If you look at the schooling they received at these so-called ‘Public Schools’; where they were really abused, sodomised and hurt in all kinds of ways and taught to keep a stiff upper lip. That was necessary for the maintenance of the empire. That’s how these people go out there, without any feeling whatsoever and massacer the natives of any country that they went to if they had too. That’s why they could do that. Gabor Mate
The Western School system has formed the backbone of empire and has been imperative to the global role of colonialism and enforcing systems of control on indigent cultures across the world. Most western education historically has sought to vilify language, spiritual practices, cultural practices, gender and even skin colour. The schooling system was developed in order to roll out the industrial revolution on mass, rewarding human compliance, accuracy and productivity.
Western schooling removed us from integrated family groups, our connection to the land and safe holistic learning experiences. Beyond this much of the education that we have been taught has been presented to deliberately to destroy culture. Most western education has sought to vilify language, spiritual practices, cultural practices, gender and even skin colour. Thus chastising our very natures and undermining our natural gifts.
This individuated and collective trauma this has caused has worked to diminish our power. Whatsmore the individualised trauma is still very evident in many adults today seeking to gain approval through academic prowess and material gain.
Whatsmore the individualised trauma is still very evident in many adults today seeking to gain approval through academic prowess and material gain. Leading us to believe that our inherent value is like to both our productivity, financial contribution and personal wealth. Leading us to believe that we should act as humans robots rather fully integrated emotional being capable of rich and meaningful lives beyond the realms of work. You are not a human robot.
Contemporary schooling has far more to do with forced compliance and learning that offer very little value in the real world. That is based on what you should know rather than what you can do or even what a child or adult may even be interested in. The education system is prescriptive rather than progressive.
Of course, skill and knowledge sharing are essential skills for human survival. Basic skills like reading and writing should, of course, be accessible to everyone. Yet large scale education as we currently understanding has yet to activate a fully integrated adult fully able to bring their gifts to the world.
We know that infant and children have 5 years to fully activate their brains in order to have full independent lives. That early child development is crucial in order to create successful and fulfilled adults. That tools of connection and educational exploration and conducive parenting is inherent to creating fully functional humans. That cohesive family units protect humans for reactionary traumas later in life. Yet the school system seeks to minimise parental interaction and influence over a child’s development disrupting the key role of family culture in the process of personal attainment.
Recent breakthroughs in trauma have now come to highlight the importance of whole body and emotional integration to promote self-regulation to stimulate feelings of wellness.
There is a sort of arrogance that I associate with Educations that assumes that someone else knows what is better for you and indeed your children than you do.
Writing this in South Africa where access to the most basic of western education is a privilege it seems short-sighted and highly provocative to be writing about education abuse or even trauma. Access to the basic skills of reading and writing is for many is still far beyond so many people on a global scale it feels hard to even justify writing this. There are so many impediments from cost, geographical access and for girls and women period poverty. It is still important to note that even South Africa access to Westen Schooling is considered imperative to a child’s material success, even though the culture and society they are educated within may be very far removed from homelife experiences.
