The longest story in the English drama is education. This is what many feel passionate about. The subject raises tensions and takes up a large part of some people’s lives. This is because it’s believed to be the future of the country itself.
In the UK the type of material studied is a large controversy. It matters that Shakespeare is studied and the poets that make it into the curriculum too today is hotly contested. The issue is that not all can agree and even the final answer is disputed.
Finding ways
The method used to decide these types of decisions is usually formulaic. It matters that most of the class work is objectively what it needs to be. This means some figures are studied and others are left out.
It means more recent developments trump historical advances of knowledge. This makes learning relevant but it also means it’s divisive.
There are stories of parents fighting teachers and Police having to break up scuffles. There are rumours of plots to sabotage planning meetings to prefer some historical periods over others, for example.
Private misgivings
Senior teachers have their own private misgivings. There are tales of meetings to discuss the future of education itself. These are held to ensure there is one. I’ve been told schooling is a high-security operation in many ways.
It’s not just about the physical harm of a child. It involves the investment in any child’s future made by the country. This sort of activity attracts some of the world’s worst criminals here.
The senior staff that keep working on it have periodical troubles that look to threaten it. Their choices cannot be demanded by circumstance. However their concerns make it difficult to action changes.
The strategy involved in mitigating disasters around schooling makes life difficult for people. Their job is made harder by major changes. It may be a Minister says something that creates new challenges.
Positive signs
The increase of enthusiasm in general for education has helped reduce the burden. There are heroes of the system that have been remembered for their extreme dedication and hard work.
Their legacy lives on today and institutions thrive because of their persistence. It’s also quality work that makes things last. The incursion of crime gangs has showed us superficiality doesn’t support the future.
The eventual winners of our democracy are those who choose to invest. These are the people that will thrive because they use our staples and not another’s. It’s because they use a path laid out by better people before us.
