Educating the little girl at the window

On the topic of education, one of my tutors on my crit panel suggested I read this book Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window written by Japanese television personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The story is based on Kuroyanagi's real-life childhood experience at Tomoe Gakuen, an alternative elementary school founded by educator Sosaku Kobayashi.

After being expelled from public school, it is at Tomoe Gakuen that Kuroyanagi is allowed to achieve her fullest potential and given the freedom to explore her suroundings and express herself to her heart's content.

Many young students I come into contact with these days don't like school. To them, the notion of learning brings about images of teachers who are there to make their lives miserable. That is definitely not always the case as I know many teacher friends who go out of their way to make learning valuable for their students. The reality is that many of these students, mindsets don't change. And many of these same students continue to go through life without realising even a fraction of the potential that they have within them.

Tomorrow I am having a crab treat for my BTSS tuition students. It's my way of telling them, it's ok if you didn't pass your Math in the end. What's more important is that you tried your best. And I know the four of them did. I am proud of them. We'll try harder next year. So if you guys are reading this, from the bottom of my heart, no matter what results you got, "I still believe in you." :)

Read More...

Summary only...

Are WE the problem?

How much do you know about Autism? Not much I suppose. Neither did I until I decided to design a School for Autistic Students for my design thesis. I have been reading up some on this topic and the more I find out, the more I am convicted that the notion of a "special school" for autistic students is one that must be CHALLENGED very seriously.

The current notion that autistic people are "special" and hence need to be treated "specially" and have their own "special place" presupposes that anyone who is different should be segregated, and treated differently. We put them in "special schools", give them "special education" and treat them "specially" so that in many ways, we don't have to deal with them. Let the professionals handle them, we say. Put them in a school where they can learn at their own pace so that we too can learn at our own pace and not be bothered by them. While we are at it, let's make them feel so "special" that they will never forget how "special" they are.

Now hold on a minute. I am not saying that we deny their medical condition or pretend that they are the same as the rest of us and hence treat them indifferently. But perhaps as a community, in our enthusiasm (or lack of) to help them, we have decided that the best way to do that would be to contain them in specialised institutions who are trained to deal with them.

Hear me out. WHAT IF, we take it as our responsibility as a humane community, to learn how to live with them? WHAT IF, we learn how to go to school with them, to run in a race with them, to celebrate National Day, Teacher's Day and even Racial Harmony Day with them? WHAT IF, we could learn to appreciate how brilliant some of them could be at mathematics when we attend the same lessons as them? WHAT IF we still learn to help and encourage and make them part of our lives even though they have nothing to offer us in terms of brilliance?

Very often, it is easier to see someone different as inferior, troublesome or a problem. Sometimes, I think WE are the problem. We certainly can't change how they are. How about starting to change how WE are? Autism isn't the problem. Our inability to cope with it is. Let's all learn to do better.

Read More...

Summary only...