I get it. It’s not as if it were some sort of dark secret. The loathing that the general public has for education would be legendary were it not so ubiquitous. Not only do I see it, I understand it. I, as are you, am a product in many ways of the public education system. Hundreds of research hours are spent every year determining why students don’t want to go to school – thousands more theorizing possible solutions, all of which are in conflict, not only with each other but with themselves. And then nothing changes.

But we are asking the wrong question. We know why students hate school – it’s boring, it’s useless, it’s bureaucratic, and it’s as well organized as a drunken mob fighting over the last hotdog at a ballgame. And that’s only the beginning. But what is the right question, you ask?

Why is it ok to hate school?

I know what you’re going to say. It’s not ok. You reprimand little Ferdinand every time he says school sucks and Anastasia is summarily grounded when instead of writing her homework she simply writes vulgarities on the paper to be submitted. But ask yourself if this is pro forma or for real? You hated school so it must be natural that your kids do. So you feel a little pang of guilt every time you say that school is good for you. You know that vegetables make you healthy so ensuring that the overcooked green peas make it into Frederica’s mouth rather than her pockets is your duty as a parent. But school was a waste of time and you can’t bring yourself to think otherwise, regardless of the hours of effort that you must put into the task.

If you think it’s ok to hate school, then, there must be others who think like you. The people who had similar experiences to you, I would expect. Like your friends. And classmates. And their friends and classmates. Oh my. That covers just about everyone, doesn’t it?

So we all think it’s ok to hate school and then we wonder why students go on the pip and feel justified in so doing. If we’re going to spend innumerable hours seeking educational solutions, perhaps we should begin our search from a place of truth rather than fiction. Just a thought.

I assure you, this has not been a pointless rant; neither was the point to spread depression and lethargy. We shall discuss twenty serious issues with education and potential solutions to them. Before we begin, I should point out that I have not said issues with public education. If you noticed the omission, I applaud your sense of the status quo. This is not a discussion of issues with the oft-maligned state education system. Private educators are just as guilty, often more so. I simply ask that you keep this in mind as you read further.

We’re going to tackle five of these at a time.

Part 1 – What’s in a school?

• curriculum – When you see a train coming, it might be best to step off the track.
• creativity – When we tell students to be themselves, perhaps we should actually mean it.
• religion – The infidel is smarter than you are.
• evaluation – We’re testing the wrong thing.
• tradition – Yesterday’s methods didn’t even work yesterday.

Part 2 – How do we do it?

• teacher training – Who needs a class on chalkboard writing, anyway?
• age – Five-year-olds aren’t stupid. At least, not all of them.
• timing – It’s not just half of us who hate periods.
• technology – Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s good. Or bad, come to think of it.
• marks – What’s the difference between an 80% and an 81%?

Part 3 – Think inside the box?

• textbooks – If you write well, it’s a best-selling novel. If you don’t, it’s a textbook.
• classrooms – Chalkboards and tables and desks. Oh my.
• subjects – Why is writing a story and writing about the Great War different?
• punishment – What did you learn in detention today?
• innocence – Your students probably have more sex than you do.

Part 4 – Where is the box, anyway?

• bureaucracy – Red tape is an ineffective teaching tool.
• government – What do politicians know about teaching, anyway?
• unions – There exists a fuzzy world where mediocrity is rewarded if you keep at it long enough.
• administration – When was the last time you were sent to the principal’s office because you were good?
• substituting – Random never solved anything.

I shan’t bore you with the details at the moment, since I believe that you have enough to keep your thoughts busy for a short while. More soon.

Last night, the GPS got confused and told me that I was on a logging road. Just as I was getting close to Thunder Bay. Not within mobile range, of course, since I would have been able to use the GPS on my telephone. But it got unconfused as I arrived at the hotel. Convenient, that.

I can assure you that life in northern Ontario is exactly what you would expect it to be. If I wasn’t so tired, I’d fall asleep.

But I have discovered an oasis. In a moment, though.

I got occasional mobile coverage between Thunder Bay and Sudbury. When I say occasional, I mean approximately 15 minutes total talk time between those two points. And I was able to find a bed and breakfast to console my boredom upon arrival. I was even able to bake potatoes to relieve my reliance on cold, dry foods, which are killing me from the inside.

Potatoes are my savior.

If you ever stay in Sudbury, don’t miss the opportunity to visit The Artisan Upstairs. Quite honestly, it’s the most lovely bed and breakfast that I have ever experienced. Five stars don’t do the place justice. Do not, however, trust your GPS. It will get you lost on the way. I got stuck in a train yard that it thought was a throughroad.

Time to revel in crisp sheets and soft pillows. Ta.