5 Worst Mistakes parents make about children's education:

1. The very worst is not questioning -
simply sending your child to school 'cos that's what everyone does next.

2. Assuming that someone
somewhere
actually knows what your child should know today and that
they are RIGHT.

3. That "the authorities/government" is correct in its approach,
that they know what education is,
how to facilitate it and
what sorts of education will prepare your child for "success".

4. Allowing someone else to be responsible for your child's learning.

5. Assuming that learning is hard.


The really vital things to know, understand and experience is that learning is a natural impulse for all humans.
We are good at it.
We are all as curious as cats - unless that natural impulse is interfered with.

Then it is worth considering the options available to you in facilitating your child's learning -
there is you, your family and the environment you provide
there is society at large - the postmaster, fireman, nurse and doctor
there is the school system - public and private
there are resources - museums, libraries, the internet, the local college, tutors, gymnastic classes and swimming teams and so very many more.

In fact our world is just teeming with ways to learn about it and experience it. With that in mind - why would the best way be to sit in a class of 20 or 30 age peers and be told about it?

Our world is changing so fast that there is very little data that is not already out of date by the time it reaches a published text book - remember the carburetor - there is a whole industry that just disappeared in a few years, never mind out of date!
Learning vast tracts of data seems pointless.

Learning to ask valid and useful questions
Learning to search for answers
Learning to cooperate with others in the search
Learning to evaluate those answers
Learning in short to think....

Now that is a USEFUL education.

When was the last time you manually worked out a cosign or tangent? When was the last time you had to remember the date of a battle in the 1st world war? What? It wasn't written down in a book somewhere?
Data changes and while general knowledge is a very useful thing, it is also a natural thing that comes from living in an alert and interested way.
Analytical skills are always useful.

Spiritual certainties are even more so. And we don't even need to get into that discussion - even the most absent minded parent is aware that that is not a subject covered in schools today. On the contrary!
Nor is character.
Nor is social cooperation and tolerance.
Nor is compassion.

Sadly.

Our world is rushing ahead and we are like sprinters with our laces tied, relying on the school systems to prepare our children for the race.
"Ain't gonna happen."

Next time we will cover the rise and fall of the school system and why that peer system is dangerous!
Chat soon!
Karen