Being Dumbed Down

TIFChris@aol.com: asks, "IS HOMESCHOOLING BEING DUMBED DOWN?"

What a sad post that was. Is homeschooling going to turn into a copy of the very thing we've abandoned as irrelevant or antagonistic to the success of our children - complete with labels, limitations, controls, artificial judgments, and so on? I hope not.

I agree with you, Matthew. Our local unschooling community is looking at education in a completely different way from the way traditional educators look at education.

These parents are very clear about what they are walking (running) away from, but they are not necessarily clear on what they are turning to.

Like us, they'll learn. And the very fact that the parents are "running" away from something that they see as unhealthy for their children indicates that they must (as we would expect) dearly love their children, and are groping for what is best for them. If they didn't care, they'd leave them in the school system - that would be the easiest thing for them to do. The fact that they're even thinking of pulling their kids out shows that they're thinking (!) and searching for what's right. What better way to start then from concern for their children?

I think you've exposed the major flaw in institutional reasoning here. When I chose to birth my babies at home, there were those who told me I was gambling with my children's health. Now (some) will insinuate that I am gambling with their minds.

There is no expert, not doctor nor teacher nor school administrator nor legislator who knows and loves my children even a tiny fraction as well or as much as I do. I am in a much better position to act in their best interests than any hospital or school or other institution.

The Christian folks on this list will hearken back to God as the one who set things up this way, but simple biology will do for me. I, like any animal mother, am fitted with instincts and hormones and abilities that make me an ideal teacher, guide and protector of my children. Show me a natural system where the government rears the children and I'll show you an anthill.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm a mammal. Mammal mothers have close, protective relationships with their offspring. They don't send their unformed young off in droves to be educated. Instead, they take their children with them in their daily lives and teach them personally.

There is only one other person with as strong an interest in my children's welfare and that's their father.

My conversation with Peter wove around the idea of standards for homeschooling.

With all due respect, I think the idea of standards is misguided. When people start talking about standards, they lose sight of individuality and basic quality. Externally imposed standards don't impose quality; they tend to be applied after love and care have been taken out of the system and replaced with automata.

Me, I'll vote for love and care. When you plan for worst case scenarios, you hamper everyone else.