I recently took an online mandated reporter training through DCFS (https://www.dcfstraining.org/manrep/index.jsp). Something that really struck me in this training was that DCFS considers "Not providing schooling, school supplies, or proper school clothing" to be neglect. In other words, a child not provided with schooling can be removed from their family. This disturbing idea led me to consider whether or not mandatory schooling is really what is best for all children.
There is a movement in the homeschooling community called unschooling (http://www.unschooling.com/). The contention is that children are more creative, better thinkers, and more intelligent if they receive no formal schooling whatsoever. Children will learn on their own at their own natural pace if they are free to do so. Unschoolers maintain that formal schooling is an unnatural experience that actually shuts down the child's drive to learn.
If you think about babies - they learn without being taught directly. They develop. They roll over, sit up, crawl, walk and talk simply due to exploration of their environment. The unschooling movement is based on the belief that this natural development will continue if it is not interrupted by school. The unschooling family provides their children with a rich environment, interesting experiences and the freedom to explore, question and discover.
One prime example of the unschooled mind is Leonardo Davinci. Commonly known as one of the most intelligent, creative, and intellectually advanced people in history - Davinci spent his childhood exploring the wilderness near his home.
The question is - is allowing children to learn in this natural way a form of neglect? Is direct instruction a necessary component of success in life? Are unschooled children being denied the key to intelligence? Or..... are schooled children being denied the freedom to be intelligent?
I just had to post to this because of the first comment that kids could be removed from their homes for not being provided with the proper supplies for school. In the public schools where I have taught, many of my students do not have the proper supplies, yet the teachers I know would never think of calling DCFS on the families. Either the school provides them with supplies needed or we have bought the items ourselves. I have never met one teacher that has not done this. As for the 'unschooling' family providing the kids with the rich environment and interesting experiences they need to learn and be creative and explore, etc., what about the kids that come from families that actually have to work to provide food and shelter for the families? In an ideal world 'unschooling' would work but I work in CPS and I just don't think my kids would get the same experiences from their families alone. I am also curious how the parents that do not know how to read or write English will be able to help their kids learn. This is not something that comes naturally. So many of my kids are first generation Americans and the parents have had very little schooling. They are so grateful and gracious to teachers for instructing their children and giving them the opportunities they never had. These parents work many hours and want their kids to do well. Does this make them 'bad' parents that they cannot provide them with the freedom to be at home and let them explore and learn at their 'natural' pace. How do they fit into the 'unschooling' movement?
ReplyDeleteI have not come across teachers that have considered lack of school supplies a reason to have concern. In these cases, students are either allowed to borrow from the teacher or another student. A lot of classes have community sharing in which material are provided by the teacher, anyway and everyone takes their share. I know supplies are apart of being prepared to learn, but I think teachers are willing to carrying the load of providing paper and pencils if need be.
ReplyDeleteAnother point, you made was about the "unschooling" movement. Well, I do not necessarily disagree with this train of thought under the right circumstances. If the parent is 100% dedicated to the curriculum and has the resources available to provide great learning experiences, then I say go for it. Many parents are fearful of the violence in schools, the peer pressures, the class overcrowding, and so forth. They believe they can do better at home. In many cases, this may be true. I have known a few people that were homeschooled and they were either right on target or above. One girl had been homeschooled through elementary school and high school. She adjusted fine to college life. So, I guess it just depends on the situation as a whole.
if you are interested in unschooling, you should check out Ivan Illich's book "Deschooling Schooling": http://www.amazon.com/Deschooling-Society-Open-Forum-Illich/dp/0714508799/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240860811&sr=8-1
ReplyDeleteum, I mean "Deschooling Society"! (See, I've been overschooled!!!)
ReplyDelete