| Many parents spend a great deal of time and energy | | | | towards success in their educational experience. The |
| trying to ensure that their children have the best | | | | school system is not bad for these students, it is good. |
| education possible. Parents help with homework, | | | | However the very nature and structure of the school |
| provide many extra-curricular opportunities and keep in | | | | system means it is only able to meet the needs of |
| touch with the teachers and school in order to help | | | | some styles of learning, and personality traits of its |
| their child to be successful. However when all is said | | | | students. For a fairly large number of students to get |
| and done, it is the child who needs to be able to learn | | | | through a school day is an achievement in itself. |
| and pass the curriculum requirements. | | | | Intelligence and motivation to learn are not the issue for |
| Some parents themselves may have sailed through | | | | them, but the school structure and environment itself. |
| Did you know that the school system is only able to | | | | An example of such a student was Albert Einstein. He |
| meet 50% of student learning needs? | | | | found school incredibly boring, as the tools of learning in |
| That's right! - only 50% of the student population is in | | | | those days were to do with repeating and learning by |
| an environment at school which enables them to be | | | | rote. He learnt more from the reading he did outside of |
| successful learners. | | | | school, and talking with interesting people he met, than |
| The reason for this is not because of bad teachers. | | | | from school itself. He spent most of the time in his |
| There are many excellent, dedicated teachers in | | | | classes day dreaming. The system had no room for |
| schools, whose life's work and passion is to educate | | | | creativity and imagination, or allowing him to learn about |
| their students to the best of their ability. Teachers | | | | what interested him. There was no provision in his |
| want to see their students successful, that is why they | | | | school system for people who thought differently. |
| have given years to training and service. It is not the | | | | Many students today, whose learning styles are not |
| fault of the teachers that many students do not reach | | | | catered for in the school system, are prone to be |
| their potential in learning. | | | | dismissed or labeled as lazy, unfocused, and |
| It is not a result of bad parenting.their own school | | | | unintelligent, disorganized, ADHD, or have a learning |
| experience and been successful in the academic | | | | disability. School for many of these students is an |
| requirements for graduation, and gone on to further | | | | endurance test, which some fail. The school |
| education. Isn't it reasonable to expect that their | | | | experience can devastate their self confidence and |
| children would follow the same path and achieve good | | | | self esteem, due to their inability to conform or adapt |
| grades? For some children, yes it is a reasonable | | | | to the expectations of the system, and those around |
| expectation, and many, of course, do follow in their | | | | them. Yet these same students in later life can |
| parent's footsteps. However this may not be true for | | | | become very successful because of their |
| every child, even in the same family. I, myself, was a | | | | entrepreneurial spirit, their creativity, their ability to think |
| good student, enjoyed my school experience and I | | | | outside of the box, and view the world from a |
| love to learn. I went on to become a teacher for over | | | | different perspective. |
| twenty years in the school system, was a Principal of | | | | If your child is having trouble at school, it may not be a |
| two schools, and successfully pioneered an | | | | reflection your parenting, their teacher or the school. |
| independent school. All my three children are intelligent | | | | Your child may be trying to learn in an environment |
| and have been given equal opportunities with regard to | | | | that conflicts with his natural aptitude and learning style. |
| their education. Out of the three, only one is following in | | | | For your child it could be like trying to learn to swim in |
| my footsteps. | | | | an ocean of sand! Look outside of 'normal' |
| Was I less diligent with two of my children, didn't I help | | | | expectations, and see the situation through the eyes of |
| them? Didn't I give them the support they needed to | | | | your child. You may be surprised!!! .........and why not do a |
| be successful at school? Of course I did! Were their | | | | little research in to the school experience of Albert |
| teachers uncaring and unsupportive of their education? | | | | Einstein, and many other notable figures in our history? |
| Not at all! The problem is as parents we can't go to | | | | I think you might see things from a different |
| school for them. Sometimes it seems parenting would | | | | perspective. |
| be easier if we could! | | | | Barbara White, a former Principal and teacher, is now |
| Is the school system bad? | | | | president of Beyond Better Development. As a |
| There are many excellent schools, in which some | | | | speaker and author, Barbara brings her passion and |
| students are able to thrive and excel in their learning. | | | | expertise to work with people to help them grow |
| For those students the school environment meets the | | | | towards excellence and their unique potential in their |
| needs of their learning styles and motivates them | | | | personal and professional life. |