Andrew Taylor
Arts reporter, Canberra Times
Interview of Lauren Fisher, about her family in New South Wales, and some quotes from Beverley Paine and Penny Lewis.
Sandra Dodd comment: Either this is missing some context, or the professional he interviewed for balance (those professionals never know anything about unschooling) totally contradicted himself. It seems disjoint to me:
A senior lecturer in Monash University's Faculty of Education, Dr David Zyngier, does not support any form of home schooling because the vast majority of parents are not capable of teaching their children to read, write or be numerate.Very many people can repair their own cars and do minor electrical repairs. I wish journalists didn't feel that it created balance to embarrass a professor or psychologist that way. Nearly every article gets some "professional" to embarrass himself or herself that way."Children on their own without external intervention will never learn to read and write or do mathematics, the three most difficult things that any child will ever learn," he said.
"That is why we leave these things to well-educated professionals. That is why we no longer go to witch doctors for medical issues or try and fix our cars, fix faulty electrical systems ourselves."
Dr Zyngier said there is no robust evidence that unschooled children are capable of the same academic achievement as measured by year 12 results. Unschooling has laudable aims, but Dr Zyngier said "powerful learning like these approaches need to be offered in all schools to all children". "But such learning approaches if taking place outside of the school will only be possible in middle-class families," he said.
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2 comments:
This is completey ignorant of true Unschoolers who have done it for VERY many years and are reaping the benefits of children, now adults who are well adjusted, kind , loving compassionate , human beings. They are adults who are living their passions and dreams in an uninhibited way because they were never molded or shaped to be anything but who they are. They were never forced to memorize facts they had no interest in only to regurgitate on a test.
They had Freedom to learn as they lived and live as they learned. They are children who were respected and honored and valued. Their opinions were very important and we, their parents partnered with them to help them achieve their hopes and dreams. They made their decisions of what was important to THEM. Just like we do as adults. The best part is your child is not only your friend growing up~ but remains a very close friend as an adult to the parents who lovingly respected them.
Our adult children have thriving careers, doing what they love and making a good living from it. They volunteer in their community and are still passionate about learning.
The academic's comment was very weird.
The article seems to be a fluff piece written to fill a gap on the pages. I believed Andrew's story was going to be part of a wider feature on homeschooling — which may still be coming. Homeschoolers across Australia were interviewed recently, and I was only one of them.
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