Education: Theo, Air-ambulance, 1984 & Daniel

Theo: GCSE results arrived for 16-year-olds this week. This is Theo – pleased with and proud of his. And now:

• Decisions, opportunities – courses to take, subjects to study
• Preparation – for their next stage in their education and life
• Delight – they never have to study French/maths/history ever again!

Musing… The privilege of a broad education, available to all… young people developing skills and character, freely making choices that will affect the rest of their lives.

Air-ambulance: Sitting on our conservatory we heard a helicopter overhead. It circled a couple of times and landed on a small field close to our house. The paramedics quickly left; we joined a small crowd that soon gathered; the pilots chatted…

Musing… The knowledge and skills of both helicopter pilots and paramedics, learnt and practiced, to make important life-death decisions. Good results of good education, appreciated by many.

1984: Last night we watched a stage version of George Orwell’s ‘1984’. Orwell imagines a totalitarian state ruled by the dictator ‘Big Brother’, who’s constantly watching you. Obedience is demanded and independent thinking stamped out. Education and re-education is brought by persecution and torture. 1984 presents a political picture that speaks about past politics… and scarily resonates with 2022…

Musing…  It presents an equally scary picture of the history of religion in general and Christianity in particular… where the persuasion of those who won’t conform has led to persecution, trial, forced ‘re-education’, imprisonment, torture, banishment and ultimately death.

Daniel: Reading Daniel in my Bible this morning… Daniel is a well-educated Jerusalem boy; he’s captured and taken to serve in Babylon where he’s re-educated in a new language, culture, religion, political system… but retains his integrity, independent thinking and faith in the God of Israel.

Musing… The role of education in bringing conformity in thinking – in teaching the good, honourable, considerate and just; but encouraging individuality, freedom of thought, being different. And regarding faith… recognising the difference between indoctrination and teaching, and balancing truth with personal choice and independent thinking.