Authentic Education

Exams are upon us. Across the country young people are preparing for and writing exams that will make a huge difference in terms of their future. For some, this is just the culmination of a lot of hard work and there is a well founded expectation that the result is a done deal.

For others, and there are many of them, the exams are a complete drudgery and the results will likely confirm their already deeply held belief that they are incompetent and not likely to amount to anything.

The great divide in education continues and the results of this divide continues to plague this nation. The division appears to be around excellent social and communication skills vs excellent academic or left brain analytical skills. The two do not seem to come as a whole package. In my view, this is because of the emphasis at 'good' schools of academic achievement over social skills and the reverse at the so called bad schools.

For the recipients of this education it means that leaving schools is just the beginning of the education that they have avoided through school. The problem is, how many continue to challenge themselves in the area of development that is key to their own personal success?

There is a group of people who have come together to find a new way to help bridge these gaps. Emotional intelligence as well as intellectual and academic achievement. This group's aim is to hold a vision for a true 'authentic education' and provide a forum and a focus to move this forward.

If you are interested in getting involved, please see bloghttp://authenticeducation.blogspot.com/ that will keep you up to date with what we are doing. It is time for a change in how we care for and educate our young. The consequences of not doing something is now not an option.

Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits

The first of the month - our family ritual - to say Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits. I'm not totally sure where this originated but my Mom always said it to me and I do it with my kids and they now do it back and with friends. It has become a bit of a friendly ritual as well as competition to see who can be the first of the month. Supposedly, it gives you good luck.

I like these little rituals - they can keep a family connected even when they are far away. My mother passed away last year and until the day she died, I used to call her and shout Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits down the phone at her. She always laughed and said that she had already done it and that I was late. I never minded, for me it was a chance to chat and catch up if I hadn't spoken to her in a while. We usually chatted on Sundays but near the end while she was quite ill, those chats dropped off considerably. Fortunately, I was there to see her for most of this time.

So Mom, if you are watching me now - Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits - and I hope you got Dad too!