Suitable and efficient education

Someone asked me I think about education, and I had this to say in reply:

Education, to me, is what the child wants to learn. I believe that children have an instinct for learning what will suit them, and enrich them.

For younger children, I believe that introducing them to experiences that interest and intrigue them can only be a good thing. I also believe that we can never know what will be of value in humanity's future so we can never impress children with what they 'should' know. We are not that successful at predicting what the future will bring.

It is possible that carpet-weaving will be the primary need in the future (or anything really) and I think that a person who is accustomed to assimilating knowledge under their own steam will also learn to weave carpets.

I think it important that children learn not to be slaves (which I believe the school system trains them for), to have clear sight, to be able to analyse, to detect hidden motives in others, to care for people more vulnerable than themselves (not necessarily physically care for but consider).

I think that thinking about what you do in terms of how it would affect others is important, but then that's what I've always tried to do. My view of what suitable and efficient would probably not be what another person would see as suitable and efficient. So I think it is one of those things that LAs etc. can get hung up on. I also firmly believe that children learn only twisted values under our present system.

The best thing we can do for children is love and cherish them.