This is a statement of what I believe and of my worldview on education
I started my education in 1990 in France. If I look back today and highlight the most important notion of education that I learned it would be equality. Being enrolled in public schools from kindergarten to the end of high-school, I always liked how the school put all the students on the same playing field and how we were treated the same. This ideal of “Equality” is the center of my philosophy. As an educator I commit myself to work for secular, free, public and mandatory education.
Secular education should also be free of cultural bias. I understand that we all have a culture and a past but for the sake of equality educators should study themselves and their students in order to deliver neutral yet accepting programs. Free school is the richest product of our society. I believe all youth should be welcome to all parts of the school and school activities and that in no way should money or resources be a limitation. I believe children are innocent of their family’s monetary situation and I believe school might be one of the only places where the injustice of classes can be overcome. Public teaching belongs to the people. I want to teach a curriculum appropriate and fair to all. I hope to educate a generation that will vote and elect the leaders that will shape the next curriculum. I believe children are born with a right to education, and I fully agree with the compulsory law of Canada.
Teaching was not my first profession. After working as a mechanical engineer technician in the diesel industry I found my morals in disagreement with my work. I also found a large gap in the work force. Many engineers around me struggled to find work while my company could not find trained technicians. While most engineers have the right conceptual training to be trained technicians, most lack the manual skills to take the jobs. I want to work to give the next generation the required manual skills and conceptual training to be more polyvalent.
I believe the present curriculum in conjunction with emerging “STEM/STEAM” program is tailored to create polyvalent individuals. The flexibility in the prescribed learning outcomes of the “Design and Technology” curriculum allows us to create projects where the student can use engineering and designing skills while learning how to safely use tools and machinery. Such projects would create a need for the student to learn mathematics, chemistry, physics and all the other subject areas.
I believe equality and unity in education is key to helping future generations in the multicultural and demanding world of tomorrow.
Valentin Pontier