The current accepted view of education is that it has to be of a mass-production type, quantity over quality, impersonal over personal, curriculum centred over learner centred. Education administrators know that because the curriculum has a scatter-gun approach, then not every child/adult is going benefit from the education provided. This is accepted as inevitable when mass education exists.

However, the narrative needs to change, if we are going to have young people and adults who can be innovators, thinkers and change makers. A system that teaches conformity over critical thinking is one that produces a docile population that does what its told, rather than one that wants to see change as the norm.

The education system needs to be dismantled, and locally based centres of learning are created where each learner follows their own learning path, young and old. There would be a sharing of community history and collective experiences on which the learning experience is based.

The old would teach the young from their experience whilst the young can teach the old their new-found knowledge.

The teacher would facilitate rather than lead the learning. It would be their responsibility to guide the learner in the path that has been negotiated and agreed upon by both facilitator and learner. The learning would be personalized, but not done in  isolation, there would be times for group discussions, debates and discourse. The goal would be an education that empowers rather than subdues the learner. The facilitator will see progress with the learner’s desire for learning enhanced by their direct involvement and ownership of their own learning. This is vastly different to the Education systems we currently have in North America and Europe. They are after all ”systems”, which have pre-ordained outcomes. This might be convenient for the powers that be, but not for those being feed through the system. They are certainly not the beneficiaries. Everyone loses out from such a system, both the gifted learner and the one who has special educational needs. Learners do not get the education that relates to their needs, personality, ability, experience and interests.

The narrative needs to change, but is anyone listening?