If we close our eyes and go back to our school days; we can see desks lined up in a classroom, a board, and a teacher. You can even feel the load of all the books in your backpack, the smell of the books and notebook pages, and the feeling of having endless hours of homework. Was it worth it? Do we really use all those things we learned from homework, textbooks, and long lectures in our daily lives? Back in the day, we were at least free to run outside and explore the outdoors with limited supervision from adults.
Back to the present, all these years later and yet, it’s the same traditional education! Large groups, outdated lessons, and big expectations, with a high workload starting in the early years. Many of these things are associated with stress, anxiety, frustration, and even depression among children. Play experiences at school are often limited to recess. When children go home, they spend less time playing outdoors and more on tablets, TV, and smartphones, all of which are linked to addiction and mental health issues. My question is … is it worth it?
I believe we know better. We have the answer but we are too afraid of letting go of what we are used to and trying things outside of our comfort zone.