Preparing kids for life: The answers are in our hands!

A student teacher, Thuraya al Abri, wrote for me last week, reflecting on the issue of teaching and parenting adolescents, that, “They grow physically, mentally and emotionally, and parenting at this time of life cannot be easy, as the teenagers seek independence and autonomy, at the same time as they need tangible support from parents, and ‘help’ from teachers.” She reflected upon the need for balance in both teacher/student, and parent/child relationships at this time of life where the more senior of the two must be supportive of the younger’s life objectives and individuality, while at the same time ensuring reliability, responsibility and accountability are ‘implanted’ in their consciousness. She wrote with maturity of academic Paolo Friere’s view that positive results cannot be expected in such matters if we do not, in turn; respect the views of our young people. Abir al Rumeidhi, along similar lines, encouraged expression of thoughts and feelings, as offering a ‘sense’ of independence. She advocated a perspective of youthful empowerment by framing classroom activities in such a way as to “offer practice and enhancement of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.” She went on to offer the example of working cooperatively as a group or team to make a pizza. Can you just imagine the conversations, compromises and final decisions that have to be made within such a ‘mini-society,’ if they are to get fed? Rumeidhi is confident that such parental and teaching philosophies will drive the holistic development of the individual, and thereby, the wider community. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail,” wrote Al Zahra al Mahrezi. We’ve heard it all before, but simply need to be reminded now and again. She advocated the position and prominence of trust by the elders, by listening, empathising, and not interrupting, and when seeking solutions, to give their contributions the same consideration as anyone else’s. She also offered the perspective that none of us is the complete article without experiences, good and bad decisions, for as Winston Churchill said, “All men make mistakes, but a wise man learns from his.” So, we should trust them. Yes, maybe they will stumble, fall occasionally, and skin their knees sometimes. So what? They are not here, our boys or girls, to be molly-coddled and babied, because that will not prepare them for life. Education student Ahmed al Rawahi didn’t mince words as he explained, “To survive in the ‘real world,’ they need skills like time management, communication, working with others, and problem-solving,” and he offered the ‘pragmatic education’ philosophy, which directs us towards preparation for life in an ever changing world. Good thought! At the end of the day Walaa al Obeidani, “indicated that parents, teachers and children all require rules, structure, and support to achieve their objectives, and she suggested discussions, rather than their imposition, demonstrating trust, not just talking it. “Create a sense of self-monitoring,” she wrote, “of responsibility, and make them feel grown up. At the same time we need to show support, not only when they need it, but when they do need it, there has to be a sense of it ‘being there,’ for them.” So let’s get them on that journey of life. It’s a train we all have to ride as our world is evolving all the time, at a sometimes frantic pace. So if we start now, today, and genuinely consider as Al Obeidani said, “A school environment more appealing to adolescents, by considering their needs, and their individual characteristics.” It wouldn’t be easy, and probably has a lot of ‘wishful thinking,’ about it, but to quote that man Churchill again, “A pessimist sees difficulty in opportunity; An optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”