Reflection on the task of education

09 March 2025

On reading Krishnamurti talk to educators, chapter on Long vision and on Action, during my visit to Aregnazan Waldorf School in Armenia, and my personal journey to expand my creative capacities and deepen my understanding of anthroposophy and education across Sweden, India, and Georgia:

How can we rethink the use of authority in education? How can we allow students to think without time? Education is to encourage limitless learning, while imparting sufficient knowledge for students to adapt to realities, to let their mind breathe and be alive. There must always be space for the mind to ask questions, inquire contemplatively, and feel eager to learn. If the mind is stuffed with “knowledge”, it is tired out. Students become fearful of “learning”, that’s what has happened all over the world. Teachers’ role is to be the companion and supporter to nurture all capacities, competencies and identities of students, acknowledge that every student is a unique human being.

“All I want to do is to help you learn, develop so that you can find where and what is your place in the world. Everyone comes to this life for a reason. Everyone is unique, no one is better than anyone. You also need to understand that your teachers are also human beings, your parents too. Noone is perfect. Sometimes I sound a bit aggressive at you because I care for you.” by Ani speaking to grade 10-students, the English teacher of the Aregnazan.

How can teachers seed students love, affection and curiosity? The ability to disregard all previous experiences, and expertises can lead one to feel young, and humble, thus one then constantly attempts to learn and see the world with affection. How can we allow students to admire the beauty of the normality, to feel we are part of the whole existence of the universe? How can we see everything with compassion, feel the sorrow and go beyond the sorrow of life? Not surrender but transform any pains, or struggles into creative actions? Actions of meeting complex challenges of humanity, and still on the life-long learning missions, and a mission of becoming humans and living harmoniously with the world.

Education in our time must facilitate students to understand the totality of life, not merely assume and oppress their roles to perform in society. How does education allow students to see the interconnectedness of all beings, and issues? Problems have to be approached holistically, not fragmentedly. For example, one student or one person is lazy to learn not because of themselves, they maybe ingrained with images of adults, of authority, and other life forces.

Children and adults, all human beings, can grow old physicallly and can remain young and alive. By all means, it’s our task to have a vision above immediate responsibility, so that we can go deeply into our fate, our soul. Perceiving our growth a result of time: how can we live with the witness of time instead of being a slave to time or anyone else? To be free, to reset all fear and challenges, let’s forget all what’s known, what’s experienced.

Clay artwork by students

With an empty mind, a spacious heart, letting go of dullness, we can begin to absorb newness, to feel and see creatively at all time. We must keep our mind and soul free of contamination resulted from mechanisms and stereotypes. We are limitless. We are infinite. Never stop expanding and accepting “choices” or feeling enough of the limits of being humans. Life is love and abundant.

I’ll edit my learning notes and share more about my adventures later.

Linh

Yeravan, Armenia