Socially conscious Fidace

So I watched Coach Carter the other night. It's not a bad film, heavy on the preaching, but it's heart is in the right place, and hell, the Basketball is pretty good. Off topic (not that you know what the actual topic is yet), but I was in pain watching all the dudes do suicides.

Anyway. So it's not a bad film and a true story, and one of it's big messages concerns the education, or lack thereof, of African-Americans, particularly in poor areas. In one of those strange coincidency type things that life throws our way I was perusing GNN and reading an article caning Dubya Bush about Katrina reaction times that happened to also cover (albeit briefly) a history of Black oppression in the states. It covered a lot of similar topics to the film, and put them nicely in a wider historical perspective. There are scary figures (the link to GNN is on this page) re illiteracy and education in the States.

Not that we're much better off here, literacy levels here are declining as well, I have no figures to back this up, but am positive I've read about it. Although I'm not so sure there's any racial angle to illiteracy here, just a typical Australian Malaise in the face of a large social issue.

The film and the article really got me thinking about our attitudes towards education, books, teachers in particular, and the fact we're going to hell in a hand basket.

For a start, why the fuck aren't teachers paid more? And why aren't they (in particular primary school teachers) put through the ringer a bit more at University. If I could be bothered researching I would put up a graph showing the poor educational requirements needed to be a teacher then place them next to those required to be, say, a Doctor. If I did, you would be scared, and rightly so. Surely, the teacher's job is important enough to warrant stricter educational qualifications and a pay packet to match, we're talking about children's minds here!!

I think back to my schooling and my different teachers and the effect they had on me, and the difference between good and bad teachers must surely impact in a major way a child's development. I remember loosing interest in Maths almost immediately the year I had a bad Maths teacher. It wasn't even her fault, she was just a small lady, quietly spoken, with no control over the class and a strange smell. I remember from my basketball days the year I got good, I went from barely scoring to 14 points a game almost overnight, largely due to a coach with a Yorkshire accent and a belief in my ability.

I think, in general, adults can sometimes forget the impact they can have on a child, the smallest remarks can have lasting effects.

I'm always amazed how many people I know who haven't read a book, or barely ever; then, again, I think back to the way books were studied at my high school, and I'm not so surprised. I watched many a good book decimated by a "learn-by-rote" style of teaching, which sucked out any life that may have been in the texts we were studying. Books can be an uphill battle at the best of times for a young mind with many quickfix distractions, they don't need to be bludgeoned to death by poor teaching.

Which is not to say I have all the answers. Teaching methods may need to be looked at. Teachers attitudes as well, parents, especially parents. Maybe there needs to be a bit more reading for the sake of it. Just let kids read what they want, if they have a book in their hand, don't worry if it's not a "classic" or "literature", encourage them to read. Maybe discuss the book, but as regular Joe's, not as academics trying to break down every last sentence.

To be continued....

(ps. Pete secretly loves my lack of good referencing.)