Wednesday, May 4, 2016

UNSCHOOLING OR BETTER SCHOOLING

Some couples unschool their children because they feel school is too much about meaningless facts. What is a meaningless fact? I know math and grammar are important. But so is literature, history and psychology.

In mythology, the story of Persephone is more than about why the seasons change, it’s relationships and the need for change in life.

Oedipus Rex had a modern psychology term named after him. In fact, literature and psychology borrow consistently from each other.

And what about politics? Are the names of U.S. presidents irrelevant. Memorizing their names is a step in learning more about their presidencies. Benjamin Harrison’, our 23rd president’s, mistake in short changing the American Indians, is a repeated mistake as minorities still live in poverty. It is true that that those who don’t read and study history are doomed to repeat it. Is it irrelevant to expect people to understand economic and political terms like Socialist, Conservative, and Liberal?

I love the idea of unschooling. I myself would have been a great candidate for it. I used to skip school and go to the library.

But for most youngsters, learning must be structured. Let’s face it most of today’s young won’t go to the library. They won’t read history like I did. Look what the “social pass” did to our education system. If teachers couldn’t fail the student, the student didn’t have to show up. They didn’t have to do the work. Many students cheated themselves when given a free pass, and today as adults, they pay the price.

But structured learning outside the school environment is not something new It’s home schooling and it has been around for a time.

What’s wrong with schools? They are like jailhouses, that keep students locked into small desks, smaller than a cell.

Their approach to learning is boring and unnatural.

Tests feel threatening.

Socialization is prison-like instead of community-like. Bullies threaten, steal, insult and assault.

Instead of unschooling, lets work together and build a better school

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