Hello Gentle Friends:
I have just read an article in our Quebec newspaper: LA PRESSE, reporting how our Quebec school classes will now begin at 9:0 Clock instead of 8:30. This sounds strange to me because when I went to grade school in Quebec, many Moons ago, our classes began at 9:O-clock. My parents rudely awakened me at Six in the morning in order to wash and eat breakfast before 7 O-Clock and then run to catch the School Bus before 8 O-Clock. We were in our class seats exactly at 9 O-Clock and I failed miserably in both French and Mathematics because I was half asleep and those were the first subjects presented to us before lunch!
My point is nothing much has changed or is changing and it is time for some real changes within the school systems of North America. Honest and real change begins with the school class starting time. That is the most important change and it should be Ten by the Clock and not Eight or Nine. Ten O-Clock is the best time for young people to begin school classes. It gives them extra sleep time in the morning and then to eat and digest a proper Breakfast. It gives them more time to arrive at school without rushing to beat the Clock. It allows them to wake up and face the difficult classes such as Mathematics and French and Science without the added burden of fatigue. The question is why will our government not allow it? The answer is because our government members are influenced by money oriented industrial companies and our economic system is based on a competitive social hierarchy where products must be created and sold quickly and employees are expendable. A later class Time would benefit children and surprise, it would also benefit future industrial employees? It will give people time to think about what is honestly important for human health and for the health of this planet.
Our current system based on product manufacturing is forcing employees to get up early in the morning in order to "beat the traffic." Today that means 4 AM and surprise, everybody else is up early also for the same reason and the traffic remains jam packed! North America is losing the economic Rat Race to the rest of the industrial world and that gives us a chance to evaluate what is honestly more important. Saving Nature and the Biosphere or chasing money? There is only one answer. We have to think of changing our economic system in order to protect the children and the natural world.
The most important school subjects today begin with the protection of Nature. Of course languages are necessary for communication but then Botany and Biology, Science and Mathematics are absolutely important subjects. Without a planet to live on our industrially based economy is worthless! We have to place our priority where it belongs and that is saving the natural environment and protecting our Biosphere. You can teach any and all of these subjects using music.
Anybody driving on the roads of Quebec, today, will be stuck in traffic sooner or later and will understand how gas burning cars are dominating the industrial system. All over the world automated Robots are making Cars faster and faster and only intelligent Robots will be able to survive a future on this planet without a life supporting atmosphere. Their is solid evidence our planet is warming to the point of no return and the future will not be pleasant for our children. To stop this cycle of foolish industrial production we need people who are not asleep most of the day and people who are not absolutely money oriented!
With that said lets move on to Lunch hour. Why an hour? Why not a half hour for lunch? With an earlier start time a half hour for lunch will help decrease the total school hours. And here is one more important concept. If today's school administration honestly cared about children every school would have a large Greenhouse building and vegetable crops growing in Hydroponic solutions. The children would be assigned to care for the plants and they would be able to eat what they grow. Plants grown without profit oriented additives or pesticides or profit oriented creations of genetically modified crops.
Yes, it is past the time we removed big business from our schools and give our children a fun learning experience. A place to go every morning not because they have to but because they want to enjoy step by step learning without the constant pressure to compete and succeed and without that nagging tired feeling.
Thanks for reading!
Joseph Raglione.