All children are home-schooled. It's called bringing them up. Some children are instructed academically at home as well. Most children attend a state-provided tax-payer-funded institution for a set number of hours in the best part of the day. During that time they are supposed to be instructed but, increasingly, that objective has been displaced by the provision of a substitute, authority-approved, acculturation process often severely at odds with children's learning at home. Unsurprisingly many parents choose their homes over the state's schools, and take on instruction as well as education. Some do this part-time employing, after hours, tutors and teachers of specialist subjects to fill the emptiness and, regrettably and more usually, the wilful incompetence of the state's provision.
Eventually the lion's share of the day's best hours monopolised by the state curriculum is taken back by more and more parents, and the state schools and their teaching embodying 'progressive' values is abandoned.
The state doesn't like this one bit. Parents who never use, or walk away from state schooling institutions, are villified by accusations that their children are open to abuse if unmonitored by state social workers. Parents who provide instruction in maths, English, music, sports, and encourage their children to enjoy non-state provided clubs, associations and activities are rebuked that their child is 'over-committed' is 'interacting' with state-school children and provision poorly. Parents who pay their taxes are made to pay again for schools that reflect their interests and family values and concerns for their children's development.
What gives power to state schools is the child care required by working parents. Young people need supervision. In most countries that supervision is combined with widely acceptable instruction in academic subjects. Any attempts at indoctrination of a state-determined view or attitude would be instantly resisted - people have been there and lived through that kind of thing before. In England highly-politicised trade unions and teachers' training institutions use state schooling to deliver a state agenda.
Now even those who walk away are being pursued. Retreating into personal and family life is a recognised first response to increasing authoritarianism and state-control. The 'rientro nel privato' (notably the term is Italian, they know and suffered under state authoritarianism for nearly quarter of a century, and it took mass invasion and a civil war to end it) is only a temporary respite. The structure is all in place. Now each and every one of us is to be forced into its conformity. Under the guise of anti-terrorism personal freedoms have been abolished. Under the guise of health and safety regulation social activities and associations have been curtailed. Under the guise of child welfare family life is to be monitored and state norms imposed.
It's for your own good.
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7 comments:
Another fine post. If the Liberal Right wish to destroy the Left in this country the education system is the place to begin. Along with the BBC.
And a monolithic, centrally planned health service functioning for its providers rather than its users.
The education system has turned into a viper rather than a support for our society and economy.
Here is a rather fine example of the work of a 12 year old, home schooled by an 18 year old. It is the day in the life of an atom of hydrogen.
I'll get back O/T later but as an example of your point above about the NHS.
An hour ago BBC Radio 4 had an item about compulsory fluridation of water in south Hampshire, to protect the kiddies teeth ( and save the NHS a fortune in actual treatment ).
The NHS panel responsible for the decision today announced the results of the 'consultation' at a packed meeting where the public had been told not to be 'disruptive'. Despite some interuptions and frequent cries of " Rubbish ! " the panel put forward the position for implementing fluridation in the public water supply and voted unanimously in favour.
Do you think we can hope to defeat them with playfulness, L? And with the unexpected, with imagination, with colour, with line, with putting words in sentences that accurately mean what they say, and in the right order, with form, with memory, by allusion, with all the forces of rhetoric, with laughing at their silly seriousness and offering an open, creative hand to their clenched fist?
'a packed meeting where the public had been told not to be 'disruptive'.'
Well, Banned, they really were asking for it. What a pity an eighteen year old governess friend was not present to fire their imagination of disruption.
But there will be other chances. And we have many children of the light.
This attack on home schooling aired about a month ago on Radio 4; the Anti spokesperson was allowed to suggest " abuse " three or four times without substantiating it and the 'solution to the problem ' was, of course, more regulation and inspection.
Clearly that was just the opening salvo of a sustained campaign.
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