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| Homeschooling, Unschooling, & Summerhill Education |
| There are many reasons that parents chose to keep their children out of conventional schools. Organised, one-size-fits-all education isn't for all children and families. In the end it is up to you what works for you, your children, and your family. Of course, there are some very good reasons some parents chose to keep their children out of covententional schools, just as there are good reasons some parents chose to send their children to religious schools and other private schools. For unschoolers this is certainly true. Unschooling is defined as the idea that children will and can direct their own learning without a school-imposed ciriculumn and standeraised tests. Unschoolers have a general problem with the organisation of most schools. Unschoolers do not agree with the breaking up of play and learning time, starting and stopping, or shifting, subjects as regulated by an outside imposed ciriculumn, telling students what to care about, telling students when they should care about it, the heirarchy of schools which place students at the bottom, and telling students what is good enough. Many unschoolers also have a problem with what they feel are the "dehumanising" aspects of schools. A few examples of these dehumanising aspects are having to as permission for basic human needs, being made to supply acceptalbe excuses for absence or lateness, constant infractions of human rights, stainding in lines to wait for everything (ecspecially things like food, water, attention of their teacher, comptuers, and other things), group rewards and punishments, moving at the sound of a bell, the neglect of individual problems and gifts, and the fact that students can begin to see themseleves are products on a 12-year assembly line and viewing the primary responsibility for their education in the hands of others. Another problems many unschoolers have with conventional school is the isolateion from the real world. Some examples of this are separation from family, isolation from the working world, isolation from the effects of age adn disease, segregation by chronological age, subject matter taken away from context, and a "free" education isolates students from economic reality. More problems stem from the rigid schedules of many schools things. There is not time to travel, and being in school limits abilities to do time-consuming worthwhile activities, also it may mean students missing out on things that are important to them (conventions, World Cup games, and lunar eclipses and other events). What unschoolers really do is put the student in charge of their education. They do not have to worry about if their child is "ready" for any material, nor do the students feel pressured to keep up. In an unschooling household there will be no "school room", there will be no time set aside for studying, formal lesson plans and imposed cirriculums, and no parnet play a "teacher" role. Some people will provide books and no structure, while other families may allow children to learn what they wish and provide organised help like workbooks, lessons, or projects to the their children learn. Still, in some households they may use curricular for some subjects like math and no curricular for other subjects. In nearly all families learning is taken from everyday life. Summerhill, or Waldorf education is different from both unschooling and conventional schools. In this form of education it focuses on teaching the whole child; heart, head, and hands. This education fosters a child's fantasy and imagaination and revolves around the belief that children learn though imitation and play. The hallmarks of a Waldorf eduation are academic rigor, artistic excellence, and ehical reflection. Spirituality and creativity are central to the intellectual life of the school. These sorts of schools teach students to revere truth, beauty, and goodnes. Waldorf education words through using the basic laws of child development and innovative educational practices with rich cirriculums. Waldorf edcuation attempts to cultivate a love of learning, imagaination, and compassion and empathy along with clear thinking and academic excellence. Some Waldorf concepts are letting nature into the home with baskets of natural toys like shells, stones, pine cones, nuts, wool, silks, moss, and leaves. Open shelves and simple wooden toys, seasonal tables which children can contribute to and changes with the seasons and festivals of the year, painting, and singing. Reading books that are beautiful to look at and stories like Grimm Fairy Tales. There are many reasons for homeschooling. A few are the negative lessons that schools teach us. Some examples are that other people know what is best for you, you can only learn what is spoonfed to you, your interests are not important or of value, and only those with credentials can "teach." Not to mention today's concerns of saftey and travel that also factor into homeschool choices. |