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I want to write on a topic I am passionate about: the education of young ones. My son started school in Sydney last year. Newspaper reports and books tell me that later performance in life (in every sense, be it academic, intellectual, social, empathetic, human, economic, or psychological…) has deep correlations with the quality of education received. However, the debate is focused on how the higher economic tiers in society have access to better education and resources, and so continue to perform better in life. The middle and lower economic tiers don’t. And this leads to re-distributive policy changes, where the focus usually is on devoting more money (or technology, or iPADs) to more disadvantaged schools. You get the idea, given the enormous attention this topic has received in Australia (and in the world) in these few years. I am not denying the importance of this debate.  

However, as a parent, it is rare for me to witness debates, discussions, or thoughts on the content and quality of how things are taught. My son goes to a great public school! I am not really bothered at all about the resource question here: compared to my class in India with 70 students to a teacher in class, my child’s class has about 20. They have smartboards, and iPADs and lovely chairs and tables and stationery, and to me that looks like luxury! The teachers are super helpful, and my son is happy at school. So, my focus is on the question: as a parent, how can I support and engage with my child at home?

And I strongly believe that sending the child off to extra tutoring classes at such a young age is a poor solution (but sadly all the rage right now). Academics and education is not just about finishing off that course and building skill sets - children need to build a lifelong relationship with parents, and as an adult fully functioning member of the society, can I not guide my child through the basics of what I myself learnt at the primary school level? Is it that hard?

So, I am going to write this blog with two focal questions in mind:

1.     Can I unpack some of the deeper pedagogical questions and debates around this question, as my child goes through school?

2.     Can I devise ways to come up with interesting old and new content and ways of working with my child?

This last aim is truly important to me: since it is something that I believe most parents are constantly engaged with anyway. So, as I spend time daily with my child and his friends and their parents, this would be an effort to document the learning experiences and critical insights into processes of learning, that hopefully will reinforce and support what they are learning at school.  If you feel you have something to share, you are very welcome to provide those insights and experiences, I would love to know about them.

Warning: Due to personal bias, this blog will have more math content.