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[Cathy <goosecreekfarm AT gmail.com>]

James

While I most certainly see your point about dogmatism and government
schools, I think unschooling requires a deliberate leap of faith.  A parent
who chooses to unschool (in the current, specific sense of the term) must
have faith that his child will be prompted by Some Thing to learn whatever
is not only necessary for a satisfactory life, but what is best for that
child's optimal life.  Whatever that Some Thing may be....the universe,
fate, the great spirit, the child herself...the unschooling parent must have
faith in it.

Many parents are unable to sustain that faith.  I know about them because I
have communicated with them online.  Much as they want to believe that one
day Jared will wake up and ask to learn about division or cursive
handwriting or astronomy, they worry and they are advised by other
unschooling parents to be still and wait.  Sounds pretty much like a
requirement of faith to me.

Reminds me of the difference between, say, the Church of England and the
Quakers.  Members and clergy of the CoE said-We must do things in this way
and by these rules and traditions.  There is no other way to salvation.
Sure, we have our problems, but there are many very good people in the
church.  How can you possibly reach heaven without the church??  (And did
those feet, in ancient times....begins to play)

Mr. Fox's idea is --wait a minute---it's a bold idea---everyone has a direct
line to heaven.  As a matter of fact, if we're all very quiet, we'll hear
the voice, the inner light will illuminate our spirits and we may each not
only hear from heaven but speak for heaven to our neighbors. Pause for
reflection.  No, really, ...we will hear from heaven.  Pause. (Thee I
love...begins to swell)

The musical suggestions are in jest; I hope I don't offend any Friends or
Anglicans.

Cathy

On 11/28/06, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com <Clansgian AT wmconnect.com> wrote:
> > My post was for the more open-minded, non-zealots
> > on the list.
> >
>
> The mention of 'zealots' and 'religious fervor' in this thread brings so
> much
> to mind that shows the opposite.  I am reminded of the scene in the flick
> "Searching for Bobby Fischer" where the father of the protagonist is
> called in by
> his teacher and told that this "chess business" has got to stop because it
> is
> interfering with the boy's school work.  The father gives the teacher a
> lecture on how his son is better at chess than he or the teacher will be
> at
> anything in their entire lives.
>
> Yet there is a religious mistique, a zealot's dogmatism, about government
> schools.  You have to do well at school work, nothing in life is of more
> importance to a child.  You HAVE to attend, there is no excuse for not
> attending
> school.
>
> Given examples of young people who are off on some other tangent and are
> doing marvelously at it, the government schools apologist says "But ....
> but ...
> look at what they are missing if they don't attend!!!"   No logic, no
> facts,
> just an indoctrinated gut reaction that schools are good and need not be
> defended ... but the decision to NOT attend schools must be vigorously
> challenged.