|Parent's Accounts|Articles by the NREP Committee|
Lessons Drawn from the Current US Educational System for the New Race Education Project
Reyna-Michel Trapaga
“Our lives should be dedicated to something good and worth while- to be of service. The more good we can accomplish the better off we are. This should be the focus of education- to do that which is for the good of all. The day of selfishness and materialism is at an end. We must prepare. Learning and knowledge of the truth heals all troubles and leads to peace.” Manly P Hall
In the study of educational systems and their effectiveness it is important to ask the question: what kind of person do we want the educational system to produce? In essence, what is the goal of education? The answers to this question have changed since the beginnings of our traditional public education system to the present. Generally the needs of society have dictated what the education system should focus on , but as these needs and society have changed, education has been slow to follow. As society moved from agricultural based to one of mass production and scientific advancement, the education system was able to successfully produce the workers and thinkers. At that stage of development humanity was well suited to fulfill those roles. But as humanity changes and grows beyond this factory worker mentality, the current educational system is not changing with it and does not foster an environment that is able to provide for continued development mentally and spiritually. The educational system still teaches the same goal for life as it ever has: complete lower education, get a degree, the spouse, two children and a 9 to 5 job with all the material possessions that comes with it. This antiquated idea of self fulfillment and happiness actually fosters self limitations. Children today do not fit into this old model, and as humanity continues to evolve, life will be seen and truly felt as limitless in its evolutionary scope and this will aid in the revolution of education. Education must break out of the old idea of happiness and fulfillment and start teaching and reflecting the higher purpose of life.
In short we need an educational system and curriculum that is flexible and that can change with changing environmental and societal conditions. It must also teach our children to once again live by the Universal Laws and to connect to their internal truths. To do this we must separate ourselves from the old educational models and think outside the current graded reward/punishment system most of us participated in.
Background or Current situation
Education makes up a large part of every state's and city's budget and the money is supplied by tax payers. Each year taxes go up to support a system that no longer seems to be able to adequately educate our children.
Statistics gathered throughout the years show steady numbers in the areas of dropout rates, violence in schools, and performance measures. Most aspects of traditional education have not changed since its inception. Unfortunately this has contributed to the current difficulties we see today. Statistics show dropout rates continue to increase at a steady pace, kids graduate only with rudimentary fundamental skills, and they are bored and increasingly frustrated with schools that do not allow them to participate in their own educational goals. Education al system seems to be unable to significantly improve on these numbers. For example, I i n America since the 1950's over one million (how does it look %-wise and in regard to those actually graduating) youths have dropped out of school each year, and i ncidents of violence and vandalism continue to be significant are at an all time high . The following are some statistics compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For example: In 2003 25% of the freshman class either dropped out or didn't graduate on time. (1) In 2004 approximately four of every 100 students enrolled in high school dropped out without completing the school year. (2)During the 2005-06 school year 86% of public schools reported at least one violent crime, theft, or other crime occurring at their school. In 2005 25% of students in grades 9-12 reported drugs were made available to them on school property and 8% also reported being threatened or injured with a weapon during the previous 12 months.(3)
These numbers serve to show a system which is unable in part to serve a youth population in their educational needs. The purpose of education has changed. We no longer need factory workers but those who are creative thinkers. We need to allow children and young adults the freedom to learn creatively without competition or threats. Today's graded school environment does none of these things. Our traditional public schools mainly function with rigid lesson plans forcing children to memorize not learn. This does not effectively hold their interest ; it creates boredom, anger, and frustration. This is what in part drives the numbers above.
It is the intent of this paper to explore the traditional public educational system as well as some of the most prevalent and popular models in Alternative Education and to compare their commonalities. In conclusion we will then explore what the Ancient Wisdom tells us education must accomplish in the new Age which will bring enlightenment of humanity's purpose and an age of peace.
Traditional Education
Traditional education in its early years though served a valuable purpose. There became an institution created to develop and spread the wealth of knowledge and mental development. Education is what aided the development of many countries as a whole. Without this institution of education, we can surmise most countries would not have developed into the same post agrarian industrialized nations of today. With the creation of mandatory formal education, culture expanded, science, music, math, and the arts flourished and we enjoy a level of sophistication and civilization that otherwise would most likely not be. The purpose of schooling was to improve a child's ability to think and reason through the study of certain essential subjects. Behind this purpose was an understanding that access to education was a democratic right and the role of the school in a democratic society was to provide academic learning as well as access to knowledge once reserved by to the elite few. Schools were seen as the great equalizer. That through education anyone could rise above humble origins and make good on the nation's promise of equal opportunity for all. Along with the establishment of formal education, there began many debates over curriculum some of which persist even today. These debates took the form mainly over what was to be taught, i.e. should children be taught mainly vocational training suited to their station in life or should they all receive the same academic education regardless if they were to go to college or not.
Gregory Smith in his book Public Schools That Work: Creating Community, aptly stated the goals of traditional education. That they are “Geared to help children become successful wage earners and acquire material possessions, positions that will require them to fulfill tasks upon which their performance as workers will be judged.” This purpose is outmoded in today's society. We no longer need factory workers and robots who are judged by their output and their consumption of material goods, but those who are creative thinkers. As a historical note, our modern educational system- the five core curriculum of social studies, English, mathematics, science, and foreign languages- was adopted in 1899 from a structure developed by Catherine the Great of Russia. This system was designed to give Russia good soldiers, good factory workers, and good tax paying citizens who would all follow orders and not question authority.
The structure of the Traditional education system is one that relies almost exclusively on intellectual learning and rote memorization skills. From its beginning the public school system seemed to create order out of nothing. By grouping children by age/grade with teaching materials deemed suitable to that age, teachers were able to work cost effectively with large groups of children. This is what we still have today, overcrowded school rooms and outdated/outmoded teaching materials and methods. This system whereby teachers are upfront lecturing with children sitting stationary behind their desks was seen as supportive of discipline and the preferred method of communicating lessons.
Unfortunately this manner of instruction teaches students how to succeed on tests not in life. Students are taught to see education as a way to obtain a piece of paper rather than actual learning. The Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development concluded that “The process of human learning always has two parts: (a) confrontation with new information or experience, and (b) the learner's personal discovery of the meaning of that experience.” Public schools do allow this type of learning in limited ways such as in participation of extracurricular activities and elective courses like music, art, and sports. Sadly funding problems often severely curtail or eliminate many of these activities . from the curriculum.
Another aspect essential to learning which is largely frowned upon in public schools is that of cooperative learning. Relationships are fundamental to the learning process. If students collaborate on a project they learn not only from the act of completing the project but also from each other. Conversely competition is a fundamental component in traditional schools. Schools stress individual achievement not cooperation and group membership. This primarily takes the form of competition against external standards of excellence (i.e. Standard Achievement Tests and other Standardized testing) and competition (not cooperation) between students and faculty. Students are judged by these standards regardless of their unique talents and skills. Emphasis on standardized testing has essentially eliminated the creative and experiential learning environment. Unfortunately, teachers are forced to teach according to these tests because school funding and student aptitudes are determined by these scores. Children are in turn taught they are in a subservient position to their teachers and their primary responsibility lies in their acquiescence to the school's behavioral norms and standards of achievement. In effect they learn that their well being depends not upon social relationships but on their ability to meet standards of achievement determined by impersonal and seemingly inescapable educational and economic institutions. Success is tied to conformity.
Every school has a stated curriculum; however much learning takes place outside this curriculum (incidental learning). For example: learning to cheat in response to academic demands, learning about race and racism, peer pressure, and social class. All these things have an impact on the student. Some Recent studies have suggest ed that the academic aspect of schooling, instruction and curriculum, have little impact on our the students. Their social experiences, after-school hours, and extracurricular activities are more significant.
Granted we can conclude educators of the 1800 and early 1900s did not have the benefit of the studies and research that has taken place during the last part of this century concerning learning and development. Just in the past 30 years or so significant research has been conducted and there is much literature available to educators in the areas of human development, human learning, instructional methodology, school and classroom management, and organizational dynamics. These studies have largely not been incorporated into the traditional public school system. This has contributed to the statistics citing dropout rates and violence in our schools. We know children born today are not the same as previous generations but we still seek to try to make them conform to standards designed a century ago. Many kids today have opted out of traditional education altogether and have refused higher education as well because they can not conform to an outdated, rigid, uncompromising school structure. More and more we see parents at a loss and seeking alternative modes of education.
Alternative Education
Public schools still dominate mainstream education, but parents today can choose from a wide variety of alternative education systems. Many of these alternatives have rooted in them more humanistic and progressive educational approaches. Instead of the mainstream authoritarian approach which is teacher centered, competitive, textbook oriented, and focused on academic skills, most independent alternative education methods focus on the child, are democratically run, and emphasize experiential learning, social skills, arts, and academics. This next section will describe a few of the more mainstream alternative education systems active today.
Alternative education programs have been around since the early 19 th century and the resurgence of their popularity began around the 1960's and 70's. Many of these schools served the population of students and parents who either did not succeed or who did not agree with the methods and goals of the public school system. Alternative schools offer a variety of teaching methodologies and strategies generally structured to the learning preference of the student. The benefits of this are self explanatory.
Alternative education structures and methodologies fall into many categories. Public schools can adopt alternative education strategies especially designed for those students categorized as at risk of dropping out or failing. These public programs however, are not generally offered to the whole student body. There are religiously affiliated schools which teach fundamental subjects as well as the religious context of their institutions, and there are the independent schools outside the public and religious school systems. They are not controlled by the public school board but do adhere to state and federal education law. Th e is focus on this section is going to be on these independent schools because they have offer ed the flexibility of curriculum and teaching methodology that the others do not. They are generally more democratically run, community involved, and student oriented. Many of these alternative approaches to education have been around for a long time and have been shown to be viable and successful programs. In fact some programs boast their students are better equipped to attend higher learning institutions and enter the job market than those who attended traditional schools. In most of these schools students are taught to rely on their own abilities to solve problems, become self motivated learners and thinkers, and as a result have developed a more critical and inquiring mind.
Alternative Independent Schools are those that by their very name indicate an existence and operation independent of the public school board. There are many types of independent schools. Some of the most well known are the Free Schools, Waldorf Schools, Montessori Schools, and although not a formal school there is the option of home schooling. It is beyond the scope of this paper to research all the alternative independent education models active today so below is a brief description of the most prevalent and wide spread in the US .
Free Schools
Some examples of Free Schools are the Summerhill, Sudbury , and self named Free School approaches. They all have much in common and veer drastically away from the structure and curriculum of traditional schools. There are about 350 free schools in operation today, and each express the ideal of freedom in education and of the particular ideology of their founders and supporters. These schools give the students all or almost complete freedom in determining their own educational goals and day to day day-to-day activities. They are free to pursue any interest and while basic skills are taught they are not pushed upon the students. These schools are self governing giving all kids regardless of age a vote in the decision making process. The idea behind these schools is that learning is a natural tendency and that children want to learn and are good at it given appropriate surroundings. They are free to explore their surroundings and teachers are there to answer questions, coach and guide. While these types of schools may not be suitable to all kids it has been shown to be viable alternative for children who do not conform well to a structured school setting.
Holistic Schools
Holistic Schools while not as prevalent as the others perhaps comes closer to what education will become. Holism views the world and the universe as an integrated organism, in which all parts (mineral, animal, vegetable, energetic, spiritual) are related. All existence is a unity, is related, has meaning, and is evolving toward higher forms. Holism also views the human as an integrated being of equally important parts: physical, emotional, intellectual, artistic, social, moral, and spiritual. Holism holds that human life has spiritual, cosmic, transpersonal, and archetypal dimensions that can not cannot be logically or scientifically analyzed and grasped alone. It rejects materialistic, rationalistic, and reductionistic views that humans are simply processors of information and victims of social and economic forces. While not as widespread as other schools, since the 1970's holism has developed into its own specific educational movement with its own identity. Holism attempts to educate for global citizenship and teaches an appreciation for cultural diversity. It stresses that each person is responsible for the well being of all beings and the planet. This includes a spiritual concept of the interrelationships between all things. So the holism approach focuses also upon the whole individual and emphasizes experiential approaches to learning and cooperative strategies in teaching.
Montessori
The Montessori system has primarily been implemented in the preschool and kindergarten grades, some schools do educate up to the sixth grade. The system was designed to be very versatile and adaptable for all grades. Though there are specific types of learning materials associated with this method, schools are free to design materials which are associated with particular age groups. The items in the classroom are designed to spark interest and encourage the students to learn about the physical world through their activities. The design of the system is such that learning takes place in multi age classrooms where kids learn and play in the same room. Learning is individualized and children are free to learn at their own pace. They are free to move around the classroom and work alone or in groups. This system defines different learning strategies for different age groups. Learning for the Preschool child is viewed as focusing on activities which teach them to live in the physical world. For the 7-12 yr olds learning can take place more in the abstract and through their imagination. In elementary grades there is no required work, students can pursue their interests, and teachers help plan and record learning activities such as exhibits, objects, time lines and displays. Art and music are integrated into daily activities. Though there are many Montessori schools for pre-school and elementary age children, there are few if any of these schools which go beyond and up into the middle and high school age children.
Waldorf
The Waldorf schools started in Germany after WWI, created by Rudolf Steiner. This was the first school which was free from government control. Its goal was to educate all children the same way whether they were destined to work in a factory or headed for the university. This method has a more structured approach to the classroom and teaching than the other methodologies and perhaps is more in line with traditional schooling with the added emphasis on creative activities. Its purpose was to create free, creative, independent, moral, and happy human beings and was a radical deviation for its time. Today we find these schools widespread. Intellectual work is balanced by other activities such as art, music, and crafts. This structure is based on the research that brain centers involved in manual dexterity are interconnected with those involved in higher-order thinking. Physical activity and play are emphasized along with small blocks of lesson time. The Kindergarten curriculum is based on the importance of movement, play and fantasy. Children are given time in which to play, there is daily story time, and their full exercise of fantasy is encouraged and seen as necessary to the later development of intellect and academic capacity. At this stage there is no teaching of reading and writing. Elementary education (age 7-14) is centered on a single class teacher and academic fundamentals are worked into each day. High School gives way to multiple special subject teachers which we see in the traditional school setting. Academic performance and study are still moderated by continued emphasis on arts, crafts, music, and trades and assessments are based on the child's total activity: academic, craft work craftwork arts (?) , and social interactions. The Waldorf system focuses on the whole human potential to make a difference in the world which involves unity, harmony, and dignity. There are competitive sports, and test taking, but the academics are not the be - all all- end all to education. Waldorf seeks to develop the whole person- head, hands, and heart.
Home Schooling
Finally there is the option for parents to home school their children. This right was fiercely fought for when state governments began adopting formal education laws. Until the public school system came into being, parents had the responsibility and the right to educate their children as they decided fit. With the creation of the public school system and the passage of legislation, parents could no longer decide how and when their kids should be educated. The state government said children must be educated, and the state would do this for them. Parents simply had to pay their taxes and the state would decide how and what to teach their children. Needless to say many took exception to this and from the mid 1970s home schooling has been enjoying a come back. This “right” to home school took many years to pass in legislature. There are of course benefits as well as difficulties with this method of education. Some of the benefits include: modest cost of materials, parents can spend more time with their children, and learning is year round and at the pace suited to the child. Learning takes place in a non non- competitive environment and children are able to pursue their own interests. Many home schoolers in the same area will often network and support each other which allows for social interaction and development. There are many forums for parents to communicate with others to assist each other in their education efforts. Home schooling however is not a viable option for many families. It usually keeps one parent out of the workforce, something many families can not cannot afford today. Every parent today is free to keep their child out of school and to educate them at home as long as state requirements are fulfilled. There is are extensive information and support structures in place which facilitate setting up education strategies and materials for those parents interested in this option.
Commonalities
Each of these movements and approaches to education have much in common. Their founders all realized that education needs to be sustainable in communities rather than a drain on them. Sustainable education involves all members of the community and recognizes each person as having an unlimited and undetermined value and potential. Many of the common elements these schools share involve experiential learning instead of rote memorization, self directed and self motivated learning based on interest in place of a forced curriculum, and creative expression. Along with academic learning, physical activities, music, and the arts are seen as essential parts of each day and important to overall development, and emphasis on each of these areas equally is what fosters the development of the whole human being. Most of these Alternative Independent Schools agree that the development of the whole person is of the utmost importance and in order to achieve this, the kids must be given the freedom to explore their surroundings, express their interests, and take an active role in determining their educational goals. Above all most of these alternative models involve the community in learning. This is seen as an essential element in teaching kids the value of being of service to others and has been shown to be a valuable learning tool for social interaction as well as being a practical learning experience in academics.
Education in the Future
While these approaches may be seen as a step in the right direction, we are told by the Ancient Wisdom that what is truly needed in education is in addition to learning fundamental skills, is to be taught and shown how to reconnect with our higher selves and therefore to learn the purpose of our existence.
“Education must meet the needs of the human spirit. It must assist persons to develop a satisfactory personal philosophy and sense of values; to cultivate tastes for literature, music and the arts; to grow in ability to analyze problems and arrive at thoughtful conclusions.”(4)
This statement taken from Education in the New Age by Alice Bailey sums up what we need to implement in the future education system. Not only to teach the fundamental skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic but that of spiritual connection and understanding of where we fit in, in the world and what part we are to play in our own development and in service to the world. The current education system has eliminated the essentials of human yearning for connection to the divine and the higher self. This we must bring back for education to serve the needs of the New Age.
Education must veer away from teaching self centeredness and competition to one of cooperation, harmony, and service to others and society. Our sense of self worth must not be tied to what we can get for ourselves but what we can do for others. Materialism must be left behind with the rest of the trappings that do not serve the world. In short we must begin as a whole to live by those Universal Laws of love, peace, and service. This is what must be taught. If we are to enter an age of peace and enlightenment we must start to teach our children what really matters which is the welfare of others not self.
Manly Hall and Alice Bailey summarize the concepts of education in the new age as follows: "To do this education must bring forth the true qualities inherent within all of us which are our true nature. Materialism and self centeredness self-centeredness is a taught external condition. If we cease to teach that which goes against our natural grain, the true aspects of our nature will come forth and be allowed to flourish. Learning takes place both through external stimulus and internally by listening to the inner wisdom. External teachings should not go counter to internal wisdom. Children should be led to seek and utilize their inner wisdom and to help them focus on the higher principles. Until the fact of the higher mind is recognized and taught, and that the role of the lower concrete mind is that of servant to the higher, we will continue to have a society which revolves around meeting man's lower desires, and this is what education teaches today." (5)
So it is explained that education must accomplish many tasks. It must make an intelligent citizen who is able to work in the world peaceably, helpfully and in harmony. It must enable the student to bridge the gap between the various aspects of his own mind thereby being able to access his own inner wisdom. This will enable him to participate fully in the Universal Plan. True education has been described as the science of linking up the integral parts of man, with his immediate environment, and with the greater whole in which he has to play his part.
This is the challenge we are faced with: designing an educational system which is compatible with the Universal Laws and seeks to bring the inner wisdom in all of us to the foreground instead of being suppressed. Education should allow kids to investigate who they are, teach them how to access their internal wisdom and link up with the higher aspects of the mind. They should be allowed to learn in ways that work best for them and allow them to explore their environment free from competition, criticism, and punishment. In this way they will learn to develop their intuition and manifest their talents in service to society.
Conclusion
Concerning our New Race Education Project, it is imperative that we elevate these two objectives as ongoing objectives in any curriculum that is developed. The new race children will increasingly exhibit psychic abilities to include clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience. These abilities are not well understood by the general public and these children are often as not seen as having mental impairment rather than extra sensory abilities. We must teach the parents and children that these abilities are actually part of the evolutionary unfoldment of humanity, not aberrations.
Today the new race children go through all kinds of turmoil and stress because of this misunderstanding when in fact they have the gifts that will become part of everyday life. If we do not begin to teach the development and proper usage of these gifts, there lie dangers of misapplication for selfish and destructive purposes. This is what the New Race Education Project's (NREP) mandate is. To fill in the educational gap and devise a curriculum and model focusing on the new race education.
This project involves defining and identifying the new race children and their parents and researching their educational needs. The goal is to develop guidance and educational models for the parents and children in the development and application of these abilities for the good of humanity. We must assist these vanguard new race children to integrate successfully with the present society as well as to be the leaders, builders and teachers of the new society. The ultimate goal of this education is to teach service to humanity, of putting others before self. The NREP is continuing to conduct research and work towards the accomplishment of these goals.
Acknowledgments
As with any project or study there are people who add essential contributions. I must give my sincere gratitude and thanks to the following people for their input and collaboration on this project: Dr. Michael Mau, Dr. Anna Pavlovic, and Matthew Thompson.
Footnotes:
(1)Institute of Education Sciences, NCES, The Condition of Education 2007
(2) NCES Dropout rates in the US : 2005
(3)National Center for Education Statistics 2008-021 Dec 2007
(4)Bailey, A.A. Education in the New Age, Hall, M. Concrete and Abstract Factors of the Human Mind. Lecture .
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