I was recently sent an article which included a quote by Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop. As I result I 'googled' her site and enjoyed reading a variety of articles expressing her ideas to make the world a fairer place..Anite Roddick is a unashamed activist. Her site states,'Get informed.Get outraged Get inspired.Get active.'
Now in her early sixties she believes the older you are the more radical you can become.
Her 'entrepreneurialship', she says, is a result of her dysfunction. An entrepreneurs dream is almost a kind of madness.The difference, she says, between a crazy person and the delinquent mind of the entrepreneur is that the latter can convince others to share in the vision. Entrepreneurs act on what they see,think and feel. Entrepreneurs are often loners, vagabonds and troublemakers. Success is simply a matter, she says, 'of surrounding ourselves with those open minded and clever souls who can take our insanity and put it to good use'.
Back to the quote about learning.
Education ought to about giving all students the freedom of thought, judgement, feeling and imagination they need to develop their talents and take control of their lives as much as possible.
Anita's quote is as follows:
'Let's help children to develop the habits of freedom.To encourage them to celebrate who and what they are.
Let's stop teaching children to fear change and protect the status quo. Let's teach them to inquire and debate.To ask questions until they hear answers.And the way to do it is to change the ways of traditional schooling.
Our education system does its best to ignore and suppress the creative spirit of children. It teaches them to listen unquestioningly to authority. It insists that education is to get a job.What's left out is sensitivity to others, non- violent behaviour, respect, intuition, imagination, and a sense of awe and wonderment.'
Education, according to Anita, is about getting a life rather than just getting a living.
Anita's site.
Where, or who, are our education entrepreneurs?
3 comments:
Anita is talking about transforming schools to develop students who appreciate the need for sustainability.
Current schools are all about protecting those who currently hold the power.
We need the energy of radical young people to work alongside radical 'oldies' to ensure there is a world left for the young to inherit.
Anita Roddick died in September. A great loss.
What you quote of what she said remains true.
Where did you find the great graphic of the education system?
Thank you for informing me about Anita Roddick. You are right - a great loss.
I thought her education comments wonderful.
I just collect graphis/quotes whenever I see them - the graphic came from a book published in the 70s. It sure sums up education to me!
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