In our schools, competition for access to elite preschools, for grades, for social status, in sports, over positions of leadership, and for admission to exclusive colleges transforms one of our most basic institutions for fostering community, ethics and learning into competitive, individualistic corporate training-grounds. In these settings, the importance of competitive sports becomes paramount, for both financial and training purposes, and the artistry of cheating (see this year's Stuyvesant High School cheating scandal) and rule-bending (see Joe Paterno) revered. Such intense competition encourages the professionalization of parenting -- through tutors, highly-educated nannies, prep courses, and professional training camps (such as investment camps). You can imagine the deleterious effects these trends have on the ethos of care and moral responsibility in our families and schools, a critical buffer against bullying and violence in the lives of our children.
Peter Horsfield on 17 Feb 14An author, a freegan, an activist, a father, a concerned citizen-Tristram Stuart is all that and more. He was brought up in a thrifty household where food actually got eaten. So when he began feeding pigs and discovered how much food grocery stores and food servers throw, he was compelled to do something. He endeavored to dig deeper into the problem and by discovering how much food go to waste, he began spreading the truth about the ongoing food scandal. This led to the Feeding the 5000 initiative, The Pig Idea, and the Gleaning Network. To read more about Tristram Stuart visit www.thextraordinary.org
