The Swedish resistance towards higher levels of maturity [Part 3]

When I arrived back in Sweden on March 6 I knew things were going to be different. I had just finished the eight day winter retreat at Foxhollow, Andrew Cohen's EnlightenNext World center. Jeff Carreira, one of Andrew's senior students, has written an excellent day by day account of the retreat, where Andrew "conducted a real-time experiment in conscious evolution through guided discussion groups with all of the retreat participants". I was one of the participants in the group led by Jeff Carreira, where day after day we intentionally come together in an intersubjective field of egoless consciousness, not for our own sake, but so that enlightenment could enter the manifest realm.

In Jeff's last blog entry for the retreat (day 7) he writes * "By the end of the discussion each person began to recognize that they were the only one. That they were the energy and intelligence that had created the universe - the project of evolving the universe (what Andrew had called the Universe Project in his teaching) was their own project. Before time began they had started it and now they were waking up needing to finish it."

(* Note for Swedish readers: I have purposely left out what Jeff writes at the end of this entry. For me to include that would be too much. Sweden is a technologically advanced culture, but when it comes to interpretations of  "God" Swedes believe he/she either still lives on a cloud and takes care of them (a premodern mythic perspective), or that there is no "God" or enlightenment perspective. There is just rocks, dirt, some plants, some animals and us and we should just learn to accept that (a modern scientific perspective). But for Swedes who think that they can handle reading what Jeff writes, remember that when you do "context, i.e. interpretation, is everything", dvs "beakta tolkningen.")

When I arrived back in Sweden I found out that Lärarnas tiding,** Sweden's most widely read fortnightly newspaper for teachers, was doing a large article about my work at Sofielundsskolan. I also realized that I was hitting a nerve and that I had stuck my head well and truly above the poppy plants.

(** The paper is published by the Swedish Teachers' Union, Lärarförbundet, the largest union for teachers and heads of schools and the fourth largest professional trade union in Sweden. Lärarförbundet has 230 000 members' at all educational levels.)

Both Mats Edin and I have invited Lärarnas tiding to report on our work several times previously, in particular about a school that in 2004 went from total chaos to dynamic harmony with ten hours of my help. I will write about this soon. But the Swedish Teachers' Union showed no interest. When our book came out in May last year (2006) they wrote a harshly critical book review with the heading "Complicated book leaves teachers to their fate".*** Now they were writing a four page article on my work at Sofielundsskolan, and in particular my connection to Andrew Cohen and EnlightenNext.****

(*** "Fate"? The book is built around our ability to choose and take responsibility for the choices we make, as well as our ability to evolve and mature morally. The Swedish Teachers' Union wasn't exactly welcoming such a perspective.)

(**** Andrew Cohen's Five tenets are also written about in our book. You can read the interview I did with Patrick Bryson in March 2004 that led to the development of the model "It's your choice!" and it's connection to Andrew Cohen's teachings. But the model itself actually came from a group of kids.The interview is called: A Moral Dimension to Parenting and Teaching. An Introduction to Awakening Children to the Authentic Self and to an Evolutionary Context)

By March 16 Läranas tidning nr 5 is out in nearly a quarter of a million copies. The front page has a picture of a teacher sticking stars on a sheet, while the text underneath reads "Judgment. The points that students are given for each lession result in golden stars that in turn can be used for rewards such as bowling". The bold heading on the front page reads "Golden stars return." The text on the front page reads "Golden stars have returned to Sofielundlundskolan in Malmö. They are used in the method "Good Choice" that according to many teachers has created a calm and secure work environment in many classrooms. But to give small children points for good behavior as well as after each lession has led to debate, both within and outside the school. The  method is most criticized for its connection to the new age organization EnlightenNext."

The first article has the heading: "Points system creates peace in the classroom."

One of the teachers', who is very critical, is asked to give his view. His critique is about my being a member of EnlightenNext which he refers to as a "sect", which as I wrote before is a really bad word in Sweden. But he is not the only one who sees my being a member of a "sect" as being "unfortunate". This opinion is shared by many teachers: "That Nick and Mats are members of EnlightenNext is just bad luck."

What a stunning conclusion!!! I really must be hitting a nerve.

The headmaster Yvonne Bengtsson is interviewed. The heading is "Students take on more and more responsibility for their actions" and she tells about their amazing development. But this developmental perspective is ignored in Sweden.

Instead of giving weight to this view one of Sweden's most famous paediatricians, Dr. Lars H Gustafsson, is interviewed to give his opinion about the "Good Choice" method. Gustafsson is a well known author, lecturer and media personality, but stuck in the Green meme sensitive self perspective. The heading reads, "Some children will lose."  Gustafsson says: "I can never believe that judging a students' behaviour each day will be fair. Some children are going to lose in such a system."
Journalist: "Teachers say that most students get fours or fives." [Five being the highest]

Gustafsson: "Yes, but some don't. What happens with those children?"
J: "Everyone who uses the method says that the atmosphere has become calmer at the school. Isn't that reason enough to use it?"
G: "Yes but I think that one will have to pay a price for it in the end. As a parent I would never sign a contract, where the children are given points after every lession" He says that there is often an ideological base in methods that are about order and discipline, and call it "moral virtues training" [which he is against]. "There are a lot of new age organisations that want to educate children and youth in their thinking."

My colleague Mats Edin is also interviewed. The heading is, "Student's choices will create a better world" and there is also a piece giving readers a background to Andrew Cohen and EnlightenNext.

There is a lot to go into here but before I do its time for a quick quiz.

Quiz 1
How many telephone calls and emails from teachers and headmasters throughout Sweden do you think all this publicity about our work has generated in a culture desperately needing results?
a) 254  "This is fantastic! When can you come? We need to clone you!"
b) 16  "We aren't concerned about negative opinion. We want results. You guys are pioneers."
c) 0  "Shhhh!!! Please, no spirituality!" [Silence]

Quiz 2

What did Sweden do during the Second World War?
a) Fought with the allies against the Germans and doing all they could.
b) Were on side with the Germans, but taking it easy.
c) They said they were "neutral", i.e. remained on the sidelines and did ABSOLUTELY nothing for the entire period of the war except to retreat into caves and mediate on the Ground of all Being.

Quiz 3
What did the class of eleven years old student's say to their teacher when they heard what Dr. Gustafsson had said?
a) They could not believe what they were hearing and wanted to speak with this crazy doctor as soon as possible.
b) They (and their parents) were shocked and wanted the school to stop working with the method as well as me.
c) They said that everyone is entitled to their own perspective, left it at that, and went out to play.