“In this natural state we abide with grace in our sovereign throne of the zero-point of the heart, where the pure experience of unity with all that is, from moment to moment, is recognized beyond all limitations of words, concepts, thoughts and beliefs” (5)
Mission
Gather, develop and share the best practices that facilitate learning as measured by the quantity and quality of love engendered (5)
The New Earth Nation focuses on many different aspects of humanity that are very important. The Zero Point Learning (5) institute is one that is close to my heart. The Zero Point Learning team is working to create a new educational environment that fosters creativity, nurturing and abundance in our youth. Some of the goals they have set are to identify ideal characteristics of facilitators, and to allow learners to be directly involved in the creation of New Earth and cognitive abilities.
The Zero Point Learning team includes the founder of the Caribe Azul Learning Center, in Costa Rica, Jutta Epple. Besides being a homebirth midwife, doula, and crystal worker, Jutta has donated her learning center of approximately 125 students, as the New Earth model school. Maneka Sjostrom, works in the areas of e-democracy, human ecology and clean energy technology, among many other fields. Zero Point Learning Coordinators, Melissa and Sandi Schwartz (4) are a daughter/mother team; bring years of experience in utilizing positive environments to cultivate positive behavior without resorting to using negative emotions like shame or guilt. Many others team members, such as, Emad Siddiqui and Andi, Program Manager Garth Pywell, and Youth Council member Robert, all work in conjunction towards a better way of learning and enlightenment. For more in depth information on Zero Point Learning, and all its amazing team, please visit: http://www.newearthproject.org/institute/faculties/zero_point_learning/.
Here are this year’s objectives:
2014 Objectives
- Establish sovereignty of the land on which the New Earth’s first model learning center is presently operating in Costa Rica
- Gather resources to assist in the construction of additional facilities at this learning center
- Identify qualities and characteristics of ideal learning facilitators
- Consider the development of new instruments to measure learning
- Support New Earth Academies to identify skills needed to facilitate and advance their work
- Identify and communicate best practices to assist learners in the acquisition of these skills
- Facilitate discussion about the design of student exchanges between New Earth communities
- Imagine and appreciate the love, joy and beauty engendered by learners directly engaged in the creation of a New Earth and how this new affective domain will burst the present confines of cognition (5)
It has been documented that compulsory education laws have been in place as far back as the 1st century, AD.(1) What most likely began as well intentions to provide successful knowledge to children of all societal, has become a horrendous infraction on parental and children’s rights around the globe, over hundreds of years. Though many countries have and still offer private educational services via religious sects for profit, just as many territories now require mandatory public education.
I will share my story of education in the United States. During the NEM blog talk program (2) introducing the New Earth Media, some comparisons were made between working in a cubicle, being in school, and being in jail. The News Team was right on the money with their comparisons! The school I attended as a child was commonly referred to as “GP Prison”, at least in my circle. I can count on one hand, the number of teachers that truly cared and made a positive difference, and their hands were tied by administration. I’d hazard a guess that 95% of what I was taught during my 12 year sentence was pointless, and exactly as much of my time was completely wasted. It didn’t really matter, school is mandatory, and everyone has to do their time, right?
Now, I am a mother, and as required, my children were placed into the independent school district. In the US, “independent school district” is: “…for primary and secondary education, which operates as an entity that is independent and separate from any municipality, county, or state. As such the administrative leadership of such districts is selected from within the district itself and has no direct responsibility to any other governmental authority. This independence normally also implies that the district has its own taxing authority that is outside of the direct control of other governmental entities.” (3) This is the common form of mandatory education, unless you can pay for private education (which usually requires a specific religious sect membership.)
Although there are many families and children who have faced much worse in the public school system, I will list just a few things I’ve had to deal with. My daughter, who was a straight A student (and eventually graduated at the very top of her class-Valedictorian), was threatened and told she should have “good citizenship rewards” revoked at age 6, because she was tardy to school. My son, although he has no particular learning disability, does have a hard time learning in group settings. For asking repeat questions, he was told to “shut up”, and bullied by both teachers and classmates, who follow the teachers’ examples. Mandatory “immobilization” is basically required 8 hours a day, the 15 minute recess time that was supposed to be provided daily, was often withheld from him, for moving outside of allowed times.
At one point, I was threatened with court time and excessive fines, when I chose to take my child out of school for personal family time. Lastly, due to my son’s lack of ability to remain still and not voice his frustrations, the school insisted that he must have psychological issues. He was placed in a “special program”; as well as, doctors placing him on horrific medications that basically turned him into a hallucinating immobile sack of skin and bones.
In an attempt to be the best parent possible, I sent my children to school, listened to what they said was “mandatory”, and forced my child to take medications that were not necessary. Why did I do these things? Because I was taught from an early age that schools and teachers and doctors know what’s best. There wouldn’t be laws in place, requiring these types of issues to occur if they were detrimental. There are government agencies that protect us from harm.
Only recently, did I realize that NO, this is not OK. So many of us do things, because we think we HAVE to. Just because it feels like something has always been, doesn’t mean it should continue. I had taken my son off his “medications” almost immediately, because I knew deep inside, regardless of who said this was right, it was wrong! It took me a really long time to realize that I did not have to quietly just hand control of my children and their destinies over to school districts. He is now flourishing, curious, and has regained his creativity now that he has been released from the clutches of the school system.
One of the best qualities in the world is to know how to ask questions, and to teach how to ask questions. Although we never truly had to accept these things, we are all starting to realize, we do not have to blindly accept what is any longer.
“Don’t just teach your children to read, teach them to question what they read. Teach them to question everything.” – George Carlin (6)
~Peace, Love & Namaste
Serenity
Resources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_education
- http://www.blogtalkradio.com/newearthnation
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_school_district
- www.leadingedgeparenting.com
- http://www.newearthproject.org/institute/faculties/zero_point_learning/
- http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/569565-don-t-just-teach-your-children-to-read-teach-them-to
