Part
2: Why Transforming Our Community Means Transforming
The World
Am
I my brother's keeper?
Cain
Bridging
The Divide Many
homeschooling families believe they impact very positively
upon their communities. They appreciate the community
and its resources because that is the environment in
which their children interact, grow and learn. In response
the wider community begins to appreciate and is invigorated
by the fresh vitality they bring. There is engagement
across the 'age divide' that stands in stark contrast
to the more divisive regimentation by age that constitutes
the experience of more formally educated children.
A powerful argument in favor of homeschooling is that
children learn to value their community and therefore
are more likely to become active and responsible citizens.
Suspicious
Minds "We
can't go on together with suspicious minds." Elvis
was right, suspicion is no basis for a relationship.
But why would homeschooling parents want any kind
of relationship with the mainstream education systems
they have rejected? And who can argue with their
objections? Education systems appear self-obsessed
with delivering over prescribed content that inevitably
overburdens children and teachers alike, not to mention
parents who must dread the nightly ritual of frustration
and stress that is homework. And that is not
the least of it. They must stand and watch as their
children are subjected to frequent standardized testing
that will determine in which institutional stream of
the academic river they will swim or flounder. Can
you blame them for turning their backs and washing their
hands?
The Center Of The World I
do not confer praise or blame: I accept. I am the measure
of all things. I am the center of the world. Unlike
Pilate, W.Somerset Maugham realised in some way he was
a part of all things and all things a part of him. Barbara
Prashnig believes the education system worldwide is
in crisis. She is not a lone voice. In 1862 Ruskin declared,
'Let
us reform our schools, and we shall find little reform
needed in our prisons.'
Given a recent survey of American prisons his words
have a prophetic ring. "Seventy-five percent of all imprisoned males in America
have poor school records and lowIQs, Ramey pointed out. Tracing their backgrounds turns
up a familiar pattern: They begin as children from dis-advantaged families
starting school academically behind. They don't know how to read or do basic
math, because they are in poor systems they get little help. Their growing
frustration often turns into truancy, school failure, aggression and violence. .
." So writesRonald Kotulak
commenting on the observations
of Craig Ramey of the University of Alabama in his book 'Inside the
Brain'. Would
homeschooling have made the difference to many of those
young men? I feel sure it probably would. I am equally
convinced for the vast majority of them it was not a
viable option. The sobering truth is, whatever the shortcomings,
for some children school is a relative haven of calm,
order and security from the ravages of a hostile
world.
My Brothers Keeper? The thing that I find most disturbing is the way I have
become almost inured to the images of hollow-eyed children
too weak to bat away the flies staring back at us with
depressing regularity from the T.V. screen. Jesus
said there will always be poor among us but I do not
believe he meant we should shrug our shoulders and pass
on by. So, what can we do? The enormity of
suffering can overwhelm us. One lady I know has begun
a work among street children in Uganda. The charity
is called An Open Door. I feel humbled by what Diane has achieved, it is
something many of us could support but would not be
able to commit to. What has this to do with homeschooling?
Am I suggesting homeschooling families should adopt
neglected children from deprived communities? Absolutely
not, but whenever homeschooling families refuse to engage with the public
school system they effectively
turn their back on the children it serves. 'Think not forever of yourselves, O Chiefs, nor of your
own generation. Think of continuing generations of our
families, think of our grandchildren and of those as
yet unborn, whose faces are coming from beneath the
ground.' The words of Peacemaker, founder of the Iroquois Confederacy
echo down the years.
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