Both Principled Discovery and Alasandra have recently posted about some of the fundamental lessons public school teach children.
Dana (what is she doing posting after just having a baby?) in Developing a culture of docility builds on some thoughts from Michelle Malkin. This is in response to the recent killing of students at Virginia Tech. Dana writes:
"We are trained from little up not to defend ourselves. That task is the responsibility of others in authority over us. We should try to understand the aggressor. We are supposed to be friends with everybody. If you have a conflict in school, you are to tell the teacher. The student who defends himself is likely to receive the same punishment as the aggressor."
Dana makes the point that we are even taught not to "defend our thoughts."
Alasandra liked a recent post by Orson Scott Card on public schools and home education. Orson Scott Card likes homeschoolers. As a college professor he has found:
"That the best writers, the best thinkers, the most broadly educated among my students are the ones who were home-schooled."
Then here is the point he makes which ties in with Dana's thoughts:
"Meanwhile, the educational establishment makes ironclad, unbreakable rules about how many days and hours our children must be put under the control of the 'experts,' who march them through the halls in lines, refuse to let them use the toilet without being punished for it, and inflict group punishments like 'silent lunch' for the crime of sitting near other kids who were daring to talk to each other. (I'm describing one of the 'better' middle schools in our district.) "
I recognize that it is easier for a teacher to control a class of sheep. I've taught Sunday School classes of energetic children. I've been in situations when I wished my own children weren't so head strong.
But this is short sited. In the long run we want our daughters to be capable individuals who can make up their own minds and have the will to make things happen.
One of the reasons we homeschool is to help our daughters be independent. This is the kind of socialization we want to give them.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
2 comments:
DITTO THAT! that and the fact that Amercan in general (an public schools) teach there are no real consequences for wrong doing. There is not right or wrong- just whatever you thnk you want to do.
I agree whole-heartedly, and I understand how the Virginia tech tragedy might remind someone of the that, but I think it is a little too early and too close to the bone to even tie the two concepts together, because it implies that maybe the victims were being docile when they should have defended themselves.
Even the boldest, bravest person is helpless when faced with a semi-automatic weapon. As I understand it also, there were some acts of bravery, such as a student barring the way to a classroom and choosing to be shot instead of allowing the attacker to enter.
I know you weren't making the connection to sheepness and murder so much, but I needed to express that.I think the real issue is the way the man who went berserk was failed by society when clearly he needed help.
Kim from relaxedhomeskool.com
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