ピヨピヨ第十七話 ～秋～
子供サミットはようやく意見をまとめて論文にした。
『What Color Is An Apple?』
Learning is a kind of exercise that people experience especially when they are young. Through learning, one gains knowledge and skills and thinks by using his/her head. This is one of the main purposes of going to school.
Teaching is to help one attain such knowledge and skills. Also, to teach means to educate one to become able to think and use the knowledge and skills they have achieved for the society’s benefit.
What is the best kind of relationship between teaching and learning? What can the society achieve from it?
In the book, Apples Are Not Red, the arts teacher Ota takes the students outside and makes them draw the grass. By looking closely, the children find out that each standing grass is not the same. Ota says to the class that “just as each grass is different from each other, people are different too.”
On another day, Ota asks the students in the classroom, “What color is an apple?” The children proudly answer, “Red!” Ota asks, “What about lemon?” and the children answer, “Yellow!” Ota asks, “What about cucumber?” and the children answer, “Green!” Then Ota looks into the children’s eyes closely and asks, “Really?” At this point, the children realize with shock that apples are not red. They have colors in them other than red, such as green or yellow. This can be seen only by removing the bias that apples are red.
What can be learned from the children’s first experience is that everybody is different, so they cannot be judged by one criterion. There must be multiple criteria to judge a person’s skill. For example, if one was not good at studying but good at basketball, he/she should at least be admitted for being able to do basketball. If one couldn’t do well at school but was creative in writing stories, he/she should be certified for being able to write stories. Studying is not the only important thing in the world.
As for my own experience, when I was in elementary school, my body was not so strong, so I caught colds very easily and once even had pneumonia. However, in middle school, I joined the karate club, and my physical strength grew dynamically. I received good grades during middle and high school and was admitted to the Medical Faculty. That was when something terrible happened. I received great shock at the end of high school and lost my physical and mental strength. Therefore, I have experienced both healthy times and sick times in my life.
After I got sick, I realized many things. I realized how it felt to fail a year at school. I realized the sadness and pain of sickness. Most importantly, I finally understood how it felt to be handicapped, retarded and different from others. I think that in spite of all the negative effects that my illness has had on me, my illness must be a part of my blessing. I got to realize so many things.
As Kazuo Murakami says in his book, The Code of Life 2, even if the GDP may drop, there should be more latitude in the world and people should be happier and be freed from stress. I totally agree with this perspective.
Education must be improved for children with handicaps, retardation, illness and any other impediments. We need to place more value on the “one for all and all for one” spirit and not ignore the children who are not as high in aptitude as others.
To accomplish this, we must be keen in finding the good parts of children. Education with latitude and kindness is necessary for the children to grow and expand their talents.
From the children’s second experience, it can be inferred that helping the children see the true nature of various problems is important. As the true color of an apple is not red, the true nature of various problems in the world can be difficult to be seen or recognized at first.
For example, poverty is made from the vicious cycle of poverty in which the environment gets damaged and the city and the farms both face decadence. This makes the people poorer and further damage may be made on the environment. To ameliorate this problem, the impoverished areas must achieve sustainable growth through help from other countries and from their own efforts.
Another example is the issue of the environment. Although it is difficult to stop the global warming, which is a worldwide problem, it is certainly important to recycle and save resources. When it comes to environmental problems, the saying, “think globally, act locally” can be quite helpful.
Also, education can be improved by eradicating bullying. This way, children would be able to feel more relieved in going to school. The cooperation between the students and the teachers is necessary for the eradication of bullying.
Children must find out about these various natures of problems through research. They must keep their antennas standing and then acquire the ability to make attempts to fix those problems.
Moreover, children as well as young people need dreams and hobbies. Something one can like or enjoy can become one’s goal of life.
For example, Kazuo Murakami wrote in his book The Code of Life 2 that his experience of going to the United States for research had good effects on him and made him a positive person.
As for me, I am still in search of something that I may like. However, I am positive that if I could find passion in doing something that I like, my illness would get better. Also, I would have many dreams and goals that I would want to achieve. This could make my life richer and happier.
In conclusion, first of all, people need many new methods to measure children’s abilities. Also, they must not ignore children with disabilities. Secondly, people must help children see the true nature of problems so they can find solutions on their own. Thirdly, one should find a hobby or dream that he/she could enjoy and find his/her goal of life. One thing for certain is that one should never give up. Actions made by love are generally good. As Fromm says, “We can live in love, but we cannot possess it.” Therefore, let us all try to live in love. In the process of loving and nurturing children, one must not forget the basic principles of education given by Bertrand Russell— to provide all children knowledge so they can solve problems and gain happiness on their own initiatives.
Works Cited
1.Apples Are Not Red. Mime Yamamoto. Shincho Company. 2005.
2.Code of Life 2 Kazuo Murakami. Sanmark Publication. 2006.
要は教育が大事だということ。皆で力を合わせて書いたエッセイなので、力作である。自分の経験の部分はジムとミシェルが中心になって書いた。人にこのエッセイを読んでもらって何かわかってもらえればいいな。でも書くことによって少なくとも自分達の中での意識は上がった。ふざけ合って楽しく生きるのももちろんいいのだが、真面目に自分達の人生と向き合うことから目をそらさないようにしたい。毎日コツコツ信念深くやっていれば、きっといいことがあるから。
子供サミットの子供達は一日も欠かさずに考えている。地球の未来を、人間の幸せを…複雑に見えるし、確かに複雑。それは六人ともそれぞれの経験から理解している。だからこそ毎日の努力が大切になってくる。
アイリーンもこの子供サミットを影ながら応援している。作者として、彼女自身も戦いながら、子供達の戦いを見守っている。
闇がある限り戦いは終わらない。
子供サミットの子供達の偉いところは自分達以外の人の分まで苦難を背負っているところである。しかし、広く浅くより身近なところから愛を広めていければなおいいかなとアイリーンは思う。子供達も大人になったらきっと気づくだろう。結局何より大切なのは家族や友人など自分を愛してくれる人達だということを。
子供サミットの子供達はとても仲がいい。だから団結力がある。
力を合わせて戦うんだ、子供達！地球の問題に立ち向かえ！
でも自分達を大切に思い、愛してくれて、心配してくれてる人もいることを忘れないでね。
教育は改善されるべきである。個性を重視した教育は必要である。世界では既に大人もその方向に動いていると思われる。アイリーンはユリの香りに満ちた風となって世界中を吹き回ることによって、世界にもう一度「優しさ」というものを思い出してほしいと思っている。それはつまり愛情と優しさと理解をもって子供達を育てることである。
アイリーンは季節の中で秋が一番好きかもしれない。アイリーンはシャーンと春に出会い、秋に別れた。だから普通ならこの季節は嫌いになるはずである。だが、物寂しさのなかにある心地良さ、これから冬を迎えるつらい気持ちの中にも今はとりあえず晴れ晴れした気持ちでいられるという安心感。苦しいけど、おそらくこれが一番良かったんだ。
神様やController of Destinyなど天の偉い人は私達の計画通りじゃなくても一番いいようにしてくださる。だからいつでも感謝の気持ちを込めて祈りたい。
この秋でアイリーンも、一歩大人に近づけたかな。一歩ずつでいいから前進していこう。
