Learning to Thrive in Place

In today's world of smart phones, climate change, third world development, and increasing migration perhaps a new look at what "basic education" is would be valuable. I propose that we explore the idea that knowledge about how to survive and thrive in the ecosystem you are born into is the most important "curriculum". This is in contrast to the developed world's concept that literacy and numeracy are primary. The information and skills one needs to be a functioning adult in inner New York City are quite different from those needed in a pre-electrified village in central Africa or Indonesia. Loss of indigenous techniques, culture and social organization can promote migration and lead to environmental degradation. Let's consider what adults who are thriving in their place of origin know and devise place-specific curricula that passes this knowledge on to the next generation. In some communities a traditional, western, academic education may be the most appropriate. In others, reading, writing and arithmetic may be secondary to food production, sanitation, and traditional community decision-making. The goal of this exercise is not to deprive people in lesser developed areas of the opportunity to participate in the greater global socioeconomic world or enjoying a modern city existence. Rather, it is to promote the possibility of living "the good life" in many diverse human ecologies.