Why is Art so important in Education?
Last time I wrote an article about Tantra and placed a link to this article in a WeChat group for Art projects for Children.
I got some remarks that it was inappropriate to place this article in this group. I wonder why? Even If I knew children would be members of this group and could read it, then maybe...No I'm still not convinced it would be inappropriate. What is this secret conspiracy about sex and why is it inappropriate? This was the whole point of the article, people read Tantra and their alarm bells go off, how I wish their alarm bells would go of when I would talk about Hinduism, Jewism, Catholicism, Islamism or any other religion. The power of our ancestors and these religions that gave Tantra a dirty meaning, that actually is so beautiful. I even got a reply saying ‘I'm a Hindu, and that I'm wrongly interpreting Tantra’. Beautiful, the first sentence ‘I'm a Hindu’, what this person is actually saying is I'm not, therefore I can NOT talk about Tantra, only we Hindus can. And that from a member I assume is probably educating Children as being a member of this group. Aiaiai how painful is this, putting oneself higher and wiser then others, well that’s probably why this person has become a teacher. Is this what you would teach children, if you're not a grown up you can’t talk about grown up stuff, as a metaphor for if your not a Hindu don't talk about Hinduism.
In other words only talk or share about what you know and where you're from. Talk about what you learned from us teachers, parents and from your own culture. Please become a parrot in your own little box from your own religion, but please don't come out of it, because if you do you might start a war, or create a misunderstanding about others. Isn’t this the point, the purpose of education to exchange, to talk and appreciate each others cultures? no it seems better to destroy those that have a different opinion or religion. Judge them or silence them, especially when you're not one of us, because you don't understand.
Tantra is not dirty, it is the art of living fully, happy, open and conscious. How can this be dirty.
I'm drifting of I know, it’s a nasty habit of me. Why Art for children or in general is so important? And why do we need to start at a young age teaching Art?
My favorite TED talk on this subject is that of Sir Ken Robinson How schools kill creativity. Here’s a link:
https://embed.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
There are 2 moments in this talk that I really love;
The first one is about a young child of 6 years old that is really loving her drawing class, the teacher noticed this and takes a look at what the child is drawing. She asks the child 'what are you drawing?' The child replies with full enthusiasm ‘God’and of course a teacher being a teacher that wants to make sure the Kid doesn't do anything inappropriate…..says to the Child, 'but no one knows what God looks like'. How killing this remark is to the creativity and the development of the child. You don't know, because you're a child and I know because I'm a Teacher. But thank god this kid is not influenced by its teacher and says ‘They will in a minute’. Beautiful, here the Child is surpassing all the knowledge of the teacher, its sharing without any intend to prove something or to be superior, she simple shares her truth. This is the point its her truth, who are we to judge? To say it is wrong? Based on what knowledge? Do you know what God looks like? Do you know what Tantra is, really do you Know? The truth is you don't, you start preaching and educating what you know from others, parroting on and on. Killing the purity of the child and yourself.
The beauty about a children is that they're not afraid to be wrong, to express themselves how they look and feel about something. We adults are so programmed by our parroting society making us so afraid to be ‘wrong’ or stupid that we can’t Be anymore. We have become emotionless robotic Parrots, and want our children to become the same…
The second moment I love is when he talks about a child, a little girl of who the school (teachers) think she has a learning disorder. Based on what? If a child doesn't fit in, does not behave or reach the standards of the teachers, their rules and their understanding, then off course there is something wrong with the child….Because it would be simply impossible to consider that they (the teachers) or the institute (any form of education) might be wrong…. This girl just couldn’t sit still, this happened in the thirties (1930-1940) now we have a name for this behavior, its called ADHD. Do you know what ADHD stands for? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In other words not having enough attention and therefore becoming hyperactive to get attention, the irony. And then its called a disorder. But in the thirties they had no name for it yet. I wonder how we in 5000 years of history ever deled with it….
How convenient for the parents, the teachers and the institute. Its not our fault, we did nothing wrong the child has ADHD, the child can’t help itself, so lets just stuff it full with Prozac, so the child can fit in our system. Lets kill every authenticity this child has. But for sure lets not see how we can reach out to this child. Its only a child, right?
The school suggested to the parents to see a specialist to figure out what was wrong with her and make her fit back into the system.
This 8 year old Girl and her mother go and see this specialist. During the intake session the mother is explaining all the problems the girl has to the specialist. He's listening very carefully and is noticing the child is sitting for about 20 minutes on her chair with her hands under her legs trying not to move. When the mother is finished explaining, the specialist goes and sits next to the little girl and tells her ‘I’ve heard all the things your mother told me, and I need to speak to her privately, just sit here and we will be back soon’ . The specialist and the mother leave the room and just before they leave, the specialist puts on the radio. when they left the room the specialist sais to the mother just look through the window of the door at your daughter. The second they left the room the girl is directly on her feet and starts dancing to the music.
The specialist turns to the mother and says, ‘there’s nothing wrong with your daughter, she ‘s not sick, she's is a dancer.’
The specialist suggested to the mother to bring her daughter to a dance school and this turned out to be heaven for the girl, a room filled with kids that all couldn’t sit still.
It turned out that this little girl became the famous Choreographer for well known Musicals like Cats and the Phantom of the Opera.
You see there’s nothing wrong with the kid, the system doesn't fit the kid, but instead of looking at the kid, what it needs, the educational system keeps looking at how the kid should fit in. should fit in, according to who? For what?
There are so many ways to help children, but it demands from the educational system and their teachers to be creative to really look at the child. The irony is there is no better way then Art (especially dance) to become a creative person, but our educational system is killing all creative processes. How are these uncreative ‘appropriate’ system fitting teachers going to be creative and really educate children in becoming creative whole adults and Help children to discover their talents? How are these teachers going to fulfill the need and desire of our societies for creative and innovative leaders and employees. How? When we’re killing their creativity at the bottom. We need to open our eyes. Teachers, educational systems and parents need to open their eyes. There’s nothing wrong with children.
My son is a bit like this little girl, my son can’t sit still either, he's constantly moving on his chair, leaning backwards on two legs and making a lot of nose adjusting his chair or sometimes falling. On top of that his mind is extremely fast and sharp. Many teachers can’t handle him, and punish him, especially when he's in their eyes not being respectful or following the rules. But when you imply certain rules to him, then he needs to understand why, and especially how come you as a teacher don't have to follow these rules. My son doesn't care if you're a professor or a baby. If there is a rule then it should be for everyone. No exceptions. Now if you start an argument with him, you will lose, and it doesn't matter if you're a teacher, professor or God himself. If your argument is wrong or makes no sense to him, you will lose. Saying he doesn't understand, or this is the way it is, won’t do. My question has always been how come one teacher has no problem with my son and another can’t handle him?
This is interesting, if my son is my son, he doesn't change, he is who he is, and one teacher can deal with him and another not. Then my son is not the problem, the problem lays with the teacher that can’t handle him.
How come one teacher has no problem handling his class, is being respected and can maintain order without any problem. While another teacher needs to become a dictator or is so afraid to enter the class room.
Because of passion and lack of passion. The passionate teacher loves teaching and teaching students, while the impassionate teacher is just making a living.
I heard so many stories about teachers that are afraid to teach, have a nervous breakdown or are afraid of their students. Teachers that control their students with fear by dictatorship. Why are you still a teacher? To have a ‘stable’ life with a lot of holidays? Can’t you see the harm your inflicting on those students. How can you teach when your students are afraid of you. When a child or any person is afraid, the body closes, how can a closed body accept what you're teaching. How can you teach if your students walk all over you, when you ‘hate’ teaching. How are your students going to listen to you.
I love the school my son went to. Instead of forbidding him, not demanding of him to sit still (impossible to do) and punishing him for not obeying to sit still on his chair. They gave him a ‘Wiebelkussen’ it’s a pillow you put on the seat, and it will be impossible for the child to sit still because this pillow will make him move non stop. No more leaning backwards, no more moving the chair around etc. This is called looking at the child and adjust the system. Adjust the chair instead of forcing him to adjust to the chair.
How can he obey what he can’t control.
Like I said his mind is very fast and excited. If you start at A and the other children are getting at B is already at Z and has questions about what comes after Z.
Imagine if you're mind is continuously working, how can you ask your body to sit still, you can’t just disconnect the body from the mind, can you? so why is our educational system, teachers and parents asking children to disconnect constantly from their body and If they can’t, they just label them.
Why do we forbid children to think in a different way then they’re supposed to, and keep on forcing them to think and act the way we tell and want them to. And wondering why they're not behaving....
For example my son had a geography class, they show a map of The Netherlands, and on top of the Netherlands are 12 islands. 7 of them have a name and the other 5 are nameless. So my son sees there are 12 islands and asks the teacher what the names of those other 5 islands are. The teacher doesn't know this answer, no one taught her, no one ever asked this question before. Is it wrong for a teacher to say ‘I don't know’, is it wrong for a teacher not to be able to answer a question of a child? Do teachers suddenly feel stupid? How can a teacher be stupid?
This teacher told my son, wow that’s really interesting, no one asked this question before and I don't know, lets find out together. This is the type of teacher that can handle my son, it’s a teacher that is a true teacher. My son feels respected and therefore he will respect the teacher for being honest. Remember my article about respect? If you want respect you have to show respect first. In a similar case the teacher that can’t handle my son would have said. ‘it’s not important, you don't need to know, just learn the 7 as you're suppose to. Don't disturb the class with these unimportant questions. You see its not the child that is the problem, it’s the teacher.
No my son won’t and can’t let go of his question and soon he will be send out the class because the teacher who can’t teach him will consider him to be disturbing.
If you can’t answer my son’s question he will think, why are you a teacher, if you don't know? If you only repeat what is written in those books, then just give me the books and I will learn it myself. At least I will be faster than sitting here in this class with a teacher that doesn't know and other kids that need more time. I'm wasting my time here.
One day my son comes to me and asks me 'Why do I need to go to school If teachers can’t teach me what I want to know?'
I had to honestly explain him why.
I told him, I agree with you, school is pointless. Education is teaching and repeating the past to prepare you for the future. While no one knows what the future looks like. So I said to my son 'If I don't send you to school, the child protection agency in The Netherlands will come to me, asking me why I'm not sending you to school'. Going to school is obligated in the Netherlands. 'If I refuse to send you to school, I'm a bad parent and they will take you away from me and put you in another family that will do what the law wants'. This my son understood. he doesn't like school, he really thinks its stupid, but he understand he has to go, and he also understands that if his grades are not high enough he has to do the same year again. No way….He wants to get it over and done with as fast as possible, so he can Study and learn what really interests him.
Why we have to go to school for 14 years before we can chose what we are going to study. Why not invest in the child’s passion and talents in the first 8 years and then let him chose what university he wants to do, skip this whole concept of high school, college or as we call it in the Netherlands ‘voortgezet onderwijs’. For the Dutch people just look at this word voort- gezet onder- wijs. It says it all doesn't it.
I propose, do preschool for 8 years learn the child to read, write and calculate and support, guide and invest in the child, adjust to the childs needs. Discover and see what his or her talent is, what their passion is and chose together with the child and parents what, why and what for the child wants to study. Start university at 12 years old. Give them 8 years university to develop their passion. You will have children that love to learn, study and go to school. Because they get to learn and study what they like. Half their education for the basic
necessities and the other half for their passion, their interest.
I knew I wanted to become a dancer at 12, why would I have to learn chemistry, mathematics and science. If those classes could have been dance classes I would have been 4 times better. Yes biology and languages would have been great and helpful. To understand my body, how my body functions, what food is good etc. Learn languages so I can communicate in an international market. If I understand why I have to learn things and that it will benefit me, I will want to learn, I would want to learn. But if you force me to learn what the institution wants me to learn that has no interest to me, I will forget it and it will have been a waste of time and money. Specify the teachings to the child’s needs.
Besides this teach them during preschool and university for the full 16 years all the Art subjects there are, spend an equal amount of time to stimulate the right and the left side of the brain. To stimulate the creative process as well as to enhance the mental capability of the child. Connect the body to the mind, make education physical and mental. I think, no. I know, those children will be life changers, creative and innovative leaders, employees and people that think authentic, that contribute, that help and stimulate this world and future generations. Adults that are capable of using Both sides of their brain and that are connected with their body. Adults that will be happy, complete, that are living, fulfilling their passion and will be satisfied.
Just imagine this for a moment.
Children that have 8 years of preschool where body, mind and both sides of their brain are being stimulated, that then go to university for 8 years learning what is in their interest while their body, mind and both sides of the brain are still being stimulated. You will have Children that want to learn, that are strong, authentic, creative, smart and fully educated in their knowledge. Children that question and investigate to become adults that are whole again. Instead of the professors and masters the world has now, that only use their left side of their brain and have no connection with their body. Did you ever see a professor or master in a club dancing? They're like aliens that are dancing of the beat. The world needs whole people again, that think and feel, that inspire, that innovate. That have a deeper understanding about life. but how can we create this kind of people when we keep on cutting subsidy for Art more and more and keep on stimulating and focusing on the left side of our brain. Asking ourselves why so many adult are angry, unhappy and disappointed. Everything starts at the top, countries, families educational systems, parents they are the example for our children, they create the foundation. This world is effected and suffering from as Sir Ken Robinson so beautiful expressed it ‘Education is suffering from an academic inflation’
Having your BA is not enough these days, you need a master of professor degree now. For what? Look at the founders of the most successful businesses in the world, sometimes they didn’t have any degree, for sure not a degree as a professor. No, they created and innovated from their passion, no more education needed then what they needed to know. We need to understand that Art, our right brain is just as important, if not more important than our left brain. That our head body connection is vital to create whole people. We have to stop disconnection our body on every level, brain mind, body, soul, heart, we need to integrate the whole again.
Stop making the body just a means of transportation for
half a brain.
Study wholeness, Love, laugh, cry, live, live with Body and Heart, live fully, feel fully, touch fully, love fully, Be. Be one, be full, be One-body, Be a HeartBody.
Hug,
དཀོན་མཆོག་བསྟན་འཛིན།
For my son Caelin who turned 15 today. Who I love from every pore of my body, mind and soul. For your sensitive heart, your strong sense for justice and most of all for being always YOU in every way, no matter what. I think you're amazing and I'm super proud of you.
Happy Birthday Caelin.
