And we parted.

I want to write about it but i can't. Its both, lack of words and skill. For some reason i would never be able to write it the way i felt it. I see miracles in my life daily. They say if its too often its not a miracle but somehow i see what others fail to see or maybe they just don't share the bitter truth of what they've seen. What i have seen today reiterates my belief in human kind and passion again. Its 26th of december. People are done with their xmas gifts and greetings. I happen to be in one of the most non-religious places on earth and yet there is something spiritual about their celebrations of something they don't believe in. For some reason i have believed more firmly in Allah after i've come here. There is something divine about human beings that came from the divinity itself even though they bad-mouth about their very existence. A friend once said every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. Human behaviors and choices are so intricate that no psychological theories can explain the choices they make.

And though we parted like two grown up men with lots to say but nothing to speak i know i'll never forget what i've learned from him. His sagacity has outdone his frivolity. I don't know if we'll meet again but we talk most when the words end.

Education in Ethiopia

This post would be as subjective as get although in a way, a reflection of my objective and impartial understanding of what this doctor friend of mine from Ethiopia has to say about education system in Education. One of the few things that I have come to passionately argue for humanity is the right and freedom to create, use and re-use information freely without conditions and appending concomitants. I have huge respect for people and nations that have come to realize the importance of education for their generations through their miseries in past.

I remember when I talked to this guy, almost pestering him with my usual inquisitive and curious questions about education, human rights and history of Ethiopia in general, with his slow, consistent and considerate compassion he would unfold one of the stories that I would remember for ages. Human sacrifices, misfortunes and oppression for some can become lessons for smarter people among us.
18 years ago, Ethiopia was a war-stricken, land with famines and poverty struggling for peace between tribes competing for land. Around 80 ethnic groups, fighting to pre-empt sustenance resources. Despite being the only independent country among European colonial holocaust, they had their own problems. UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites place Ethiopia as number one in terms of number of historical sites in Africa. Today it is one of the fastest growing economies according to some statistically manipulated research I believe, ignoring corruption and division of wealth.

And yet, education is free from high school until university. My friend is a doctor who graduated from a medical college and paid nothing. 3 years ago government decided to change the system where doctors have to pay for their education through signing a bond to serve in country for 2 years before they could work anywhere else because of superior quality of education and brain drain. Doctors in Ethiopia could go to US and practice without needing an English language test. They speak impressive English and have access to high quality research databases. Like all decent cultures, they don’t respect intellectual property rights and have believed for centuries in shared and collective view of literacy. I am told that government is significantly benefitting from body of knowledge through UN and other independent researchers while smartly staying away from attached curse of loans, copyrights and multinational corporations. Information is streamlined and modified for cultural appropriateness.

One way of keeping doctors to country is by officially holding back their diplomas after they’ve graduated so that they have to work for specified period in order to get a release letter from government which they require to obtain a visa to other places. Though high school is still free and you are provided everything except for food, I wonder problem with contemporary world is their inability and penury to provide free education to billions of slum-dwellers or it’s the hypocrisy and profiteering of our so-called educational aka industrial empire that has taken us to a level where we proudly puff your chests about our education levels while complacently ignore the miseries of people that are affected by our indifference and callousness.

How could a barren, famine-stricken, war-monger country just in 18 years got to a point where they sorted out their differences, created a federation, kept western powers at arm’s length and provided their generations with an opportunity to educate them to a level where they compete with their western counterparts. Have they learned that maybe there is something more important than fighting over economic resources and food. It’s the freedom, unity and education which would bring them much needed peace that they missed in ages. They have come to a point where literacy rate stands at 65% which is stunning when compared to a colony like
Pakistan where remnants of colonial English and psychological affiliation with master’s language should have produced more English speaking people than a country with almost no history of enslavement. With all American curriculum, formal educational settings/protocols and autocratic teaching practices, it still boasts, a rapidly expanding educated workforce. I have always argued and have never thought twice about my belief that superior educational and spiritual values don’t come from our ability to pay for our children’s education. It’s our willingness, passion and sacrifices that get us those rights which should be universal, accessible and mandatory for every human being on earth without pre-conditions. I don’t know what lies ahead of them, but if I were an Ethiopian I would always be proud of what my ancestors have done.

First English Workshop in Prolympia School

That was one heck of a day. Skipped school to join this English language workshop in Prolympia School, Umedalen. Left home at 9:00 am and was supposed to be at school by 9:30. I knew the place and had been there y'day. It took exactly 30 mins to be there. I must be the dumbest individual on earth to have forgotten my way, and walked for 2 hours in snow. Saw whole town except the school which was in the middle of my circular walk. Reached at school at 11:40 am, 10 minutes after the workshop ended. Teachers got me a cup of coffee and listen to my tragedy. They were so polite and immediately arranged another 9th grade class for a chit chat. Chit chat prolonged to a two hour long amazing workshop. I was told about Polar bears, Reindeers, Moose and Ikea.
I wonder why these kids was supposed to learn English. Most of them talked better than i do. Teacher was amazing. With the hip Robin-like coiffure (Robin is Swedish music star) she was an internet geek. Apparently she had made all teachers addict of Facebook. She is on the final stage of Mafia War on facebook. Students were playing facebook games in CLASS!!!! Yes, and they had internet access and could do ANYTHING. I got them ready for an interview when i go for next workshop.

Hardest part started when they started testing MY Swedish knowledge. I got most answers right, i guess, except for the translation of 'Brain surgery is beneficial for humanity', which couldn't have done anyways. Like all school teachers on earth they get paid pretty bad but i wouldn't complain being one if i could have as much fun as they had in class. Sandra was kind of amazed how fast i learned Swedish, which i think must be a joke. She should've seen me ask my way to school. Atleast i wouldn't have been lost. I wouldn't use English too. I was being stubborn. School had 4 grades from 6-9. It was a two-story private school with round 280 students. I was wondering if i could recruit them for flat classroom project. That would be wonderful to have one from Sweden.

Sandra and Lisa were excited about learning Elluminate and Videoconferencing. Apparently they had a wonderful conference hall we can use for online presentation. They learned Urdu pretty quick too. Children had this natural ability to learn better than us adults. I wonder sometimes if world were ruled by Children maybe we didn't have this destruction we call Wars.

Sandwich Discrimination

Just today when i was selecting my new courses for spring semester i was told that i can't take 6 months off and travel like EU students. That is because Swedish regulators are introducing fee for international students who dont BELONG here, technically out of EU that is. I have spoken enough about Sweden turning into idiotic domains like other capitalistic countries so i would skip criticizing that decision for the time being. Its for me a kind of discrimination for students who don't belong here. In my experience, traveling, meeting new people and exploring has been more beneficial than institutional study as such. Thats the core of what we learn. A good plan would have been to set a limit to number of years in which you can complete your degree giving them ample opportunity to travel and explore just like their OWN students.
Sweden has been probably the most diplomatic country in that sense. Surviving a world war staying neutral was one miracle i am still researching. This OURs vs YOU discrimination in education is very diplomatic too. Actually its so procedural and minor that you end up sounding like a racist yourself if you pointed that out. Arguments are as follows:

1. Isn't free good enough? Who else does that on earth?

I call it the ryanair strategy. Airfare is $0 and taxes are $500. What kind of welfare is that? Its like hidden charges on a credit card you didn't declare before you were selling it. Nobody is challenging the fact that its the most wonderful thing on earth to educate people for free but what made you stop being nice? It would be another long post that i can write to explain where Swedish government went wrong and decided they wanted to be America. I was talking to this wonderful swedish youth in my corridor about immigrant problems. He said when he was a child, government took refugees and put them in suburbs and fed them and they didn't work at all. There was a huge reaction to that and racial tensions arose. Robberies, restricted ghettos and diversity issues spawned.

His analysis was, to which i can't agree more was the inability of government to realize that they need to start programs to fit them into society and give them work to take away the stereotype off of them which portrayed them as loafers eating Swedish taxes. And its true!!! I would feel miserable and guilty if i got welfare from government and Swedes are the ones who pay half of their salary as taxes. The inability of this Liberal government and incapacity i must say, which kept them out of power for a long time was the lack of comprehension of how diversity issues work. You don't build condos, with SWEDES building them and ask refugees or immigrants to move in. It creates even more problems. Ask them to build them by themselves. Put them to work. Use them creatively and make them contribute to society. As a student i would be excited to clean a piece of land of trees and build a condo with others for rest of the international students and immigrants.

How else do you think people would mingle with people who are aborigines? Instead Liberals found the liberal model to milk international students converting their need of workforce into a corporate industry. That means students like me can not be here anymore. Although i am probably useless in terms of intellectual contribution to Swedish society, there are mind boggling genius international students here just because its free. On the northern tip of the world, almost frozen and devoid of natural resources who else is Sweden going to prosper without its workforce and multinationals? If you look at their history, its people who built it with brains and not resources. Its the fact that they don't have any resources they can brag about that doesn't stand on human brains.

2. Why should Swedes pay for international students?

Very first misunderstanding is that Swedes are paying for international students. Even if you rule out completely the foreign exchange coming in the form of accomodation,grocery and traveling money, that students have, you can not rule out the fact that there is NO additional cost of accomodating international students. Trust me even if you put all Swedes in universities, half of the lecture halls would be empty given their strength. Add EU students and its still empty. Professors get the same salary regardless of they teach 5 students or 50. They are as low paid as it gets. Consider the industry supporting education like, publishing, accomodation, tour guides, and others and you probably would deserve a pay back from government. Thats just the tangible benefits of international students. I wouldn't even touch the intangible benefits like brains, diversity, influx of english speaking students and exposure.

Let me play the devil's advocate for Swedes here and say you can't deny the fact that taxes support education and international students are a burden on education system, which would be a very sweeping statement but lets discuss it for the sake of argument. Ok you loafers, no more free educaiton. Now, who asked you to allow them to be loafers? Couldn't you put them to work? Swedish companies are moving out of Sweden because of high taxes and low cost of labour else where in the world. How good would that be to employ international students for free as part of their retribution to society for free education? Lets say, you mention explicitly in admission terms that you have to work for FREE or voluntarily although thats an obligation, for specified number of hours per week, i would be more than happy to do that. You allowed them to be loafers and put it back to them.

It can be argued that it would take away jobs from Swedes but how many Swedes would want to work for nothing? Housing is a big problem here. There are 32000 students here. Lets suppose a quarter of them are international students.
You have 8000 slaves (jk) that would create Egyptian pyramids for you. Cultural paradigms are also supportive of that. Sweden isn't a country where people would behave with you differently knowing your qualification or job.

Nobody cares and nobody should. Why should your employer at a construction site, where you work as a helper, care that you are a Ph.D student at university? There is no privilege or esteem or even perceived expectation of esteem is assosciated with what you study. Its something you study, for your own sake, interest and to a very minor scale a job. Why should other people be respectful of what you study and what respect you command in your likes? One part of this wonderful place is the lack of expectations on the part of educated for their education. People in most part of the worlds believe their education should give them the necessary prestige and authority that makes them feel good about themselves. Swedes don't need education to make them feel any better about themselves. Relationships, marriages, professions and daily life chores are all independent of social standings. Maybe i am in the wrong part of Sweden and stockholm is notorious for exactly that, but holistically its anything but America. Although its changing, but most places are changing although with a more faster place.

So my dear liberals, humans are humans. Treat them as humans. I know you are very bad at that but let the democrats do the trick. They single-handedly led Sweden to where it is today. It would be better for you and them. Free market looks good in TV. There is nothing free about it.

Nuremberg for Iraq

Week 4 Now. I continue to live with these amazing people. Love of labour and perfection is something you can smell. From the postman running to post in savage rain, to customer service bending over backwards to help you its phenomenal. From xenophobic to just shy, everyone seems so polite. Despite the educational brainwashing and Anti-religious propaganda in textbooks, you are treated like a human being with dignity and respect. You see their reactions change when you challenge their paradigms with all the poison they've been inhaling for years. They are intrigued by you. In an indifferent way they would observe you. They would think before they ask a question that can be remotely offensive or has implications. Unlike the people fed by individualistic bravado from free markets, they would think before asking a direct question.

It is amazing for me after taking real brash questions. Everyone seems energetic even in their 70s by the simplicity and belief in honesty. Like our local landlord. Her wizened face is probably the only evidence of her age. She is a superwoman in all other ways. You couldn't think of things that you might need, but she can talk in a careless way to surprise you with her concern. It just goes beyond that oral help. My friend studying late at night in university got free cakes by shop owner who almost closed the shop. 'Study hard, Son'. He felt he was in Pakistan.

Everything i've ever thought about copyrights and freedoms is probably translated in Swedish by a friend's wife in a local newspaper although i didn't know someone loathe it as much as i do. My jaw dropped reading the views of this apparently childish woman. She is probably a stronger opponent of this emerging Islamophobia than i am and yet she isn't a Muslim. Discussions in kitchen are getting longer. More frank and more respectful. I find it strange how people are so unaware of the world outside their world in which they live happily. People always think not having money is poverty. I think not knowing the truth is the real poverty. Intellectually i would feel deprived, if i saw from their eyes a flat world where everyone helps everyone. They don't see why people fight, why they have to bomb others, the possibility of a world wide war.

I agree and share their fright of devastation and wars they have seen in their lifetimes and experiences from WW2. I would want to die before i see another of that but a single question silences all the peacelovers to eternity. It resounds, hits and penetrates their minds with the veracity and openness of it. Where is the Nuremberg trial for people who don't have the influence to convene a court? Where is the museum for people who died in Afghanistan and Iraq and Kashmir whose shoes and clothes could be seen so the generations to come will decide that 'Not again in our lives we would fight a war that left lots among of us dead.'?

I am still finding the answers.

First Week in Sweden

Its been 4 days that i've been here. Umea Sweden that is. Although its a whole new world and i probably have a lot of things to say about this place where trees outnumber humans, i would recollect my memories about conspicuous things. My ideals were challenged back in Switzerland about human life and discipline when the ticket guy at train station welcomed me to a 'normal world' where trains and buses are never late. I didn't know at that time that in Sweden it would be better than that. Coming from a place where you have to cross the road through the traffic from a place where traffic would stop for you is an amazing experience. A place where people make queues without police or guards making them do so is worth applause.

People can easily fit into apathetic category if you judge them by their apparent behavior but once you get to know them, you would realize they are just shy and not rude. They bend over backwards to help you and will feel guilty if they are not able to do so. Its just a matter of knowing them maybe. Its still hard to digest the fact that if you are working in kitchen, 'Hey' is all you say for no matter how long you work in the kitchen or maybe a grin when you run into each other during errands.

The perfection and zeal they work with is inspirational. Respect, conflict management and participation is superb. On a working human level they surpass almost all standards but loneliness and hollowness of their lives is very resounding in the vibes you get, being from a culture where collectivism and socializing is important. I hear the best place for doing that is the ISKU or the gym which is overflowing during the week. It would have been nice if it were like that in corridors.

There are still people who make you question your impressions about Swedish culture and their reticence. I met this wonderful classmate who has helped me in probably every way. We discussed almost everything i considered controversial and that i thought would be too aggressive to discuss. Some of these things reassure me of my belief that humanity and basic spirit of relationship and belonging exists in all cultures independent of human differences. I am trying to learn the language to relate with the culture without an ethnocentric bias.

Something i knew before has been further strengthened by my initial discussions with people here. It is the ignorance and naivety of these people about the world outside their comfort zones. I don't blame them for their reticence about issues that concern me or other people in third world because if i put myself in a privileged and peaceful life, i would have no need to address issues that doesn't concern my serene life and what my government does to other people. Warm in my own warm nest it would be unfair to be blamed for not speaking for people out in cold.

These are just my first impressions which can and will be corroborate or enervate with time i hope.

Miseries of OERs and Western Freedoms

Its remarkable that during the past couple of months, i have seen some great pieces of content written that questions the usability of OERs in wired world. Some of the great posts i have come across is Leigh Blackall's Myths, Lies and Bullshit and The New Colonialism in OER For me its encouraging to see western academics realize the hollowness of OER slogan. My only reason to be with OER is the vague possibility of OERs importing copyrighted content into public domain someday. This has become a controversial statement if you look closely at the open licensing terms and conditions and its relevance and emulation of copyrights itself. Some of the important points that i have noted is as follows:

1. OERs have been a purely western solution for expensive books and other forms of restricted content e.g music, drama works and movies. It has a very little resemblance and definition in other cultures specially in eastern world. Things had always been free specially, educational material, entertainment and products with no marginal costs of reproduction. There sharing has been not only deemed ok, it is considered a piety to share and collaborate.

2. Copyrights are also based on US legal framework that is not only crippled itself and defines freedoms in an confrontational way. Most of the freedoms US academics have defined is well inspired by their paranoia of 'free' things because everything free necessarily leads to communism. A nation living the fear of social welfare can be abused by profiteers by creating a non-existential fear of sharing. Creative Commons had become popular in western world for its reliefs that allows content producers to open up their content with terms and conditions they want to choose but calling it a universal campaign is not only fallacious, its propaganda.

Culture of freedom in south east asia atleast comes from a rich tradition of Sufis, Buddhists, Swamis, Preachers of sorts and social values that encourage sacrifice, sharing and collaboration. The collective nature of this thought school, not only belies western ideas of content restriction, it challenges the individualistic economic phenomenon that malthus proposed according to which amount of food is not increasing with the speed of population, which would create a malthusian disaster which never happened. This is further abused by hedonistic, hellenistic and epicurean philosophies.

3. I have answered the questions in detail about copyright flaws in my earlier posts which can be found Here Thanks God, copyright regime is not powerful enough and people still have the spirit to help and share, otherwise in an ideal copyright regime, not only it would stop educational development in third world altogether imposing educational terrorism through content confiscation. Unfortunately western world has always supported non-democratic acts in third world keeping them poor and indebted to their pennies. Their corporations are invading the rights of developing world with the help of their puppet goverments. For example in Pakistan, Microsoft along with the puppet government is invading shops selling pirate copies of Microsoft. Keeping in mind that almost everyone uses a pirated copy of windows, including schools, hospitals and government institutes.

Earlier this month our Mr 10% announced 14 year imprisonment on cyber bullying and rumor creation. Much of that was inspired by the strong desire to curb his political opponents which can be used to suppress free speech too, if its against the government. It also clearly implicates the government's right to monitor cyber activity and private conversations. One of the benefits of ruling a developing country is that you don't need to write a 'homeland security policy' to usurp people's freedom.

4. Recent OpenEd09 conference was a good venue to understand the western perspective and bias against non-western views of freedom. Most of the speakers belonged to the old cult supporting copyright or OER domain in some way. Much of them were Canadians with 'familiar' views and networks. Catherine's keynote about african OER was a good overview of how OER is now going to be abused to sabotage rich african resources like poverty, freedom, education and AIDs in the past. What catherine dont understand is the irrelevance of OER for Africa? Third rate free materials is not what they deserve. Africa has been long deprived of its natural resources through MNCs to settle for OERs instead of original books taught in universities by top notch professors.

5. Eastern countries need to unite against this educational terrorism to save itself the values our ancestors have left us that are in danger of cultural onslaught. I am glad that most of us agree on that when i read the tragedy of commons. What amazes me is the feeling of certain individuals in western world who share my perspective on freedoms and values. I have been very lucky to have known these people in my life. For years what i have been doing alone has now come to point where it is jolting the intimidated minds of western audiences terrorized by the idea of socialism. Free as in freedom can also be free as in free beer and still not be socialism.

There is a quote that goes like this:

When we hate someone, we eventually become the object that we hate if we continue our hate for them.

The fear and hatred for an alternative system of social welfare in west has made the worst off, just as the communists were in their times. I can hardly see the difference in Russian and American miseries of their worst times.

Sweden, a failing education system

I just got denied residence permit for stay in Sweden for my studies. Without going into details on what were the reasons, which by the way was never told to me, which was not only rude and savage, its unethical. This post isn't about me. Its about the changes through which the Swedish education system has deteriorated. From a mono-cultural society with basic human rights now turning into a rude and paid education is a failure for humanity as a whole. Almost any justification for fees in universities for international students is handicapped if you look at the economic figures and development of Sweden in general. International students bring cultural diversity, huge amounts to support themselves as well as contribute towards economic growth of a country like Sweden.

Without taking into account this addition of tangible and intangible contribution of this student diaspora, following the failed model of American capitalistic education system is an awful step to take. Half as big as Pakistan, and half frozen, Sweden has always been known for its educated workforce and has relied on it because of its modest natural resources. I have always had very high opinions and ideals about Swedish education system which is moving towards its failure in my opinion. For example, the books in most programs cannot be produced in digital format which means you've to buy it and NOT pass it on. Digital libraries can not be access outside of the institutions in some universities. This restriction of knowledge is not only a western characteristic its also a shame that Sweden has taken that. It might be a good thing too that it has given up in favor of the external pressures at 'last' but its still the demise of an open culture.

In sociology 'looking self glass' is a complex which people acquire by which they judge themselves through other's opinion. Swedish Education system has fallen into the complex by looking around and accepting the curse. I am still optimistic they will not go deep down into this scourge. I wrote this post because i felt something is going wrong with the whole system. I wouldn't discuss the racism, procedural injustice and discrimination in visa processess. Its something you never expect of the wild west :)

EPB Final Post

Finally i managed to interview Anne Mirtschin's class who participated in Flat Classroom project. It took almost 20 days due to timezone issues and personal commitments on behalf of both Anne and I. I am extremely thankful to Anne for her consistent support and diligence. Teachers like her are rare in education, in my experience and i am glad to have known her through flat classroom project. Simplicity , comprehensibility and honest answers of these questions with a detailed background on everything is just amazing. I have always been a believer in the capabilities of new generation and students like Anne's just make me more hopeful and inspire me. Recording can be found here.

Your Free School that pays you.

Being a supporter of free education, which is universal, localized, openly accessible and standardized, i have written and discussed my views over time on this blog and as comments on other people's work. My inspirations come from the medieval spirituality and schools which charged no fees at all. They were heavily subsidized as well as cooperatively run by the administration and students and teachers who worked as employees not only for learning-centered activities but also as menial workers like masons, clerks, janitors and donation campaigners. There are hundreds of schools most of them religious, who work on these principles of cooperative financing. I have been honored to have taught by teachers who taught free to MOST of the students. They had never asked for fee which could be paid voluntarily though. Only thing which they could get out of that was probably respect, little errands done, fun time and self gratification. I wouldn't know how their wives had reacted to that but i've never seen them seriously injured so i guess it must be fine with them. By the way they had daytime jobs.

I am going to sum up some of the principles of free education along with the economic solutions to major problems associated with it.

1. A school run by cooperative means a school where employees, teachers, students and all stakeholders pool their efforts and run their own finances and OWN their schools. They decide their salaries, finances, duties and are responsible for their own management.

2. In a commercialized western version of education, its sub-consciously understood and taken for granted that its ok for teachers to act as smug, emotion-less employees with no spiritual responsibilities towards students, school and culture as a whole. Our exam systems further consolidates this assumption by leaving marking to them giving them the ultimate power. This not only stifles creativity but also makes teachers despot. In a cooperative school, duties should be divided and 'irrelevance of specificity' should be ensured. What this means is that marking, teaching, policy making and management should be irrespective of specific people. Standardized, objective marking should be introduced.

This also means that teachers who teach and mark should be different. A rubric should be designed to analyze the learning of students irrespective to their tutors and whole class should be given the same test irrespective of the teachers of different sections. Ofcourse, this test will be designed by teachers mutually but should be objective, computer-based and thoroughly inquisitive.

3. If you wear a necktie, tuxedo and too shiny shoes at school, maybe you wouldn't want a janitor near you to mop the dust on your shoes and impart some sweat. This is the beginning of pride and hubris in academia. I envision in a cooperative school run by employees itself, students mop their own classes with the help of teachers. Play grounds, fields and plants should be watered by themselves. Finances should be put up on wikis to be analyzed by everyone. All documentation should be put online for inputs and discrepancy checks. I don't see a need for more than 10 employees which are not part of learning/teaching to be at school. Best work is done by yourself. If you aren't down to earth and love doing little things as much as people who get to do the dirty work for you, the last thing you should be is a teacher.

4. Multiply the wealth of content. You don't have to do it all yourself. As much as i would like to set my teaching standards high, i understand that teachers are put the 'wrong' load on them. If you are teaching an english class and there are two books you have to teach in a school year and the aim is to get them to read and get to know more classics, you could teach them 30. That sounds odd but thats how it should be. Ask each child to select a book, read it and present it. Help your class find a repository of classic books and assign them a book. How wonderful is that to get them to read and understand a lot more than you could possibly teach them?

5. Slay the hen who lays golden eggs. It was the wrong thing to do in the story, but in reality of education, its the best thing to do. Show the children and their parents what are they going to get. Put all your course content, syllabus, teaching methods, everything online. Children work on different paces because of their abilities. Why stop a bright kid at first base when he could hit the home run. Respect for slow children and tolerance can be taught in class. They don't have to do that at home. Self-paced learning is the future. You can't stop it. Don't try it.

6. Internet is not a curse. I was writing a paper on ICT in developing countries and i was researching for the material and i found out that in Senegal parents were willing to pay extra fee for their children to learn computers. I hope its same all over the world. In developing countries it goes a mile beyond and i know parents who spend half of their income on fees. Its painful to see they don't get what they pay for and children come back with raps songs and absurdities in English, which the illiterate parents take for education. In a cooperative school, parents can donate money to buy low-cost computers and internet access. You would be amazed by the willingness of parents to do that if a well thought-out plan is laid out. Projects like Flatclassroom project and Digiteen have been a phenomenal success because of its innovative crux which is collaboration. Is no more a closed-world. Don't close it for your students.

7. Good content is what changes people's life for good. its an individual sense of accomplishments which can not be measured. So, don't use statistics and reports of your success. You send out your graduates to speak for you. Thats all that matters.

8. If you know it and you can show it, you don't need people to accept it. Complacency is the best by-product of a good education comprised of spiritual and practical worlds. 50 Harvard business school students broke into its database and the head told they will not be allowed to do that. If you could break into a system and all of them couldn't do a thing about it, they don't deserve to be your mentors even if that's ivy league. Believe in yourself.

9. Tell them who they are and they'll find who they want to be. A child born in China has its culture and there is no good reason for him to be learning english to be able to get a good job. Its her moral right to know about Chinese Calendar, Mao tze tung and Communism. There is no good reason for anyone to be encultured by someone else. Let them read their own books and culture. Give them both toys before they decide the better one. A nation brought up learning english as FIRST language is doomed to disaster and psychological slavery if english isn't its first language.

10. Governments, NGOs, Fifth Columns and terrorists can't stop one thing. That is learning. When you let it out for grabs, free and easy it just can't be stolen. Its your own responsibility to educate yourself and your family. cooperative schools and exporting of knowledge online is the way you could get it. Homeschoolers have done that. Its about time nations should embark on that.