Friday, April 29, 2005

One Step Better?

So how do you go one step further away from state control than autonomous home education? You simply don't deign to designate your life as a matter of education. OK so learning takes place all the time simply as we go about our daily business, but in having to see ourselves as "home educators", are we not already genuflecting, hats off, to the state perception of ourselves?

4 comments:

Michael Peach said...

I just get to thinking that I know what I am talking about and then you come up with something like this.

Tops!

Anonymous said...

I see "home educator" only as a public tag -- something to bridge a gap in others' comprehension -- not as a personal identity. When asked privately what we do with the kids, we always say "We live life."

Tim Haas

Carlotta said...

Sounds like you guys are sorted. Me, no! I have to be reminded that in 20 years time, we will be the ordinary ones. But even when I've got this sorted and therefore manage to see our private selves as doing the utterly normal and sensible thing with no call for exceptionalism and titles, it still grates that we currently need to adopt this title at those moments when we must judiciously explain ourselves to others. Afterall, we don't usually have to designate ourselves air-breathers just because some people drown.

Rightfully, learning in the real world should be so blindingly obviously the wholesome and normal thing to do, that it shouldn't be us who have to explain ourselves and wear the oddity label. I know of children who have never been to school who have a genuine problem with seeing it the other way round. They honestly believe that schoolies are the complete and utter weirdos! Out of the mouths etc, but sad that one must disabuse them of some of this idea:(

Anonymous said...

"in having to see ourselves as "home educators", are we not already genuflecting, hats off, to the state perception of ourselves?"

Yep.