I am watching...{Drive In}

I had not watched a coming-of-age movie in some time and An Education was - again - an oldie on my list. 

The brilliant movie tells the story of an equally brilliant young woman who is dangerously sidetracked in her current (boring) studious life by a charming and worldly businessman. He opens the door to a world of music, theater, travel, art and... deceit. The latter will come a bit later as a shock to young Jenny. Infatuated with the man and the opportunity to brighten her life up, she drops out of school to "live". Imagine the devastation when she finds out that the glittering world she thought she had signed for is that of a man who is already married - and who will disappear once confronted by Jenny and the truth.

All of a sudden, Jenny realizes her true potential - the one she had almost shoved under the carpet. She makes amend and she is one lucky girl since one of her former teachers helps her resume studying. Eventually, she is accepted at Oxford. 

The story stretches well further than 1960 London and England: there are many kids in the same situation nowadays who do not have a supportive family to help them make the best choice and hang on to certain values. Not to mention that the academic system cannot alone bring the kids back on the right track - it may take a special teacher, one who knows how to spot talent, out-of-the-box thinking or special characters in need of that extra support - a special friend.

What are your thoughts regarding education today? Is teaching enough?