A Paidia, in ancient Greece, was a process of transmitting culture, accepting ancestral values, which included the understanding of beauty, arts, sport, literature, civilization – the “beautiful and good”.
Plato even said that «the essence of all true education or paideia it is what gives man the desire and desire to become a perfect citizen and teaches him to command and obey, having justice as a foundation1».
And the teachers who accompanied the children in their learning were the pedagogues. Later, new forms of teaching, more structured and dependent on literacy, would be established, and Academies and Lyceums would appear.
The truth is that education has always been one of the central concerns of societies, both Western and Eastern. Confucius, the great Chinese master who lived in the century. IV a. C., also understood that it was crucial for a teacher to develop the character and humanity of his students, constantly talking about “benevolence” or “humanism” and the formation of men of impeccable reputation, who would become capable of building the ideal State.
Comeinus, Rousseau, Piaget, Vygotsky, Paulo Freire are names that will remain as references of thought in the area of Education, brilliant scholars and modifiers of the school and its conception as a space for growth, for the construction of personalities.
But the truth is that, when I think of a teacher, the image that comes to my mind is the one that is closest to me, either because it actually happened, or because of affection: it's my mother's. Teacher of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education all her life, she was the one who taught me to read, write, count, because she was my teacher during that school period.
It was not only the person who really motivated me on my learning path, but also the great role model I had when I gave classes and training.
And I can be proud to say that through my life as a student and in all levels of education I had the honor and privilege of contacting great teachers, masters not only in their areas of knowledge, but in life, because with everyone I learned more. than Portuguese, or English, or History, or Philosophy, or Communication, or whatever.
Some later became my colleagues during the 12 years in which I too tried to transmit what I had learned and awaken in the young people I taught the desire for discovery.
We met at the school where I was a student and where I returned as a teacher: the Secondary School of Silves. This space, so familiar to me and others that we continue to call it “my school” has turned 100 years old these days.
I visit it many times as a duty of office, since in my current functions, I end up developing activities with this institution and whenever I go there my brain takes me to a flashback fast-paced, as in a fantastic movie, in which I am now the right girl, but with a dose of irreverence irritating to some, who was not part of any of the “most popular” groups, now I am the newly arrived teacher, who enters through the first time in a classroom, where students almost her own age are waiting for her and who today (many of them) are co-workers and friends.
I look at those rooms – now quite different from the rooms where I studied – and I see the voracity of time and progress and it doesn't sadden me, on the contrary.
I look at the people who circulate there - and who, when they pass me, continue to greet me with a lovely good morning or good afternoon, teacher - and I can't help but smile, because there are contained there many minutes, many hours, many events in my life.
I look at the students of now and I continue to see those who were my students, to see myself at their age, with the same desire to grab the world and the same fear of not fulfilling the totality of the sizeless dreams that loaded.
I'm from there and I'm not, because I went there and it doesn't happen on a daily basis, like the ringing of the bell for the first class of the morning, or the one on the way to the cafeteria, in a hurry so as not to be the last in line. I am an anonymous part of the history of that space, like thousands of others.
But he is not an anonymous part of me, because that is the great legacy of someone who had a good education. This is the legacy of the Secondary School of Silves, from its 100 years of existence: to remain in the lives of people who are no longer there, but who carry it around the world, in their jobs and in their homes, putting into practice what they have learned, being, as Confucius and Plato said, benevolent and human, respectful of all, competent, direct and inalienable contributors to our society.
And this is the reason that should bring us together to celebrate this school, all the schools in the world, all the teachers and students and educational assistants and administrative staff of educational establishments.
What remains, after all that is transitory and perishable, is knowledge. And what we make of it determines the direction of the world. If there is no one to transmit knowledge to us, who tells us what happened, how and who did it, who built something, a place, how will we do it? If we don't respect who can do it, what notion will we have of everything, of ourselves?
The school is this place of transmission of knowledge, of understanding, of a sense of justice and a school where the future is truly built is one that knows how to celebrate this process, where more than passing parties, nostalgic reunions – which are always good! - if you have a true memory and this is transmitted to new generations with vigor, with the capacity that only education has to reinvent itself and accompany changes, but with assertiveness and promoting the capacity for reflection and a critical sense.
It was a special time in my life, when I attended Silves Secondary School. Being a student was a real adventure of physical, intellectual, emotional growth and, despite the difficulties that all young students feel, despite moments of greater or lesser success, this was actually the most magical time of my life.
And it was with everything I learned that I was able to be a teacher and be what I am today.
Congratulations to “my school” and to all those who did, do and will continue to make it this fascinating place!
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