Should Schools Focus More On Teaching Children How To Code And Grow Food?
John Vibes, Truth Theory
Waking Times
Very little has changed about the structure and overall curriculum of the formal schooling system in the western world since the Prussian model of education was adopted in the United States and most of Europe in the 19th century.
Some of the information has changed and updated with the times, but children are still taught most of the same subjects in very much the same way. However, in the fast-paced world that has developed in the past century, newer generations are finding that the traditional schooling model has not left them prepared for the real world as it had promised. Students are being prepared for a world that does not exist anymore, and are being trained for jobs that are long gone as well.
There are some independent schools who are taking different approaches, and teaching children skills like coding or gardening, along with highlights from the traditional curriculum. Some establishments, like Montessori schools, are even bold enough to allow children to direct their own path in learning and decide their own curriculum.
In Seattle, an organization called Tiny Trees Preschool offers year-round courses outside, in parks throughout the city, allowing children to be in nature while they learn and develop important life skills that can’t be picked up in a classroom.
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In Europe, the idea began to spread in the 1950’s and has continued to grow over the years. There are currently 1,000 outdoor preschools that operate in Europe, while prior to the opening of these schools in Seattle, there were only 3 outdoor preschools in the US.
Among the most important skills that children can learn growing up is reading, computer skills, and outdoor skills like gardening or farming. Once a child learns to read, they can teach themselves anything, especially with the advantages of modern technology. Computer skills will only grow in demand as more of the workforce becomes automated, and the traditional school curriculum only offers a very basic introduction in these areas, leaving most young adults unequipped for the real job market when they get out of school.
Survival skills like gardening are also extremely important, and nearly forgotten in recent generations. We may have an economy and a level of technology that makes these skills seem unnecessary in our everyday lives, but if we become too dependant on this technology, we will be helpless to take care of ourselves if that technology changes or becomes inoperable.
About the Author
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture, and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems. He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast.