Conscious education seems like an obvious concept, a pleonasm even. It still is not. It is, however, a concept that is increasingly being put into practice in Portugal, not only by families but also by education professionals. It is present in countless training sessions and lectures that take place regularly all over the country, in educational projects in public and private schools, in learning communities where, as the name suggests, there is a community in charge of the children's education (in which mothers, fathers and the people responsible for the children participate actively and creatively).

If the education of human beings in the process of formation is to be conscious, there must be:

. Time and availability of adults (to listen, to think, to talk, to answer or say “I don't know, let’s find out”)

. Attention (to observe and, thus, get to know)

. Discernment and the notion that the child is a whole being who must, therefore, be fully respected;

. Responsibility—the task of educating is perhaps the most challenging of all during a lifetime;

. Respect for the diversity and specific characteristics of each child, without impositions;

. Resilience, since adults will always have to provide for themselves and their offspring (and, presumably, take care of the house, the shopping, the laundry, the cleaning, themselves), without giving up on the education of their offspring;

. Setting limits without resorting to violence;

. Love (not a cliché).

 Yes, it is a lot of work.

The system in which most countries in the world live involves endless hours of dedication to the livelihood, or work, to the detriment of, well, everything else that makes up life. I could talk about the inefficiency, the cruelty, and the absolute dystopia of this counter-natural system, but that is not the point today. The point today is to talk about the children we bring into the world and the way we integrate them into that world.

Educating is not programming. Living is not being an automaton.

There is an increasing awareness of each human being’s potential as a whole and, consequently, of the role played by education in the adults these children will become. Over the years, several revolutionary philosophies and methods have emerged all over the world, many of which are still in full operation today (the Montessori philosophy, for example, more information: https://montessori-ami.org/).

I met Portuguese Cátia Pernica through a dear mutual friend who, in good time, brought us all together in a forest to walk, to breathe and just to be. Cátia and her valuable HumaneSER Community project stand out for the promotion of a full and conscious education, which translates into various activities for families, including family walks, sharing circles, and picnics in the woods.

These activities promote balance, awareness, the discovery of the self, of other people and of the surrounding space, and the creation of community. This approach values, above all, a close and frequent contact with nature, as well as the chance to explore (with guidance rather than imposition), to experience, to acquire self-knowledge and, consequently, to identify personal interests and rhythms. It translates into a serene way of being in which it becomes possible and pleasurable to observe, reflect, remember, understand, and feel the beauty of existence.

For Cátia, "knowing is not enough, you have to feel it: that's where lasting and consistent learning takes place". Experiencing leads to inner truth. The unstructured activities she organizes in a free and natural environment give rise to discovery and, over time, make up a complex, knowledgeable, respectful, supportive, upright, and complete being.

Educating another human being is a mission for life. Educating implies permanent lifelong learning.

More information: https://www.instagram.com/comunidadehumaneser/

Cláudia Gomes Oliveira

1 April 2024