I don’t think I’ve ever watched the film Educating Rita but the title has stayed with me since I first heard it because Rita is my mother’s English name and she was very much an educator. Not only did my mother retrain from working as a high-ranking civil servant to becoming a secondary school teacher and then head of year; she also taught me to read and write when my primary school failed to help me in that area. I owe a lot to my mother.
In this ‘back to school’ issue we talk about traditional schools and curriculum, teaching, homeschooling and in our deep read (WA Plus) consider why it is that girls do better at school than boys but then lag behind when it comes to the workplace.
Back to my mother’s influence: I wish I could say that her dedication to my education led to a love of learning on my part – it did not. However, it did give me the push to pursue the career of my dreams and I’m grateful to say that being a magazine editor was what ten-year-old me wanted to be when I grew up.
What kind of education did you receive growing up and how has that informed your career choices and the way you live your life today?
Love and blessings,
Editor + Creative Director
Doll
On the Woman Alive podcast conversation on homeschooling, we get two different perspectives with guests Elizabeth Harewood, teacher and head of the Association of Christian Teachers and Hope Bonarcher, Woman Alive columnist and former musician who now keeps busy homeschooling her four children in Scotland.
The Woman Alive podcast is available on Premier.Plus, Spotify and Apple podcasts. Please remember to rate and review the podcast and share it with friends who might want to listen too.
No comments yet