UnLtd Blogs - school

Podcast - the singing begins at the adivasi school in Gudalur

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 05:17:04 +0000

The school that ACCORD set up with the adivasis was a very relaxed and happy place with kids from 5 different tribes learning adademic subjects as well as art, crafts and tribal history and culture. To find out more about Vidyodaya, click here.

They also learn English at the school - they speak 8 languages - and I tried to teach them a ninth, Gaelic, which they picked up with frightening ease... Also, featured in this podcast, is the famous 'Monkeys versus Donkeys', Unltd's lasting contribution to the children of southern India!

Click here to listen

Podcast - street kids and the slum-dwellers foundation

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:41:54 +0000

On our last full day in Mysore, Stan took us to 2 projects run by the Rural Literacy and Health Program (RLHP).

Firstly, we visited a small village that started out as a slum - we heard from the people who came from rural poverty to look for construction work in the cities and ended up finding even worse conditions like many other slum-dwellers in India.

Then he took us to Asha Kirana, a home and school for street kids. Stan said it's where he goes when he feels disillusioned...we all saw what he meant when we were swamped by these gorgeous smiling kids, most of whom had come from horrific circumstances and were rebuilding their lives with infectious energy and unbelievable courage.

Click here to listen

Happiness And Resilience Lessons For Children

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 08:58:09 +0000

Following the disastrous report into the state of children's and adolescents' mental health I was wondering about the only possible mechanism for delivering appropriate interventions for children who need them.

So, I'm pleased to see that the Independent on Sunday carries a story about Prof. Marty Seligman being invited over to the UK to train teachers in delivering happiness and resilience lessons to children. It's an exciting prospect. It is more than a little interesting that the reporter has made the usual mistake of referring to Seligman as the "guru of positive thinking" as if it is a synonym for positive psychology and as if Prof. Seligman has accepts the annointment as "guru".

I think that this is an excellent innovation (particularly because it seems as if parents will be allowed to participate) but it is not clear that this is meant to address the needs of children identified in the BMA report as in need of treatment. Apparently, the "anti-depression classes" have been approved by Lord Layard. Now, the classes are either happiness and resilience classes or they are anti-depression: it is hard to imagine that they are synonymous. This is very sloppy reporting.

The move comes as experts warn that record numbers of young people are on the verge of mental breakdown as a result of family break-up, exam pressures and growing inability to cope with the pressures of modern life. Figures show that at least 10 per cent - three children in every average-sized class of 30 in the country - are experiencing symptoms of severe depression, including suicidal thoughts, prolonged bouts of despair and the urge to cry on a daily basis.

Irritatingly, the IoS's third article then styles the lessons as optimism lessons. Yes, there are overlaps but be consistent. It is ludicrous that there are three articles but it is still not clear what the lessons are and whether they are offered to all pupils as a means of developing resilience (probable) or considered to be sufficient for the children identified as having severe mental health problems. If it is the latter, it would have been helpful if the articles had mentioned the involvement of family doctors or any psychologists or psychiatrists who are already involved in the family.

So What is a �Good � school?

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 18:39:32 +0000

I was re-connecting with my passion about reforming the education system whilst on my Easter break and wondering about Mr Blair's plans to reform schools. He talks about ‘good' schools a lot and says "controversial school reforms are needed in England because the system is "not working well enough" for many children". I found myself wondering what he meant by that and continued to read the report.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4687964.stm.ry

I was not surprised to read that nowhere in the report does it mention researching and connecting with the people who use the schools..... the pupils. It seems to me that when trying to reform our eighteenth century school system we focus on what the government feel is right, what school governers think is right and what the teachers and head teachers views are but we rarely see reports or headlines stating "pupils suggested that.... Or year 10 was consulted and we found that....

It seems to me that it is time, not to have yet another ‘reform' as all the previous ones don't seem to have worked but to have a complete overhaul. Let's clear the clutter, jazz up the environment and give our children something to want to go to school for. Having been in a few schools recently, apart form the brand new modern ones, they can often still look like places that resemble state prisons with dark, gloomy corridors, poor lighting, totally aesthetically displeasing, no art or great posters on the walls, wonky slatted blinds, wound ounce too often and I have wondered ....who would want to start and end their day here? Not me! What about inspirational posters and quotes smothering the walls or wonderful vibrant colours on the floors.