Urgent Reminder: The Tragedy of The Public School System in Portugal. A Teacher Breaks the Silence.

Hi,

yesterday evening I received this article by a public school teacher from Portugal. The teacher is in her mid thirties and explained me how disrespectful the system treats both kids and teachers.

The following article is by her. Current, honest and explosive:

What would I change at school?

I often say that I don’t like my work.
With each passing year I feel that my motivation does not exist and therefore my energy to fulfill my role as a teacher, with the commitment that each of the students deserves, is exhausted quickly.

I like to work with kids. I love to see them discovering the new things they can learn every day and to be able to contribute so that they can understand, more and more, the world that surrounds them.
What I do not like is the how we teach. I want to change that.

The school that I know is a school that values ​​the cognitive aspect too much. At school I know the child has few opportunities to be a child. The child is required to be able to comply adult rules (rules that even adults do not want to comply, only do so because they feel obliged to do so), they are required to be able to take a long time to sit and carry out activities for the most part directed by teachers. The programs are very extensive and everything has to be approached and worked in a short time. There is not enough time for consolidation. Teachers know this and feel a certain frustration at realizing that neither children nor adults are respected. In this school there is no time to be with the students, to listen and to be able to respect what each one feels, there is no room to develop the creativity and capacity of initiative.

I believe in a school where everyone learns from everyone. I believe in a school where everything is learned, including understanding their emotions. This is a reality that already exists. There are schools that already apply methods of teaching that go beyond the respect for what each one is and for their abilities and talents. However, we still need to extend these initiatives.
Already one realizes the change of consciousness with respect to the transformation that the school needs to go through, but there is still much to be done. A change in school is also a change in society at large. Changing the school will not only be a function of a government, but of the one who gives it life. Teachers, students, parents (family) and the entire local community.

To do this, it is essential that we gain the courage to break with beliefs about what an individual's education is, about our place in the world. We need to change our perspective on the future and give each one the possibility to believe in their choices.
Let's make school one of the best places to be.

A Shla Rafia Production 2017