Refuge in Education

            When a student reaches a dark place in their life and feels as though education is not worth pursuing any further, it requires a special teacher to provide the inspiration and passion for learning that the child needs in order to overcome their unwillingness to learn.

            I read the novel Push, by Sapphire, which follows a young, black, teenage girl through Harlem in the 80’s.  The girl has suffered a life of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, but finds refuge in the arms of an alternative school.  Most people probably know the film adaptation, as Precious.  The alternative school, Each One Teach One, is an educational institution dedicated to helping youth who have experienced a variety of different hardships, which has impeded their ability or desire to learn and pursue an education.  The pendulum of choice then begins for Precious, the protagonist in both the book and the film, as she must decide between living the only life she has ever know, or pursuing an education.

            The teacher in the film, Ms. Rain, creates an environment in the classroom that puts the student at the forefront of learning and bares no judgment, prejudice or bias towards the students in anyway.  Ms. Rain’s central focus is the student, and she uses a variety of relatable to “real life” techniques to instill a solid foundation of education in them.  Ms. Rain applies Freire’s problem posing technique to teaching, by recognizing that the traditional and mundane deposit of knowledge from teacher to student has failed Precious and her peers up until this point.  Ms. Rain stimulates and challenges the students to write about things in their lives, which throughout the film proves to resonate in a way that provides academic success for the students.   

            Given the film’s racial ties to the black community, in conjunction with the distinctive classroom setting, I began to think about the film in terms of our Afro-centric schooling discussion.  It was apparent in the film that the curriculum was not created in a way that was rich with black history, but it was tailored to be the most effective when delivered to the group of girls.  Much like the manifesto of Afro-centric schools, they intend to help students by minimizing the drop out rate.  The unique school in the film is considered the next step in an unconventional education process, by virtue of its’ capacity to help students who have already dropped out or fallen behind. 

            For anyone who has not seen or read this story, I would strongly recommend you do so.  The book is a little challenging to read at first, as it is written from the point of view of Precious, who is illiterate; given the fact she has fallen behind academically, the syntax and grammar structure is not what we are used to when we open a book to read.  I will also caution you that there are some bothersome scenes in the film and in sections of the book, but can assure you that you will fall in love with the spirit and courage of Precious.