How Schools Oppress Children

Taken from a graduate lecture, this episode focuses on our biases and how it connects to childrens oppression.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• unschooling
• deschooling
• homeschool
• school
• education
• carlo
• ricci
• teacher
• alternative
• parenting
• children

[erinleland]

@hellburger99 I consider "unschooling" a curriculum where "uniformity of thought and ability" wasn't the idealized output. School's purpose is to ensure everyone is the same when they reach the end, at the expense of those who would excel if given an opportunity. Home schooling doesn't necessarily offer such a thing, especially in a state where home-school curriculums are highly regulated. But in the end, I would consider "home schooling" and "unschooling" separate, though not necessarily so.

[hellburger99]

@erinleland I don't entirely disagree with you. Thank you for clarifying your position. But let me pose this to you: What if a child only wants to watch TV? What if they take no interest in learning math, science, etc.? Wouldn't you then have to enforce some sort of guidelines? A curriculum? Wouldn't that be more like "home schooling" than "unschooling"?

[erinleland]

@hellburger99 ...if he doesn't ask, I have no problem with him not being forced to learn it. With regard to distractions, am not suggesting that parents actually don't let their children watch TV or play video games, I only meant to comment to the fact that if those things were not constant distractions, kids would be more curious about the world around them and less curious about the Kardashians. I think this would be a better environment in general, especially education is involved.

[erinleland]

@hellburger99 Kids are a lot smarter than parents seem to give them credit for. They will learn math... maybe not specifically complicated calculus or trig computations... but basic maths, ratios, probabilites, boolean logic. Any child who wants to answer the burning question all kids seem to ask, "Why??" is going to find himself learning math. I hated geometry, calc, trig, but I use math every day of my life. The first time he wants to build something or cook something he's going to ask.

[hellburger99]

@erinleland As a child, I hated math. Still do. If left to my own devices, sure, I probably would have gotten interested in literature, science and maybe history, but I honestly don't believe that I would ever have studied math had I not been 'forced' to. Also, I didn't see anything about 'removing distraction' in any of the unschooling vids I watched. I understand that these kids aren't 'running wild', but it seemed like parents let them do anything within reason, including tv and games.

[erinleland]

I sympathize with the assertion that schools are prisons on many levels, not the least of which is the consequences I face should I choose not to teach my child a state-approved curriculum.

[erinleland]

@hellburger99 It's really interesting to me that you think that a child's wanderings won't lead him to learn things like math, science, history, and literature. Especially when you remove such silly distractions as cable television and video games. Enabling your child to learn as he chooses doesn't mean refusing to teach your child that he must work for reward and accept consequences, which is what you seem to be implying.

[iminlov3]

you really have to have an open mind and think about it. if you really believe school is necessary for one to be "educated" and "succesful" then how was it that this perfect place was created by someone who never attended it. isnt it ironic that such a "smart" person would need to make the only place to make "smart" people? think about the faulty logic here. how can this make sense

[iminlov3]

@bbbleaver i cant even imagine how great and amazing that diversity would be. it seems like a distant dream in my head, but def a possible reality.

[iminlov3]

@hellburger99 you, sir, are the perfect example of the ageism and ignorance that lives on in the hearts of most people. "children" are just young people. people whos bodies arent as tall or built as an "adult". we all live through life and learn what is necessary to keep living it. if u are close minded enough to say that u dont get the basics of math english and science, then it's probably because the person never had the reason to pursue it in the first place. i mean come on, u use google too.