EDUCATION and GOOD PARENTING

Yesterday one strong image came to me from the Pond and Yellow Duck ( see links) and I was thrown back into the education of Nobel prize winner Albert Camus. The Duck told how his duckling, after being away on holiday and away from her friends, ran off to the day care centre without even a hug or kiss for father duck. This was said with a clear love and affection. Oh how much that feeling of parents is a wonder of life, a joy. to see the young ones move on ahead without any need for formal politeness.

Albert Camus, on receiving news of his Nobel prize, thought straight back to one of his early school masters, Monsieur Germain, and he wrote a short letter to him. Camus wrote to Louis Germain that : " without you, without the affectionate hand you extended to the small poor child that I was, without your teaching, and your example, none of this would have happened ..."
Monsieur Germaine replied : " ... I do not know how to express the delight you gave me ... If it were possible I would give a great hug to the big boy you have become who for me will always be my little Camus."

Germaine continued : " Before closing I want to tell you how troubled I am, as a secular teacher, by the menacing plots aimed at our schools. I believe that throughout my career I have respected what is most sacred in a child : the right to seek out his own truth ... "

From a beautiful image at the pond through to Camus and his old teacher I was thrown again into contemporary education issues. Such is the beauty of blogs and folk I guess.