1 00:00:00,168 --> 00:00:04,951 Our money is currently funding a totally outdated, factory-style 2 00:00:05,151 --> 00:00:09,594 method of education. It's f***ed. Welcome to Neuroeducation, 3 00:00:09,714 --> 00:00:13,217 where we're exploring the neuroscience of how to switch on the brain to 4 00:00:13,297 --> 00:00:17,099 supercharge learning. I'll be sharing with you innovative teaching techniques, 5 00:00:17,279 --> 00:00:20,762 effective parenting strategies, and educational advocacy. I'm 6 00:00:20,802 --> 00:00:25,065 your host, Angie Dee. Together, let's revolutionize children's 7 00:00:25,125 --> 00:00:28,999 learning. Hello 8 00:00:29,259 --> 00:00:32,822 and welcome back to Neuroeducation with Angie Dee. 9 00:00:33,282 --> 00:00:36,786 Today we're talking about politics and education and what you 10 00:00:36,946 --> 00:00:40,589 can do. We have an education system 11 00:00:40,669 --> 00:00:44,012 in Australia that is funded on the backs of 12 00:00:44,112 --> 00:00:47,873 taxpayers. That's you, that's me, that's 13 00:00:47,893 --> 00:00:51,914 your brother, your sister, all of the people you know. When 14 00:00:51,954 --> 00:00:55,215 you look around they are the people that 15 00:00:55,295 --> 00:00:59,075 are literally funding our education system. 16 00:00:59,776 --> 00:01:03,376 Now we are funding this education 17 00:01:03,416 --> 00:01:06,457 system. If we are the funders we should also have a 18 00:01:06,517 --> 00:01:09,838 say and in this democratic nation that we live in 19 00:01:11,263 --> 00:01:14,944 We have a democratic right to have a say how our 20 00:01:15,064 --> 00:01:18,885 education plays out. What is 21 00:01:19,005 --> 00:01:22,885 our money currently going towards? Sadly, 22 00:01:23,165 --> 00:01:26,946 our money is currently funding a totally outdated 23 00:01:27,466 --> 00:01:30,727 factory style method of education. And 24 00:01:31,407 --> 00:01:35,608 excuse my French, it's fucked. Because children 25 00:01:35,928 --> 00:01:39,849 are sitting there day after day bored as 26 00:01:40,129 --> 00:01:43,388 batshit. I feel like what we 27 00:01:43,468 --> 00:01:47,531 need is a total education revolution and you 28 00:01:48,612 --> 00:01:52,515 and I can have a massive impact 29 00:01:52,715 --> 00:01:56,077 on how that plays out. In so many other areas of 30 00:01:56,657 --> 00:01:59,880 politics, people feel like they have a say. They want 31 00:01:59,900 --> 00:02:03,983 to put their hands up and they want to have their two cents heard. in 32 00:02:04,363 --> 00:02:07,704 voice to parliament, in renewable energy, in 33 00:02:07,764 --> 00:02:11,225 all of these areas, people are talking about what 34 00:02:11,485 --> 00:02:15,286 they want to see happen in our current 35 00:02:15,406 --> 00:02:19,027 political climate. But when 36 00:02:19,047 --> 00:02:22,568 it comes to education, I hear 37 00:02:22,628 --> 00:02:26,616 crickets. but we have the power. It 38 00:02:26,696 --> 00:02:29,938 is a totally democratic area where 39 00:02:30,098 --> 00:02:34,021 we have the power to make positive change. 40 00:02:34,942 --> 00:02:38,224 Now the most dramatic areas of positive change I 41 00:02:38,264 --> 00:02:41,446 have seen in education has been on 42 00:02:41,466 --> 00:02:45,249 the backs of parents. In 43 00:02:45,689 --> 00:02:49,627 two incredible schools in 44 00:02:49,687 --> 00:02:52,748 Brisbane, Australia, they are running a 45 00:02:52,868 --> 00:02:56,409 Montessori program. That 46 00:02:56,489 --> 00:02:59,930 means alongside the mainstream method of 47 00:03:00,050 --> 00:03:04,491 education that's running in the traditional school, they 48 00:03:04,591 --> 00:03:09,512 have started a Montessori method of education through 49 00:03:09,572 --> 00:03:12,973 the schooling process, starting in prep and every year 50 00:03:12,993 --> 00:03:16,830 gaining one grade more. Groverley 51 00:03:16,950 --> 00:03:21,351 State School in Brisbane and also Capalaba 52 00:03:21,371 --> 00:03:25,192 State School in Brisbane have been running these innovative 53 00:03:25,272 --> 00:03:28,813 programs, bringing Montessori, an alternative method 54 00:03:28,853 --> 00:03:32,554 of education that is highly, highly recommended 55 00:03:32,934 --> 00:03:36,255 by neuroscientists worldwide, into our 56 00:03:36,295 --> 00:03:39,776 public education system. This is one of the first times 57 00:03:39,856 --> 00:03:44,697 we have had something that is usually private, incredibly 58 00:03:44,777 --> 00:03:48,699 expensive, that is only available 59 00:03:48,779 --> 00:03:52,121 for the, let's say, high echelon of society, of 60 00:03:52,161 --> 00:03:56,183 people that can afford it, bringing it to the people. Now, 61 00:03:57,044 --> 00:04:00,586 how did these two schools implement a 62 00:04:00,726 --> 00:04:04,469 totally alternative method of education? A parent group 63 00:04:05,009 --> 00:04:08,031 in Grovely who had their children going to a 64 00:04:08,091 --> 00:04:12,394 Montessori community kindergarten wanted 65 00:04:12,414 --> 00:04:15,776 a Montessori primary school option for 66 00:04:15,796 --> 00:04:19,439 their children. There was nothing available to them in the area. So 67 00:04:19,479 --> 00:04:22,561 they approached Groveley State School and as a 68 00:04:22,641 --> 00:04:25,784 parent body, they advocated for their children and 69 00:04:25,804 --> 00:04:29,807 they advocated for an alternative method of education. Lo 70 00:04:29,847 --> 00:04:33,990 and behold, six months later, Groveley 71 00:04:34,310 --> 00:04:37,753 started the first Montessori program. The 72 00:04:37,853 --> 00:04:41,930 same thing happened at Kapalipa State School an 73 00:04:41,970 --> 00:04:45,953 incredible woman, Rebecca Gruen, who 74 00:04:46,133 --> 00:04:49,235 was running Montessori childcare centres, wanted a 75 00:04:49,295 --> 00:04:53,618 Montessori option for children, for her own children, and 76 00:04:53,658 --> 00:04:57,560 for children in that area of Brisbane. There 77 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,842 was nothing available, and after 78 00:05:00,902 --> 00:05:04,525 trying also to start an independent school, 79 00:05:05,738 --> 00:05:09,361 She decided with the parent group that was supporting her to 80 00:05:09,441 --> 00:05:12,844 take it to the state school. She took it to Groverley 81 00:05:12,884 --> 00:05:16,266 State School. Lo and behold, six months later, 82 00:05:16,647 --> 00:05:20,229 Montessori had started. Now we know Montessori is 83 00:05:20,309 --> 00:05:23,872 backed by neuroscience. It's backed by educational research 84 00:05:24,072 --> 00:05:27,315 and it's backed by child psychology. What 85 00:05:27,375 --> 00:05:30,918 we have now in two schools in Brisbane is 86 00:05:31,378 --> 00:05:34,721 a innovative educational approach to 87 00:05:34,781 --> 00:05:39,156 learning. and the two 88 00:05:39,757 --> 00:05:43,219 parent groups that brought this education method 89 00:05:43,379 --> 00:05:46,761 in brought it in by advocating on behalf of 90 00:05:46,801 --> 00:05:50,804 their children. Now this is no different to 91 00:05:50,844 --> 00:05:54,767 you or I where we can approach another 92 00:05:54,827 --> 00:05:58,242 school For your children, you 93 00:05:58,282 --> 00:06:01,903 can get together with a parent group. You can talk to people about 94 00:06:02,343 --> 00:06:06,024 how we can create change in our school community. Obviously, 95 00:06:06,064 --> 00:06:09,684 there are so many things you can do without even dramatically changing 96 00:06:09,744 --> 00:06:13,845 it to the point of introducing an alternative method of education. There 97 00:06:13,905 --> 00:06:17,306 are other things you can do. Participating in school 98 00:06:17,846 --> 00:06:21,246 maximizes your child learning. As the old adage 99 00:06:21,526 --> 00:06:25,735 and the quote goes, it takes a village to raise a child. And 100 00:06:25,755 --> 00:06:29,017 the best classrooms that I have personally seen 101 00:06:29,077 --> 00:06:32,419 across Queensland are classrooms and 102 00:06:32,479 --> 00:06:36,361 schools that have had the maximum amount of community support. 103 00:06:36,421 --> 00:06:39,563 That means there are grandparents that are coming in and 104 00:06:39,603 --> 00:06:43,105 reading and helping with the classroom. There are parent 105 00:06:43,145 --> 00:06:46,507 volunteers that are helping to run reading groups or math 106 00:06:46,527 --> 00:06:50,649 groups to make the hands-on learning more available 107 00:06:50,710 --> 00:06:54,352 to the children. And at these schools, the maximum amount 108 00:06:54,392 --> 00:06:58,195 of input from parents and grandparents and 109 00:06:58,215 --> 00:07:01,678 the community members is where I see learning 110 00:07:01,878 --> 00:07:06,322 excelling the most. So it 111 00:07:06,382 --> 00:07:11,185 comes down to our capacity as 112 00:07:11,266 --> 00:07:14,496 parents to be able to 113 00:07:15,136 --> 00:07:18,439 activate change. Teachers, God bless them, 114 00:07:19,220 --> 00:07:22,622 are so overworked and have 115 00:07:23,043 --> 00:07:26,325 so much demand put upon them 116 00:07:26,806 --> 00:07:30,108 by the curriculum, by the state board, by 117 00:07:30,168 --> 00:07:33,371 the national government, and every single other thing that they 118 00:07:33,411 --> 00:07:36,714 have to tick off to be able to teach our 119 00:07:36,774 --> 00:07:40,136 children. So yes, we can come in and we can advocate as 120 00:07:40,177 --> 00:07:43,479 parents, to the PNC, the parent teacher 121 00:07:43,539 --> 00:07:47,302 communities at the schools, and we can also do this for 122 00:07:47,322 --> 00:07:51,586 the principals, and it can propose different options. But 123 00:07:51,826 --> 00:07:55,590 the Montessori curriculum in Australia is 124 00:07:55,850 --> 00:07:59,493 now approved as an independent curriculum, which 125 00:07:59,573 --> 00:08:02,696 means state schools have the 126 00:08:02,876 --> 00:08:06,439 capacity to be able to do what 127 00:08:06,519 --> 00:08:09,762 Groveley State School did and what Kapalaba State School did. 128 00:08:10,143 --> 00:08:14,206 They have the capacity to come in and to implement 129 00:08:14,626 --> 00:08:18,110 an alternative method of education like Montessori, even 130 00:08:18,190 --> 00:08:22,409 if it's co-aligned with the school. Montessori 131 00:08:22,749 --> 00:08:26,750 being a very independent method 132 00:08:26,790 --> 00:08:30,011 of learning where the children are slowly building their independence from 133 00:08:30,051 --> 00:08:33,592 a very young age is really important that it is started 134 00:08:33,672 --> 00:08:38,213 from the age of prep and that slowly builds in. Montessori 135 00:08:38,433 --> 00:08:41,754 is not something that can be implemented school wide in one 136 00:08:41,834 --> 00:08:46,155 shot, but it can be implemented step by step slowly 137 00:08:46,755 --> 00:08:49,896 as one prep class moves into grade one and grade one 138 00:08:49,916 --> 00:08:53,899 into grade two and so on. These 139 00:08:53,999 --> 00:08:57,864 are things that we can advocate in our local community 140 00:08:58,004 --> 00:09:01,529 and I hope I have inspired you to talk to your parents 141 00:09:01,589 --> 00:09:05,013 and teachers and even your principal to make positive change in 142 00:09:05,053 --> 00:09:08,337 your local community because if it's not you 143 00:09:08,357 --> 00:09:12,466 then who? Thank you for listening. Please 144 00:09:12,526 --> 00:09:15,811 subscribe on Apple Podcasts and 145 00:09:15,931 --> 00:09:19,936 also on Spotify. 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