When I drive my car I no longer have a man with a red flag walking in front of it so then why do we base our education system on a Victorian system
which worked extremely well in removing the young of that time from the streets.
Many of us feel that the education system that is in place, including the way that everything is geared to, and pupils are judged on, the result of
examinations is wrong. It does not cater for the vast differences that are found in every child. Think about this fact. Every child is born with different skills,
develops at a different speed and has very different likes and dislikes. We see this in all aspects of life.
At the age of five we pour all these tiny different people into a funnel within our education system; the funnel being called a school. That school
will then be judged a success if at the age of 11 all those tiny different people achieve the same top grade when taking the identical SAT test. That, to us
does not celebrate the fact that we are all so very different. It is blatantly stifling. Not only because some children end up feeling a failure but also
because it destroys natural curiosity and eliminates the need for creativity. The late Sir Ken Robinson said that "Learning happens in the minds and souls,
not in the databases of multiple-choice tests".
Home educating gives the opportunity to build a tailor-made education that suits the learning needs of the individual child. For example, if a
child is shy they will often not ask questions in a classroom setting but with home educating the child will feel more able to ask questions and gradually
develop confidence.
We are not suggesting that home education is feasible or indeed suitable for everyone, It won't be but we do believe that those who have made the
choice or been forced into that choice should have access to quality learning material; learning material that can also encourage a greater awareness of nature
and the world outside.
The new education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, recently said "As children grow up......school becomes more, not less, narrow. And that narrowing
turns too many young people off learning which is a problem for their future and all of our futures." She added that "I make no apology for being determined
to see young people achieve academically, and just as important I want to see them thrive in life." Once again we quote from the late Sir Ken Robinson who said
that the only answer to transforming education was to personalise it to each individual.
One day we might have an education system that will do this but we do not at this time. And in no way are teachers to blame. They have to work, in
most cases, within the rigidity of the current system.
There may well then be hope, although we are not holding our breath. One major concern is that everybody today seems to talk about the "creative" subjects.
They mean things like music and drama. Molly and I have another idea. Let's make all subjects, all learning, creative both in content, delivery and in how children
can be part of it, have fun doing it and not be turned off the idea of learning.
With this in mind, and following the ethos of several different educational systems, we believe that instead of telling young children what they should
know, we should stand back and help them find out what they want to know. Support inquisitive learning. Encourage child-led learning. Get children outside and aware
of the world around them. Watch them and you'll see their progress without the need to test it.
This is what we are doing with the material that will appear on our site and while it is specifically designed for home educators, we're totally certain that
a good teacher could incorporate many parts of it into the current, stifling system.