por Irene Calderero, LiffeyGroup educator – Firma “invitada” recomendada por Julio Morales
{ESP}
Mandar recitar de memoria lo que no se entiende es hacer papagayos. No se mande, en ningún caso, hacer a un niño nada que no tenga su «porqué» al pie. Acostumbrado el niño a ver siempre la razón respaldando las órdenes que recibe, la echa de menos cuando no la ve, y pregunta por ella diciendo:
«¿Por qué?». Enseñen a los niños a ser preguntones, para que, pidiendo el porqué de lo que se les manda hacer, se acostumbren a obedecer a la razón: no a la autoridad, como los limitados, ni a la costumbre, como los estúpidos.
En las escuelas deben estudiar juntos los niños y las niñas. Primero, porque así desde niños los hombres aprenden a respetar a las mujeres; y segundo, porque las mujeres aprenden a no tener miedo a los hombres.
[…]
Al que no sabe, cualquiera lo engaña. Al que no tiene, cualquiera lo compra.”
Eduardo Galeano
Buenos Aires, Siglo XXI Editores, 2010.
{ENG}
WORDS FROM A TEACHER, A REFLECTION ABOUT EDUCATION
by Irene Calderero, LiffeyGroup educator Firma “invitada” recomendada por Julio Morales
In 2006 in a trip around Uruguay, an Argentinian friend lent me his book. It was there that I discovered that special teacher who left us just a short time ago. More books came after that first one, and in this section, I would like to share with you a little extract from one of those books. I am talking, of course, about the great Eduardo Galeano. I really think this text, based on Simon Rodriguez’s words, leads us to a good reflection.
“Everyone must be educated without distinction of race or colour. Let’s not deceive ourselves: without popular education, there will not be a true society.
Instruction is not education. Teach, and you will have people who know; educate, and you will have people who do.
To make someone recite by heart what is not understood, is to create parrots. Do not order a child, in any case, to do anything that hasn’t got its “why” at the basis. Once the child is used to always seeing the reason behind the orders (s)he receives, (s)he misses it when (s)he does not see it, saying “Why?” Teach the children to be inquisitive, so that, when asking for the reason about what they are told to do, they learn to comply with it, not with the authority like limited people, nor with the habit like stupid people.
Boys and girls should study together at school. First, because by doing it in this way, men learn to respect women from their childhood onwards; and second, because women learn not to be afraid of men.
[…]
Someone who knows nothing, can be cheated by anyone. Someone who hasn’t got anything, can be bought by anyone.”
Memoria del fuego 2. Las caras y las máscaras
Eduardo Galeano
Buenos Aires, Siglo XXI Editores, 2010.