Page 35 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL13

Education as CollaborationWith regional pedagogy not progressing much beyond uninspiring top-down dogma and rote learning, a more equal approach may be necessary to help young people unleash their potentialEducation is a tool that can liberate people from the modern, capitalist world. It starts small and simple with a passion to learn, and that’s how society can benefit from education, through the meaning of life and self-discovery of each learner combinedI n the fast-paced, ever evolving world we live in, infrastructure and hardware are regularly updated, new technology emerges and skills are continuously introduced. Education, on the other hand, the most vital tool for nurturing humanbeings, is often neglected.At a recent annual public lecture hosted by SEM (Spirit in EducationMovement), known for its holistic approach to education, speakers addressed problems in Southeast Asian education and suggested ways to restore the dignity of learners through pedagogic empowerment.The 22nd public SEM lecture featured Jane Rasbash of Gaia Education, an organization that provides avant-garde sustainability education and promotes thriving communities. Ms Rasbash has been working in international development for three decades, mentoring community leaders in the global south and often working in challenging situations, with past education empowerment stints included Myanmar, Thailand and several African countries.“Education is a tool that can liberate people from the modern, capitalist world,” Ms Rasbash said. “It starts small and simple with a passion to learn, and that’s how society can benefit from education, through the meaning of life and self-discovery of each learner combined.”For too long, education has been thought to be all about using the brain, Ms Rasbash said. Tests and assessments are conducted and those with the highest scores are marked as “successful” or “educated”. This then leads to consumerism and the pursuit of wealth, with education used simply as a tool to get good paying jobs. But once physical and material needs are satisfied, why do many of us still feel an empty void inside? Why are we emotionally removed from the bustling world around us? Why can’t we maintain relationships with others? According to Ms Rasbash, the answer is simple: we lack an education that allows us to connect with ourselves, to connect to nature and that teaches us to learn from first-hand experience.Ms Rasbash pointed out that most education systems regard teachers as the centre, with the power and resources in the classroom. They are the ones who determine what is right and what is wrong, and who passes and who fails. Even in a spiritual education system, teachers or gurus are the centre. Though they do it out of their intention to help students learn, they also deprive them of the essence of education.Ms Rabash contends teachers should have a less dominant and contaminating role in the classroom so that students can think for themselvesElite+ 33