Gregorio Luri Medrano He was born in Azagra (Navarra) in 1955 although he lives in El Masnou (Barcelona) since 1979. He is married and has children and grandchildren. He studied teaching at Pamplona and at the University of Barcelona, graduated in Educational Sciences and received a PhD in Philosophy. He is a good connoisseur of the educational world and in my opinion one of the Current mandatory references for all parents and teachers. Gregorio has published a fortnight of books on philosophy and pedagogy, including The school against the world (2010), Introduction to the vocabulary of Plato (2011), Eroticism and prudence (2012) and For a republican education (2013). Now just posted Better educated (2014) in which he gathers the knowledge and lessons learned in the multiple conferences he has given to parent associations in recent years.
Gregorio Luri has a Blog, supported on Blogger, the Google platform, which is called El Café de Ocata from which share a lot of content High quality for parents and teachers. Recently he has published several articles based on Patsy Jefferson born in Monticello, Virginia in 1772. And is that Patsy's father, Thomas Jefferson the third president of the United States, he encouraged his daughter, when he was 11, telling him what he had to do in detail for hours each day:
- From 8 to 10: Music exercises
- From 10 to 1: Dance one day and draw the other
- 1 to 2: Draw the day you danced and write a letter the next day
- From 3 to 4: Read books in French
- From 4 to 5: Music exercises
- From 5 to bedtime: Read books in English, write, etc.
Although Gregorio explains that it is possible that childhood had not yet been created at that timeWhat is true is that in today's Western society it seems that we tend to simplify, reduce and wait for events while we are parents every time later and tend to overprotect the children. In an interview, highly recommended also on the occasion of the publication of his latest book, Gregorio Luri explains that his grandson will have many toys, many screens and in general many things, although you will not have the opportunity to have the atmosphere of a people nor enjoy an autonomy that tends to disappear while parental dependence grows.
To see how Jefferson's case is not isolated, William James wrote to his 8-year-old daughter, Peggy, on June 19, 1895, an extraordinary letter with spectacular language:
Sweet Peg I am very happy here, and fear that you may already have gone up to Chocorua with your Mamma. Yesterday a beautiful humming bird came into the library and spent two hours without resting, trying to find his way out by the skylight in the ceiling. You never saw such untiring strength. Filled with pity for his fatigue, I went into the garden and culled a beautiful rose. The moment I held it up in my hand under the skylight, the angelic bird flew down into it and rested there as in a nest - the beautifullest sight you ever saw. Your loving Dad
That could be translated as:
Dear Peg, I am very happy here and I am sorry that you have returned to Chocorua with your mother. Yesterday a beautiful hummingbird entered the library and spent two hours restlessly looking for a way out of the roof skylight. I have never seen such untiring strength. His effort encouraged me to visit the garden to get a beautiful rose. I put myself under the skylight and waited until the hummingbird went down to the flower to rest as if it were in a beautiful nest offering me the most beautiful sight you've ever seen. He loves you, Dad
As being a father or mother is a background race I can only continue reading Gregorio Luri, and other teachers and philosophers who show their concern, reflect, encourage us to think and offer contexts of interest to understand the situation we live in West. The challenge for parents is to continue learning and participating in the process of educating our children and especially encouraging them to teach them by our example.
