Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Jun 14, 2008, at 10:18 AM, Gene GeRue wrote:

> I understand the history, the motivation, the logic. I can see how
> homeschooling and unschooling would be most helpful to many children.
> I have strong reservations that it would work in areas where some
> children are trying to do good things while surrounded by gangs
> pushing them around, taunting them, recruiting them, training them to
> be good gang members. It seems to me that urban gangs are in fact a
> result of lack of guidance, of extreme unschooling. What these
> children learn is how to survive in a criminal atmosphere.

I need to add that, yes, I am here using an example of extremely bad  
social conditions.

I need to add that there are many parents who are quite happy with the  
public school system and are simply not interested in their children  
being homeschooled or unschooled. I read of parents today who, before  
their child is born, have their entire educational lives mapped out.  
They often use Montessori or Waldorf schools and prep schools, but  
many also purposefully put their children in public schools for  
reasons they find valid. That they are very serious about this is  
proven by the large sums of money they pay.