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Here we go again.
Dec. 11th, 2010 03:34 pmI went back to try to read some more of those comments from the unschooling discussion on The Pioneer Woman's website and I ran across a comment bashing the alternative schools that cropped up around forty years ago, and I had to respond. After finishing, I figured why waste a good comment, lost in over 400 posts, when I could also put it here.
At this rate (there are 178 comments and 137 replies, so it's something that is going to take me a while) I may get a lot of livejournal fodder out this (thanks again, sis!).
So here goes (the italics are the other commenter):
"Back in the hippie era there was a huge movement to un-school children in the public and private schools."
I know that a lot of alternative schools cropped up during the late sixties/early seventies, so this statement may be true.
"The result of schools that educated in this way led to adults that were unable to find jobs or handle their own affairs responsibly."
This statement, however, I could not leave without challenge.
The freest free school I know of (started in 1968) has had very successful (many college bound - even without grades, since the school will not issue any) people come out of it, even after being free to do whatever they like (even fish all day long) all day, for their entire school careers.
Sudbury Valley School ( http://www.sudval.org/ ) is where I direct people for a gentle introduction to some of the concepts of unschooling. They embrace the philosophy that everyone has an innate desire to learn, and each person is his own best judge of what should be learned at any given moment (this actually ends up with a much more hands off attitude than most unschoolers at home, because the staff will not suggest something for a child to learn, but most unschoolers strew materials around and introduce ideas and concepts they think their child might be interested in).
On a more personal note, my brother graduated from one of those hippie alternative schools, where there was more structure than Sudbury, but he wasn't made to learn anything he didn't want to. He now has a PHD in Math and is a successful Father, Husband and College Professor. No damage done to his ability to function in society, even with all that lack of structure and discipline.
At this rate (there are 178 comments and 137 replies, so it's something that is going to take me a while) I may get a lot of livejournal fodder out this (thanks again, sis!).
So here goes (the italics are the other commenter):
"Back in the hippie era there was a huge movement to un-school children in the public and private schools."
I know that a lot of alternative schools cropped up during the late sixties/early seventies, so this statement may be true.
"The result of schools that educated in this way led to adults that were unable to find jobs or handle their own affairs responsibly."
This statement, however, I could not leave without challenge.
The freest free school I know of (started in 1968) has had very successful (many college bound - even without grades, since the school will not issue any) people come out of it, even after being free to do whatever they like (even fish all day long) all day, for their entire school careers.
Sudbury Valley School ( http://www.sudval.org/ ) is where I direct people for a gentle introduction to some of the concepts of unschooling. They embrace the philosophy that everyone has an innate desire to learn, and each person is his own best judge of what should be learned at any given moment (this actually ends up with a much more hands off attitude than most unschoolers at home, because the staff will not suggest something for a child to learn, but most unschoolers strew materials around and introduce ideas and concepts they think their child might be interested in).
On a more personal note, my brother graduated from one of those hippie alternative schools, where there was more structure than Sudbury, but he wasn't made to learn anything he didn't want to. He now has a PHD in Math and is a successful Father, Husband and College Professor. No damage done to his ability to function in society, even with all that lack of structure and discipline.
