world. Go to a random country, choose a remote area and walk into no particular classroom and you will see the exact same picture. It made me question: is this the only way? and a better question: is this the best way to teach?

Going back to my own high school years I remember having problems focusing and concentrating on the class, probably just like any other. Yet, I was one of the lucky ones not experiencing a lot of trouble making it through my high school years. I was able to make up the part I missed, while dreaming during class and not making my homework, by being able to concentrate while studying for my exams. I experienced another side to the story by looking at my older sister, diagnosed as dyslexic. In her case a form in which you can’t think in words, only in visuals. I saw her struggling through her high school getting less and less motivated by the day. Fortunate enough, we had very stimulation parents, both teachers as well, who tried to help her with home work and trying out different methodologies where they could. Very hard discipline, a very strong character and the help of my parents got her a high school diploma. Choosing for a more practical follow-up study in social work showed her how intelligent she actually was, resulting in a CUM LAUDE graduation. Would she have recognized her skills in a different environment, or would she have continued feeling like a dummy. Is this might be happening to a lot of kids for which the current educational method is not matching.

Back to the aboriginal kids I mentioned earlier. Aboriginal people happen to be, like my sister, very visual people. Creating material for them adapted to their exceptional visual skills will make a great contribution to their opportunities and self esteem. So I can only say: way to go SAIE!