Education for Empowerment

Had such a beautiful walk with George and Trish this afternoon. I asked him where he most wanted to visit in the world and the conversation moved onto future jobs and qualifications.
He wanted to know how ‘options’ worked and which level of qualification was best.
It then led onto how I became a teacher and the route that I took, which highlighted the importance of having choice and a variety of opportunities. At 16, chances were presented to me, each one taking a very different path but making me feel like I had ownership of what the future could hold. I wanted to reinforce the importance of a solid foundation in school, a desire to know more of the world around you and the possibilities that there could be and that, ultimately, you are in charge of your own destiny.
He also wanted to know why teachers weren’t better paid as they were at the foundation for all professions, and this was a harder question to answer.
It made me realise though, how often do we listen to our children’s thoughts and needs, and the questions that they would really like to know? Do we ensure that our young people feel empowered in their learning and the direction that they could, and would like to, take? As an educator, this feels like a moral imperative.