there's a difference between learning and education. People are always learning, and we learn things everyday without being taught them. Children are born with a voracious appetite to learn which begins even before they're born, they are constantly absorbing information and putting things together. Most of the really remarkable things kids achieve, they achieve with no instruction. Imagine how hard it is to learn how to speak? You encourage them, mentor them, but you don't teach them. Children also pick up all the cultural nuances, patterns and relationships in their world without being told. Education is simply an organised version of this; an organised programme of learning underpinned by the belief that there things students should learn that they may not ordinarily come across and that we can help them to learn more effectively than they would be able to do so on their own.
"About the Alliance The work of the Alliance is carried out by its board and staff, in consultation with its partners and its national advisory board on early education. The Alliance's work is funded by grants and donations from foundations and from hundreds of individuals. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, incorporated in the state of Maryland. Mission Statement The Alliance for Childhood promotes policies and practices that support children's healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living. Our public education campaigns bring to light both the promise and the vulnerability of childhood. We act for the sake of the children themselves and for a more just, democratic, and ecologically responsible future. We encourage all visitors with an interest in our work to register with the Alliance. We'll keep you posted on our activities as well as issues of concern."