Gabriel García Márquez is a writer (a person) deeply marked by his childhood, something that is transmitted to his works through varied characters, situations and reflections. There are also some texts that García Márquez specifically dedicates to reflecting on childhood: "Manual for being a child" and "For a country within the reach of children".
In his "Handbook for being a child" he introduces us to an interesting reflection on arts and letters at school, how is art education or rather how it should be so as not to crush children's vocations. We talked about it a while ago to ask you Do you know what kind of artist your son will be?
And it is that creativity has to be encouraged, uncovered, a free path must be opened for her, since we all have some talent. The preferences, vocations and skills that children manifest at a young age must be identified in time and taken into account in educational processes guided by parents and teachers, favorable conditions for their creative development will be created.
"A manual for being a child" It is part of the collection of documents of the Mission of Science, Education and Development of Colombia, and was disseminated by the Ministry of National Education and the Presidency of the Republic when preparing new curricula.
"For a country within the reach of children" is the preliminary document that begins the Joint Report of the Mission of Science, Education and Development, entitled "Colombia: on the edge of opportunity" (1994), whose recommendations were presented as " a new navigation chart ”to mark the directions of the development of science, technology, education and development to face the 21st century.
It is a text in which the author unravels an idyllic past of Colombia, marked by "the abominable colonial heritage", eager for wealth and in front of all of which creativity and the desire to stand out must be opposed, of to ascend, to "be artists," like those children in the previous text.
And if you want a new country for children, you have to change education:
An education from the cradle to the grave, unhappy and thoughtful, that inspires us a new way of thinking and encourages us to discover who we are in a society that loves itself more.
Gabo tells us about Colombia, but ... doesn't it we could place the words of García Márquez on a silver platter anywhere in the world? Undoubtedly, education must begin by forming good people (and not pigeonholes or cutting their wings) that will make a better future, a better country, a better world. Another thing is how to start changing this with the times ...
