How much muchness is not enough?

Today I am listening to Dave Rawlings and I hear them all...


This week I was in school, sixth form finishing my Spirit of the dragon/Never give up project by delivering a series of workshops in their PSE day. For those of my age and not involved in the education system that stands for Personal and Social Education. This is the place where teenagers get taught 'life skills', such as information on issues such as Domestic Violence, Racism and Sex Ed. All very worthy and essential topics for kids growing up in any society but especially those in some of the 'identified' areas that I work in where information on domestic violence will resonate with many of the pupils. 
I have to say it was one of the hardest days I have spent for a while and one of the most insightful into the realities of the comprehensive system. The pupils did not want to be there, half voted by staying away those that were present were trying very hard not to be 'present'. I was determined to make a connection and began some very frank open ended questions about school life and PSE. I was saddened by the results, for many this PSE was too little too late, this is a non-graded subject and teachers have their hands full to get results for the graded subjects, so no finger pointing there. If a finger is to be pointed it is at all of us including the pupils themselves.


This week I went to see Alice 3D. I loved it. I came out of the cinema with one word in my head, 'muchness'. A brilliant description of Alice's lack of moral courage, her innate spark and her passive responses. The hatter remarks that she used to have it when she was there before.


That is what was missing from the conversations I had with the pupils. I was reminiscing in the staff room with another workshop deliverer about when we were students and it was all - marching in the streets and down with Thatcher. There used to be a lot more muchness in the air and in the belly.


Several pupils sat in the class with a single ear phone in listening to their Ipods,  the duty teacher instructed them to remove the said distraction. They did not want to hear anything any of us workshop leaders had to say, until a few of their peers piped up to my direct questioning and opened up discussion. Then it became obvious that it was not that they had lost their muchness, they had simply never been introduced to it.


Finger pointing is useless and counter productive for every one. But as scientists all over the world try to figure out what on earth the Higgs factor is in the answer to the universe, I would like to put forward a theory that the 'muchness' factor is what's missing in education.










Dave Rawlings and the Old Crow Medicine Show sings...


I hear the crying of the hungry
In the deserts where they're wandering
Hear them crying out for Heaven's own
Benevolence upon them
Hear destructive power prevailing
I hear fools falsely hailing
To the crooked wits of tyrants when they call

I hear them all (3 times)

I hear the sounds of tearing pages
And the roar of burning paper
All the crimes in acquisition
Turn to air and ash and vapor
And the rattle of the shackle
Far beyond emancipators
And the loneliest who gather in their stalls

I hear them all (3 times)

So, while you sit and whistle Dixie
With your money and your power
I can hear the flowers a-growing
In the rubble of the towers
I hear leaders quit their lyin'
I hear babies quit their cryin'
I hear soldiers quit their dyin', one and all

I hear them all (3 times)

I hear the tender words from Zion
I hear Noah's waterfall
Hear the gentle lamb of Judah
Sleeping at the feet of Buddha
And the prophets from Elijah
To the old Paiute Wovoka
Take their places at the table when they're called