The ex-minister of education of the Dominican Republic asks to explore the situation of the educational system in her country. Isadora is a very committed, 70 years young woman, still working in the field of education. The Dominican Republic is the bigger half of the Caribbean island Hispaniola. The other half is the country Haïti. The island used to be the place where slaves from Africa were first landed, before being transported to other American countries.
As soon as Isadora sees representatives of the teachers, the children and the families, she is in tears. It is clearly visible how these three together can make a nice connection. But society is far away and not in touch with what is happening in the schools. The school system looks a bit rigid and arrogant ‘don’t tell me anything!’
And then it strikes me they all are female representatives.
When I ask where the educational system in the Dominican Republic originates from, Isadora explains that every new regime, including a period of dictatorship, had made its own changes.
We then realize that the school system behaves like a dictator. The first intervention: we separate aspects of dictatorship from the school system itself. Everybody relaxes immediately. Dictatorship is represented by a man.
Then I wonder if the educational system would benefit from more male energy.
The second intervention: we add a male representative for male energy to the school system. The effect is astonishing, everybody becomes very alive. Moreover, the teachers, the parents and the children are in contact with society again.
Isadora: ‘Now I understand: male energy was associated with dictatorship very deeply in our unconscious mind and soul. What a relief to introduce more normal, healthy male energy in our school system. That’s what we need…..’.