education reconsidered

Our education system is no longer up to date. In a society like ours, where knowledge is globally available, we require a new pedagogy that caters to individual needs. Instead of merely presenting curricula, teachers might empower our children and grandchildren to explore, analyze, and cultivate their own ideas and plans collaboratively with their peers.

Claudio Naranjo, the trailblazing Chilean American psychiatrist, spiritual teacher, and psychedelic therapist, made significant contributions to psychiatric research by introducing harmaline, an active ingredient of ayahuasca, and the Central African Tabernanthe iboga in the Sixties. In later years, he shifted his focus towards the education of children and adolescents, authoring a thought-provoking book titled Changing Education to Change the World: A New Vision of Schooling, which should be read by anyone who encounters the education system and hopes for alternatives.

Naranjo’s educational approach recognizes that action, thought, feeling, and consciousness are essential aspects of our being. Bill Gates recently suggested that robots can teach children how to read and write more effectively than human educators, due to the artificial teacher’s capacity to intelligently respond to the unique needs of each student in a measured and engaging manner. Given our limited attention span during childhood, robot teachers could be utilized in short, targeted sessions whenever a child is receptive to learning. Older children become valuable motivators due to their own reading skills. Within a mixed-age setting, children have the autonomy to choose their learning companions and collaboratively work in groups to explore specific subjects or engage in creative projects.

A small team of teachers provides guidance and supervision, while parents may participate both at home and in the learning centers. This approach promotes collaboration and growth.

When it comes to learning, young people tend to focus on subjects that align with their interests and abilities. Given this natural inclination, granting them greater autonomy over their education from an early age seems logical. By doing so, we foster an environment that encourages surprise and innovation, recognizing that childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood are prime creative periods in life. Many renowned geniuses accomplished their remarkable achievements before the age of twenty-five. By nurturing young learners’ autonomy, we unlock their potential and create opportunities for them to explore and excel in areas that truly captivate their curiosity and passion.

It is worth contemplating the current educational landscape, where considerable time is devoted to acquiring fundamental skills, such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. While these skills are undoubtedly essential, it is even more important to give our children access to the tools and mindset necessary to actively engage with and reinvent the world that awaits them.

Yours, sincerely,

Susanne G. Seiler

P.S. You’ll find us at the gaialounge, Hochstrasse 70 (behind Basel’s SBB station, tram stop Peter Merian), every Thursday afternoon from 14 – 18 h. Welcome!

a red, red, rose

O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.

Robert Burns