Jan 10, 17 / Aqu 10, 01 01:38 UTC

Re: Youth Involvement  

Coming from a mental health background, it's my personal belief that all children should receive psychological check-ups at 3;6;8;12 and 16. These are--in a very broad sense--the ages during which children are at the greatest risk of developing psychological, genetic, developmental, behavioural and learning disorders. If it is believed that a child has a psychological concern, the family's healthcare professional and the mother (if the child is a minor) would be notified in-writing and a recommendation would be made as to possible next steps.

At all times, it is the parents and the child themselves who should make all decisions concerning parenting. At no time should Asgardia EVER step into a parenting role unless there is quite literally no other choice (e.g. Crown Ward situations, death of the last sole parental guardian, documented child abuse).

I feel that it is extremely important for children to spend at least some time doing the career that their parent does. We aren't talking a one-day "take-your-child-to-work" day, either; I believe that children should shadow their parents' / guardians' work directly for at least one year during the schooling cycle. There is no better relationship than the one that exists between a parent and child who are learning, working, and building together. This is an experience that no child should live without.

I strongly disagree with one-size-fits-all teaching instruction. I believe our educational / child development plan should be both flexible and extremely accommodating, with only guidance from teachers, and only during sanctioned class time. Children need to learn real skills that they really can apply in real life, such as computer hardware and programming skills, money management, sensible manners while in public, musical skills, the three "R"s (reading, writing, arithmetic), fitness and nutrition, and especially how to build and repair simple mechanisms.

  Last edited by:  Shawn Crawford (Asgardian)  on Jan 10, 17 / Aqu 10, 01 01:39 UTC, Total number of edits: 1 time

Jan 10, 17 / Aqu 10, 01 10:39 UTC

I agree about monitoring children development, but I think that schools, through teachers and school psychologists, already do the job. The point is quality and training of professionals already doing the job in western schools.

About education, I agree about all the instrumental disciplines mentioned by S. Crawford, but we don't have to forget all Arts and Humanities, nurturing all non-utilitarian components of humankind.

  Last edited by:  Laura Marsano (Asgardian)  on Jan 10, 17 / Aqu 10, 01 10:47 UTC, Total number of edits: 2 times

Jan 11, 17 / Aqu 11, 01 16:50 UTC

Of course! How could I forget arts and humanities?! As the saying goes--those who refuse to learn from the past are destined to repeat it.