Thoughts from a public bus

SITUATION

I'm in Darwin.

Not happily - my Mum's in a very bad way. She's 91 this year and suffering from Alzhiemers. She had a fall a couple of weeks ago, broke her leg up near the top and won't eat or drink in hospital. I've been here for a few days now and return to Sydney Monday.

It's still school term time in NT - as it is elsewhere in Australia according to my Credit Union Diary; yet I see an inordinate number of school age children - both primary and secondary - who are not in school but are rather wandering around with their parents - predominantly mothers.

WHY

The only reason I can imagine is that both parents and children see no relevence in education.

I'm wondering if, in our poly-cultural society, we focus to intently on a mono-cultural education. And! - that mono-culture is Anglo-Celtic based upon the perceived values of a middle-class, Victorian-era, American-influenced, archaic concept of what is necessary for success in our "modern society": and, indeed, upon our shallow and materialistic view of what is success.

I agree that children need to be prepared in such a way as to be able to cope with a global social environment. Consequently the educational paradigm that currently drives the curricula of modern, advanced nations - and consequently of less advanced nations attempting to 'catch up'. Indeed this is so true that some national policies may actually follow the exact opposite in order not to be "Westernised". This is the same thing and even more narrow as the motivation is a negative one.

SO

I would suggest, however, that this generic, acuturational study should make up only a portion of the full curriculum.

Also important should be a development of knowledge, skills and understanding in one's 'Mother Culture' - this should be seen and accepted as being as important as the generic, aculturational education we currently provide.

Equally an awareness of the unique qualities of disparate cultures should be a significant portion of the education provided: else how can we expect children to grow up with an appreciation of and tolerance towards others?

Yes - "readin', ritin', an rithmtic" are vitally important: but are they more important than tolerance, compassion and acceptance?

RAMIFICATIONS

Because of this, our library collections should reflect the diversity of culture, opinion, belief and tradition of our school population, our local community, our countries multi-culturalism and our world's exciting diversity 'uniform multiplicity'.

We need to look at and take advice on printed, audio, visual and electronic texts reflecting languages other than English - and make them readily available to all sxtudents.

We should be collaborating with classroom teachers (Oh Utopia!) in researching across language lines and in creating research-based learning Units of Work that take this variety into consideration.

We need to encourage students to revel in the uniqueness of their 'Mother Culture' as well as discuss seriously the similarities and differences between their own and other's cultures.

CONCLUSION

Unfortunately, this comes at a price.

For all but a select and very lucky few of us, School Librarians are far too often sidelined, treated as a teacher's aide, or at best as a support for the teacher, or worse still, unintentionally (I hope) ignored.

Librarians need to be proactive.

I think it's too early (or possibly, too late) for most of us to ask teachers to collaborate in preparing Units or even individual lessons. We need to prepare possibilities - prefferably specific to a particular 'class/topic/time', but more likely rather generic: rather like a check list or scaffold that will act as a prod to the bovine teacher trudging in the hoofsteps of the previous beast towards an ultimately unknown destination with only the vague awareness that all cattle have gone here before so it must be ok.

A bit cruel - but I enjoyed making it up!

Any thoughts? I should expect some vitriolic rejoinders!!

noel