By the time I completed my degree in education, I understood two important things about the direction my career would take.
First, I knew that I preferred to work in after-school programming rather than the formal education system. And second, I decided that my educational agenda would focus on choice and responsibility – every individual has them and can be and do whatever he
Israel's classes are overpopulated, often with 35 youngsters to a classroom,
or she chooses.
And for me, the choice of after-school programming over formal education wasn’t a tough one.
Though I spent many days in government recognized Israeli grade schools during my training, one need only spend a single day in the system to learn three simple yet painful truths that are true in many schools in underprivileged areas: (1) the classes are overpopulated, often with 35 youngsters to a classroom, (2) the teachers are usually kept busy dealing with discipline issues, and (3) neither of the aforementioned problems can be easily resolved. As sad as it might be to say it out loud, the truth is that this limits school as an institution is limited in its ability to make a genuine impact on these children's lives.
I also had no interest in being a teacher if I would rarely get the opportunity to do more than teach by the book. I wanted to engage my students, to talk about values, analyze current events, encourage them to dream and give them the instruments to make dreams come true.
But after-school programming is more than just a sweet gig for idealistic educators. It’s a must for every child.
The smaller groups allow for enhanced interactions between the teachers and students, including personal time and real conversations, rather than quick comments and sound bites. I have also found that the staff is usually more diverse in after-school programs, which makes for a more interesting learning environment for all involved.
And it is important to understand that successes achieved through informal education are not the beginning of the end for formal education. By its very nature, informal education cannot and will not replace formal education.
Rather, everything taught in after-school programs complements the schools’ curriculum. The difference is in the approach. Informal education is all about changing the environment, slowing down and adding depth to the interactions with teachers and expanding the curriculum to include topics that the students already enjoy in order to get them excited about learning in general and encouraging them to make the most of their time while in school.
Informal education is even more important for at-risk youth. Often, children from low socio-economic backgrounds have no enrichment or structure at home and spend the hours after school home alone or wandering the streets. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that these children are enrolled in after-school programs that will provide them with a framework in which to continue learning, and a safe and warm environment where they can receive the love and attention they deserve.
Having worked with hundreds of at-risk youth over the years, I can personally attest to the fact that helping these children understand that they have choices in life increases their chances at success in the future. Indeed, after-school programming can help break the cycle of poverty.
The only downside to informal education is that it’s not free. Someone has to foot the bill for after-school programming, so that unless public or private funding is available, the poor get less of it although they need it the most.
It goes without saying that we want our children – ALL of our children – to believe in themselves and their right to choose, enjoy learning and have access to a wide range of knowledge. But how many of us actually do what’s necessary to make this a reality?
In truth, it all boils down to a choice of how to allocate public and private funds .
I chose after-school programming as my educational framework, and I have witnessed miraculous personal and familial transformations and tremendous societal progress in my small corner of the world.
My sincere hope is that the government ministries and others choose to support informal education, an act that will not only help replace the notorious cycle of poverty with a copious cycle of giving but strengthen our educational system and empower our children.
The choice is a crucial one. %ad%