Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Jun 15, 2008, at 10:33 AM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

> On the contrary, the evidence is crushingly, overwhelmingly that  
> left alone,
> children learn what they need to know.  Confinement, regimentation,  
> testing,
> and all such are utterly unnecessary unless you have some other goal  
> in mind
> besides the academics.

Now the stage has been expanded. This discussion has heretofore hardly  
hinted at what is in this above: "what they need to know." What they  
need to know.

"What they need to know" could imply steering. Parents typically feel  
they must make this decision for their children, yes? They must play  
god, yes? They must steer them. No? There it is: what they need to  
know. Now then we must ask, "need to know" for what? To accomplish  
what? Is it not natural for parents to have goals for their children?  
That reminds me of many things that many people do, but to speak of  
them would cause a major digression.

I am ignorant of unschooling but I suspect that "what they need to  
know" is to be self-determined. Left to find their own path, they will  
learn what they need to know to satisfy themselves. Yes? No? What are  
the odds? What are the known results? How sound is our godness?

From homestead philosophy to schooling philosophy--to life  
philosophy. Let no one say that we homesteaders lack curiosity.