As much as there are many institutions of learning coming into existence which strive to be a little less “institutionalised” in the manner through which they deliver education, the truth is the education system we put our children through is largely still based on the model of feeding into the economic system built around the Industrial Revolution. The schooling system is basically preparing children to grow up to be economically active citizens who likely go to an eight-to-four job (nine-to-five in some countries) to work hard and earn a living, only to spend their earnings in more of a consumerist fashion. After all, that’s what grows the economy, isn’t it?

I’m glad that there is a fight-back though, but its size perhaps befits the “real-world” in that not many people go on to become the entrepreneurs, inventors, etc, who create all these opportunities, including the job opportunities for the rest of us. Unless there was a radical change in the manner through which we do EVERYTHING governing our lives, we can’t all be entrepreneurs – not under the current financial system of the world.

And with that what comes into focus is a specific subject which has seen somewhat of an evolution in line with the significance of its content matter, which is history. There are some positive developments in the direction taken by the history curriculum taught in many of the modern learning institutions around the world, with more of an emphasis on that part of history which is more constructive than that which focuses on sowing further divisions amongst the people who have to live with the aftermath of that history.

Nobody is saying any of the atrocities of the past should be forgotten. In fact, that is the best starting-point for the ushering-in of a new generation of learners who are thinkers, exercising plans to build a better future in unity.

However, wouldn’t it serve a modern day scholar that much better if they perhaps learned about the benefit of some the most basic of discoveries, processes, inventions, etc coming out of the historic times they learn about, as opposed to say being made to memorise the names of all the past presidents their country has had? I think it certainly would and it doesn’t have to end at just learning useless facts about the ways of the ancient world, such as dates of inventions and such.

Rather, history should teach learners the basics of how to use those processes for the betterment of their lives today. For example, wouldn’t it serve everybody concerned a lot better if the health and wellness benefits of Essential Oils were taught, so that at the very least when learners grow into functioning adults they know of a more natural way of taking care of themselves and their families in this way?

Besides, as a means through which to make the requisite fact-retention more effective, I think it would be much more interesting for kids to learn about how the ancient Egyptians produced and used something like essential oils and herbs.