Blogfest Day 3 ~ C is for Chewing Gum Conundrum

The scientists really need to make up their minds . There was a time  when coffee was bad for the health . And then it was okay (consumed in moderation , of course …) And the same on-again , off-again policy has applied to numerous other food types including tomatoes , peppers , ginger …. I think they really enjoy baiting us plebs . Not that it's intentional . It's all in a days work .

It was late last year when the centre stage was dominated by the 900-year-old …wait for it … *drum roll* … chewing gum (though it's not really a food type) . Nevertheless , to cut a long story short , a certain head teacher decided to introduce active chewing of gum in schools because recent scientific investigation revealed that the chewing of bubble gum has multiple benefits which meets emotional , educational , social and psychological needs . It aids concentration/focus and helps learners to de-stress and relax . Learners feel content and less fearful .

The scientifically-proven value of chewing gum aside , it seems to me like plain old bribery . A ploy to lure lazy , stubborn kids to school . Make it seem like a "cool" place . What are the learners fearful of ? Is it fear of order and discipline ? Fear of rules and regulations ?

So while the scientific world is on a roll , extolling the virtues of chewing gum , and the educational fraternity have jumped on the bandwagon , we may as well all join in and take it to the max …

The year is 2020 …(or thereabouts) . The world is in a frenzy !!! Scientists , professors , academics all abuzz with the ongoing scientific discovery … WORLD HEADLINES : We are witnessing an educational transformation on a grand scale ! The world has never seen anything like this ! The All-In-One-Solution-For-The-21st-Century-Learner ! Forget about poor concentration and lack of focus , feelings of fear and stress , of discontentment … These are fading away , fast and furiously , as the fabulous "Wonder Solution" takes over … All you educators , teachers , learners ~~ watch carefully as your fearful , unfocused , stressed out , bored learners are transformed by this miracle solution . You'll be amazed at the results . It is being hailed as the educational breakthrough of the century !

Yeah … right … we wish  … and I'm not even gonna go into the negatives … which would be chewing gum pollution on a grand scale … unlike anything the world has ever seen …

Fast forward … a decade or two later … the year 2040 …(or thereabouts).WORLD HEADLINES : Scientists have recently made a breakthrough discovery which has serious ramifications for the educational world . The chewing of bubble gum (believed to aid focus and concentration) has come under the spotlight . A brand new , one-of-a-kind research technique has revealed that the chewing of gum is actually quite detrimental to the emotional and psychological  development of the young learner . This has caused widespread panic and resulted in the banning of chewing gum in all educational institutions across the globe ! *giggles*

Aaah , well … and thereafter the scientists will move on to a new product and be busy "extolling the virtues of a new discovery" …