27. The world was on fire and no one could save me but you
27. The world was on fire and no one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
Good morning,
I hope you are well.
Today’s lyric is taken from the seminal Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. It was featured in the film . The song according Isaak is about having a strong attraction to someone who is not necessarily good for us. We can all relate.
It is also a reminder of when songs from motion picture soundtracks had videos using footage of the film itself. I actually endured the film Against All Odds based on the Phil Collins song.
As for liking Phil Collins. I regret nothing.
Anyway I present to you edition 27.
Take care,
Nish
A free lunch.
The week before has seen an argument erupt around free school dinners. Marcus Rashford, a premier league footballer has advocated for free school meals to continue, however the UK government voted down the bill offering this. My faith in the UK government has hit a low, which I never thought was possible, it is groundbreaking.
When my grandfather was teaching, he would give lessons and my grandmother would cook for the pupils. He would also provide extra curriculum tuition sometimes at no cost, he would hand books to children explaining that books were the secret of unlocking their potential.
Having had time to process the idea of free school meals, I looked at the benefits of providing them. Free school meals presents something far more than making sure those less fortunate did not have to worry about food, which is justification enough. I paid into a tax system which subsidised representatives who believe that they should receive free meals and at the same time denying children a right.
Government bodies are huge purchasers, imagine how we easily we could move into more sustainable agriculture if the education system’s purchasing power encouraged breakfast and lunch being sourced from local suppliers. What? supporting local businesses and ecosystems as well encouraging better farming practices. That is just mad.
In the aftermath of the Boer war, the government feared that the Army would not have enough able bodied men to fight a larger scale conflict (yes free school meals were mentioned). Like Tupac said wars come and go, but my soldiers stay eternal. We are not talking war, but we are talking about healthy and focused kids, able to fully engage.
A while back I created this diagram looking at how we spend our time.
The caveat around this image was that it was around my life, yes that handsome young man with a devil may care attitude, who also had few responsibilities. Parents on the other hand are even more time poor. No amount of hacks could replace a healthy balanced meal being provided at school. Could this free up time?
Innovative work places offer breakfast and fruit as part of their office and work culture. I have worked at such an office and in an amazing company. So if companies are doing it, to encourage healthy and productive employees, why shouldn’t schools?
Arsene Wenger introduced fundamental changes into the modern game of football, one of them was changing eating habits and relying on science. The point is that I am finding a lot of reasons why this is beyond, simply doing the right thing, but something which could tangibly improve a key part of society, our families, and the economy as a whole.
As time goes on and I speak to more people, there is a question around whether the education system needs to be revisited, but in a wider context. We are looking at enabling the potential of what is referred to as our greatest asset, our children. Are we at another point, where the government is not looking to do the right thing out of spite. This is something which is personal to us all.
Mauritius follows other countries in terms of educational best practice. Is this an opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable model. Could Mauritius untap the potential of their children to move our society forward?
I invite you to leave comments.
A great loss
James Randi helped promote Skepticism to a wider audience. He unmasked conmen and tricksters who manipulated emotion for personal gain. As a humanist he made life easier for people like me, those who seek rationality and reason.
About me
This is where I put annoying descriptors, but simply I like looking at problems, fixing them, and asking questions. Outside of this I love film, music and books. I can be found on twitter and instagram. I really love Mauritius.