Babies and Thoughts

So we went on another date night. This was my Mothers Day present - 1 month and 16 days late. Hmmm. Anyway, we went to see this film:

I've been waiting a long time to see "Babies"...about a year and a half in fact. I saw the trailer just after Niko was born and was immediately hooked. And it exceeded my expectations. Apart from being exquisitely shot and edited, and making me laugh, cry, remember, fall in love etc...it made me THINK. And this is exactly what great documentaries are supposed to do.

Lately, I've been  thinking a lot about education. About why and where and how we educate our children. Obviously as a teacher, this is something very important to me. But it was only when I became a mother, that this actually became personal. My son is going to have to attend school in just 3.5 short years (argh!) and the prospect of him having to sit at a desk and only play outside when the bell rings and finish worksheets before he gets to play with Lego scares the living daylights out of me. This whole topic is massive and needs many more posts and a lot more attention than I am going to give to it today.

So it was with these thoughts floating around in my head, that I saw this film.

Four babies, growing up in different parts of the globe, discovering their world and the people in it.

There are obvious conclusions to draw. All the children move through the same stages of development at roughly the same time. All the parents kiss, cuddle, sing and laugh with their children. The human experience of being a child and a parent was beautiful to watch.

But for me, the film perfectly illustrated what REAL education is.

For Ponijao, growing up in the Himba tribe in Namibia, reading and writing has no use at all. But knowing how to grind seeds between two stones is an incredibly useful skill.

For Bayer, born in Mongolia, feeling at ease around cows, goats and roosters is the first step towards becoming a successful nomadic farmer.

For Mari, from Tokyo, learning how to navigate a busy, bustling world, full of sensory overload and finding her place in it.

And for Hattie, from San Francisco, reading books and enjoying musical experiences will prepare her for a life where literacy and comprehension are so important.

All the children were being educated, from birth, in a manner that would see them succeed in their world.

And this is the crux of education. We educate children so they are able to cope with life as adults, live meaningful lives and contribute to society. These things are true no matter which country or culture we belong to. This is the "why" of education.

More to follow on the "how" and "where" and "when" of education...

But "Babies" is really great and I definitely recommend it!