Education. Nelson Mandela said it is the single most powerful tool in which one can change the world. But have we ever stopped to wonder, how have we wielded this tool? What is it being used to build? Who does it protect? And who does it hurt?
Throughout history, many educators have called for changes in education, in the name of justice, equity and fairness. Yet the wheels of the system continue to propel and ensure the status quo, and many educators have been serving as cogs, moving along with the momentum of the Machine, adding to the overall power of the system. Independent and private schools in particular, have had an especially dominant force that have churned the wheels of this leviathan, established on the premise of elitism and exclusion. Students who are selected for these institutions have had the privilege of smaller classes, access to more resources, and the promise of being included into a legacy of social capital and future success. It was a symbolic pinnacle of capitalism. But then there was COVID.
COVID has caused everything to come to an abrupt halt. It was a sudden and unexpected pause that allowed people the time and space to look around and question our purpose. It forced us to face the harsh realities and the failures within our systems and ask the uncomfortable questions we never dared to ask. Who is behind the wheel of this Machine? In some ways, we are like Dorothy peeking behind the curtain to reveal the Wizard of Oz, who so many thought to be an omnipotent and wise figure that subtly shaped our education towards a noble purpose. Only like Dorothy, we realized that the force that was steering and guiding all of us, was in fact, a sham.
George Floyd’s death and the BLM protests spurred a racial reckoning, and institutions of privilege and power are being called into court. New social media accounts are being flooded with student stories and testimonials of personal exclusion and trauma. As I read each post, I am broken by the pain and agony embodied in each written word. Will we turn away? How will we answer the call? In a few short weeks, teachers will be resuming “school,” preparing their lessons, focusing on social distancing, personal protective equipment and for many, figuring out how to navigate blended learning. But will we return to our former ways, simply substituting our old lessons plans to online lessons and screencasts? Or will we take this opportunity to listen, dismantle and ultimately rebuild a system that serves every student, that allows each individual to be accepted and celebrated as their true selves and achieve their full potential?
Educators are at a crossroads. We can try to retrofit our pedagogical approaches to accommodate diversity, or we can dismantle and build a new ecosystem of learning, one that is sustainable and promotes harmony amongst all of its constituents. Alice Hoffman said, “Once we know some things, you can’t unknow them. It’s a burden that can never be given away.” Like Dorian Gray, we have seen the ugly face of education. We cannot turn away. While 2020 has arguably been one of the worst years in the last century, our story is not finished yet. Let this be our phoenix moment, where the ashes of a dying system give rise to transformation and metamorphosis. The time is now.