Dumbing Us Down

[Hoosiermomma]

Not yet, but plan too.

 

[PotterWatch]

I am going to be borrowing The Underground History from the same friend who loaned me Dumbing Us Down as soon as she has finished with it. I am a pretty die-hard homeschooler, but that book certainly strengthened my resolve! I admit that I think parts of it were a bit ranting, but I believe the main thread to be perfectly true.

I was talking with some other Moms yesterday. One of them has three grown children and a daughter who is 11. She unschooled her three older children until high school and gave them the choice to go to public school at that point. Two of them went to public high school and the oldest continued with homeschooling until college. They all tested out of remedial classes at their school (even after having no formal schooling at all until that time). When it came time for her son to do standardized testing his sophmore year, he wanted to opt out of it since he felt it had no positive impact on his education. She went to the school to sign a form saying they did not want him doing the testing. She was given a hard time about it, of course. When she asked when he should be at school for normal class hours on those days, the woman in charge told her "Well! I'm sure you'll be thrilled to hear that he won't be allowed at school on those days until 11am, so you will have to keep him home with you until then". This was said as if it were a punishment for the Mom to have her teen with her for that time. When she mentioned it to her son, he told her, "Mom, all the kids know that adults don't want them around!"

Now before I get blasted, I know that not all parents of traditionally schooled kids feel this way. However, I also know that the majority of the time when I tell people we homeschool they say... "I can't imagine having my kids around for all that time!" That is one of the most common responses I get. People just can't see spending that much time with their children. That is a big thing that I think traditional school has changed about the American family, and it's not a change that is beneficial. Children don't see adults as an ally, they more often see them as the enemy. Traditional school, I think, tears families apart. Some more than others, but as Gatto says, that is the goal of schools; to take children away from their parents and put them into regimented order that is easier for government to control. It takes away from them their sense of self and their independance (try being a kid who need to go to the bathroom in most elementary school classrooms these days). They are told when and how to do most everything. Keep in mind that I am speaking in a general sense here. I realize that there are some breakaway programs that do offer more choice and more individual expression.

I could go on, and on, but I don't want to belabor the point. I welcome anyone to respond whether you agree with me or not. I don't mind if people disagree with me, I in fact would love to hear why you have an opposing point of view, perhaps it will teach me something new or give me something to think about.