Our Philosophy of Home Education

Am finally going beyond the reasonable range of the laptop. Thought I would leave here with a summary of our Philosophy of Home Education.

We home educate because, given the proviso that our children choose this form of education:

1. It provides the best opportunity for our children to address the theories that are active in their minds. When a theory is active in their minds, they are able to think rationally and creatively about it. When they are coerced, or forced to enact a theory that is not active in their minds, they are not able to think rationally or creatively about the theory. In seeking to maximize the chance of addressing active theories, the maximum in terms of flexibility and opportunity is necessary. With Home Education, the world is at our feet and we may do as we will to explore it.

2. We believe knowledge is tentative. We can never know that even our best theories are indeed truth-like. We may dismiss apparently poor theories through criticism and falsification, but we should always be looking to improve upon even our apparently best theories. We therefore do not presume to prescribe a curriculum, since we can neither predict the growth of knowledge, nor can we accurately predict the theories that will be active in the minds of our children. Instead we offer what we regard as our currently best theories tentatively. Even our best theories are up for criticism and possible refutation.

4. As well aspiring to be critical rationalists, we are all, currently, of humanist persuasion. We believe that the human mind is the great hope for the advancement of the human race and for the improvement of the human condition. We believe therefore that it is desirable to maximise the chances for critical and creative thinking. We derive motivation and inspiration from the thought that we are trying to work for future generations. We derive pride and comfort from the past achievements of mankind, and excitement from speculations as to what mankind may achieve in the future.

This is the core of it, but for more information on the above: Taking Children Seriously.

Bye for now.