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  • From: Graham <grahamburnett@blueyonder.co.uk>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Free permaculture
  • Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2005 01:09:17 +0100

Not sure if all the repies from UK are getting thrpough, hence a fwd of another UK teachers POV;

Yes, I agree Graham, the key issue here is that no teacher can speak for all other teachers in what they are willing to offer. Whilst I agree that if a course is running anyway an extra one might seem to make little difference, there are also other issues to be aware of.... Smaller groups enable more one-to-one attention for students & while this adopting this principle might start off as one extra student on a course, if this was to continue being offered to all graduates, we could end up with as many 'refreshers' on each course as first time students, which in my mind would detract from the latter's experience.

Twelve is my ideal number on a course, any more than that gets crowded. Ten to twelve is also the realistic minimum number of students to make many courses financially viable. I also teach residential courses in places where the maximum accommodation equates to only slightly above the break even number of paying students. On Brownsea for instance, it is a squeeze fitting in myself, my support tutor & our cook as 'extras'....

One of the four complementary criteria of is 'Symmetry' - which means giving back to permaculture (& those who have pioneered it around the World) in exchange for what you have got out of it yourself. A fair exchange is the co-operative way (remember the principle?).. By taking on the support role on a course & being given a chance if wanted to teach a session or two, lots can be learned about running courses & by fulfilling the role, future teachers can appreciate the value of what is being done within it. A free place in exchange for support work is fine & indeed an important role in teaching courses, but a purely one-way energy exchange is simply parasitic behaviour & not at all 'Fair shares'.... Why turn down the opportunity to learn about running courses in such a hands-on way? Why do we assume that it would be better to 'do nothing' in exchange for a refresher.

And finally we must remember that if we don't support our permaculture teachers, they won't be able to afford to carry on running courses (plenty have already fallen by the wayside because of this.

Blessings,

Aranya

Graham wrote:



Arina Pittman wrote:

>Thanks for your reply Graham - please forward to the UK folks. I vaguely
>remember hearing about it at my class, back in 1995 (?) with Bill Mollison
>and Scott Pittman. But, then - my command of English was somewhat weak at
>that time - so I am not sure if I heard it right.
>
>I assumed it was part of pc ethics, that teacher waives his/her fee.... the
>rest of cost must be still paid for (food, lodging, advertisement, handouts,
>etc). The idea sounds consistent with the ethics - if the class is full, why
>not allow someone to sit on, pay for ALL other expenses and refresh the
>memory. The third ethic - share of surplus.
>
>The main question is: is this rule upheld by the pc community at large or on
>a voluntary basis? Is it or is it not part of the conduct in pc world?
> >
> >
Some teachers/organisers may well offer 'free' places to PDC graduates
on their courses, indeed I've offered places myself to folks who are
working towards their permaculture diplomas so that they can 'sit in' on
Design & Introductory courses, particulrly those who have been thinking
about running courses themselves and want to get a 'feel' for how to do
it. Interestingly, those who have taken up the offer have insisted on
making a contribution, even though I've said they weren't expected to.
They've helped out with cooking and other logistics, as well as making a
financial contribution. In one case I've been promised some bottles of
wine as soon as they produce some!

But that is down to my discretion and the fact that I felt able to offer
this. This is completely different from telling my students that it is
their 'right' to attend future PC courses 'free of charge' if they feel
so inclined. There has never been any agreement that this is the case
that I have heard of.

Cheers Graham


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  • [permaculture] Free permaculture, Graham, 08/19/2005

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