The California Teacher’s Association said that uncredentialed parents teaching their children at home would lead to “educational anarchy.” (PJI via SpunkyHomeschool) Somehow, that is supposed to be a bad thing. But the definition of “anarchy” is the abscence of government. (Webster) As PrincipledDiscovery points out, I’m all for the lack of government control in my home and in my educational choices, and I’m not the only one.
In fact, Dawn at Day by Day Discoveries posted a link to a BBC radio program which explores the history of anarchism. She said the one thing she took from the program was that “when anarchy is used as an accusation it’s often by people who have control over others against those who want to exercise control over themselves.”
Happy as Kings makes some great points. She brings up the point that all of us parents at some point in time were indeed educated. So, either our “schooling” worked, and we are smart enough to find the resources and information to teach our own kids, or it didn’t work, in which case, “why would we want to put our kids through that?”
Mom is Teaching points to Relaxed Homeskool’s post about homeschool being so punk rock.
ImPerceptibility made the blog badge for us.
Somehow, I don’t think this is what the California Teacher’s Association thought would happen when they coined the term “educational anarchy.” I don’t think they took into account who they were talking about. Homeschooling families are not the kind to blindly shrink in fear at the use of the word “anarchy.” We will research the idea, and then embrace it.
Rock on!
Somehow, I don’t think this is what the California Teacher’s Association thought would happen when they coined the term “educational anarchy.”
Quite true. But I think it is mostly because they lack a decent sense of humor. The kind that lets you get on with being a little out of the norm, and actually embrace that.
Just in the nick of time too. The term ‘unschooler” was getting kind of shop worn.