About children who fall through the cracks and the courage to do things differently
- Indy Thijn
- Oct 6
- 3 min read
Why are children still being left behind?
Why does it still happen? Children who can't keep up, or rather, children who don't fit into the way we've structured education.
The system says, “There is no place for you.” But the child says, “I'm already here.”
At the beginning of the summer, I was invited to the Welkompassie podcast. In the posts surrounding the announcement, Fred, the founder of Welkompassie, shared his own story and past in the education system. As a child, he always participated "good boy," but it never really felt appropriate. He was dreamy, philosophical, seeking depth, and precisely that wasn't seen or appreciated. His solution was to throw himself even harder into books and move further away from himself.
That works for some children, but for many, it doesn't. And that's the crux of the matter: time and again, children fall by the wayside or out of touch with themselves. Because they think, feel, or learn just a little differently. Fred and I discussed this in his podcast: how painful it is that our education system so often fails to meet children's true needs, the enormous impact this has on families and society, and how important (restoring) contact with nature proves to be as a solution for the symptoms that have arisen. And also: how necessary and possible it is to forge new paths.
Creating new paths
This is precisely what I strive for every day. I recognize the stories Fred shares in countless conversations with children, parents, and professionals. The system is a drag, and yet… it speaks volumes.
That is why I initiate initiatives that create space where the system gets stuck:
💡 Breakthrough sessions for parents – one-on-one conversations that provide clarity, without waiting. In a single session, we get to the heart of the matter and provide you with direction and practical steps.
🌱 De Wakkerschudders – a place for the awakeners to come and stay. On the beautiful nature reserve of Wildgroei (Nieuwegein), we're launching an initial pilot program for children who are (temporarily) out of school but still need a place to grow and play.
🔥 The Fire Council – a creative think tank around the fire, where disruptive thinkers, together with/for organizations, come up with new forms and solutions.
🌍 The Education System Speaks – a collective research project with changemakers, in which we listen systematically to what education has to tell us.
These are places and movements that have one thing in common: everyone deserves a place, and it's worth investigating what's happening here. And as long as the system doesn't offer solutions on its own, we'll forge new paths together.
Finally
I'm always struck by how relatable this theme is. From personal stories like Fred's, to the parents and children I speak to daily. For me, the Wakkerschudders, the Vuurraad, and the research aren't separate projects, but ways to transform those stories into action.
Children show us where the system is failing. It's up to us to listen and dare to act. Because the greatest gift we can give them as parents and adults is to stand up for what they're currently working so hard to "awaken." Let's free children from this role, so they can simply be children.
