User:Wouter.drucker/Education

Education

Start from people and not from needs. Pre conditions for a high standard of living (technical know how) will automatically arise when people are allowed to develop optimally. Studies with rats show that a rich environment is necessary for optimal development (in the case of humans: books, art, a laboratory etc.) We always need to think holistically, and see how education interrelates with health, architecture and life meaning, among others.

Romantic notions

China currently educated 400,000 engineers a year. Compare this to Jacque Fresco's comment, that only 200-300 people form the basis of our industrial system. It appears our notions of education are too romantic, we are trying to educate every human being to be a second Leonardo da Vinci. The vast majority of people need to be educated simply to enjoy life, to be independent, loving and socially adjusted.

Education and Architecture

One of the major sources of learning are other people. Maximizing this potential means adapting space accordingly. Virtual space (the web) already allows for optimal collaboration, but normal space is generally extremely regimented (trough the concept of the 'house'). Design of the Rbe10K settlement can play an important role in (natural) education. For example if there are painters at work in the settlement, children should be allowed to freely walk in and out. Ateliers should be designed with capacity and safety (maximal visibility) and attainability (a high chance for people to walk in) in mind.

Education and Health

A forest doesn't need improvement from human hand, in fact such improvement will turn out to be detrimental. The same goes for a child. Adult humans will still try to improve a child any time they are bored. Boredom stem from lack of positive life direction (see positive psychology, Tal Ben Shahar). So the optimal educator for young children will be healthy individuals. This is one of the links between health and education.

Education and Love

Love between people

Children invariably invoke strong sensations of love. This sensation can be described as pleasure and sense of wanting to give care. Love is a force of attraction. Through the mechanism of love, children attract adults. This mental attraction can be a source of learning in both the child and the adult. The child needs to interact with many different adults to optimally learn from them. The child needs to compete for attention because adults have their own interests. This way the love mechanism can be seen as a weapon the child has to optimally learn. Different adults will want to share time with the time, and it's in the child's interest those adults each have a chance to spend time with the child.

Love, when it comes to children, sadly is often a sensitive subject. Child abuse is widespread, and the fear and hatred this instills in people will give rise to extreme protection and nervousness about the subject. This might damage the potential of child education. We should love our children and not let negative past experiences come in our way. Safety should come from rational measures. For instance individuals behaving in a suspicious manner (making weird sexual remarks, appearing socially maladjusted, appearing unhealthy) should be noted and discussed, possibly preventing them from spending time with children, or allowing them to spend time with children in a controlled manner, giving them a chance to heal, and other people a chance to better understand and map his condition.

Love for an activity

We learn best when we love what we do, or when we pursue something that can make us feel good.