Posted on 04/14/2005 5:58:52 AM PDT by Sam's Army
That was a good project educationally. Yet, socially I am skeptical of its merit. I have yet to be in a situation where I have to teach a class of people who are commanded to look at me as I stand in front of the blackboard. If you are a corporate trainer or other educator, this is good training. Yet outside of that, there is no applicability of this sort of school exercise to the real world. It is good that the students interact with each other, I guess, but even that is in such a controlled manner, ie, 10 year olds interact only with 10 year olds. They are in teh groups that the teacher assigns, ie, they can't recruit an optimal team (that would be unfair). They can't just work with their friends (unfair). This sort of exercise, then, has little relation to the real world, at least to the real world where people to choose with whom they want to associate and do business, ie, not determined by The Teacher.
My only point being this: school is not the place to become socialized....unless the meaning of "socialized" is closely tied to "socialist". Then what happens in school seems to me to be headed in the right direction. I, however, don't want that at all and wish I had never partaken of it, at all.
BUT the point is that public school children are no better "socialized", nor do public school children have any greater opportunities to socialize than homeschool children do.
Since the school restricts interactions between children, they are not really socializing except for stolen moments at lockers or in the hallways and riding the bus to and fro.
I understand why the school must try to control the population, and I do not have an argument with parents for thinking that is best for their child.
I have chosen otherwise for my family.
You left out:
4) They learn what it is like to be in a totalitarian prison camp.
Wow! It's a lot different up here in Massachusetts.
The whole "socialization" argument and accompanying studies were developed out of the need to have women feel good about dumping their children at daycare for someone else to raise while pursuing a career. (motherhood by proxie etc.)
That was later exended to public schools after the homeschooling children started outperforming the public school students in a public way.
Socialization in not "socialization" it is indoctrinated to be pro-leftist.
"i've yet to meet a homeschooled child who isn't a perfect lady or gentleman and very poised and confident around peers and adults alike."
this seems to me to be a very important goal of true socializatin...and one that the schools are utterly incapable of producing, by design.
of course, if people were to come out of the system poised and confident and with ability to communicate to people outside of their peer group, they would not make very good members of The System....the don't become cogs in the great socialist machine....they are too "independent"....can't have that!!!!
That's a terrible shame.
My daughter gets 2 recesses a day, and they are allowed to talk quietly at lunch - but there is no talking in the halls or in line and that is strictly enforced.....I know, because my daughter is a chatter box and it is reflected in the "numbers" (we called them demerits)she receives each week.
Prison or worker drones?
The Prussian mind, which carried the day, held a clear idea of what centralized schooling should deliver: 1) Obedient soldiers to the army; 2) Obedient workers for mines, factories, and farms; 3) Well-subordinated civil servants, trained in their function; 4) Well-subordinated clerks for industry; 5) Citizens who thought alike on most issues; 6) National uniformity in thought, word, and deed.
That's a good question. I do not know for sure, but I did work with some students of a very young age that were put on meds in that area. The attending Psychiatrist for a crisis center was shocked to see some files and showed me that some children were put on adult-size dosages of medication. The side-effects of some of these meds included massive weight gain, among other things.
Nothing can be done. < throwing up hands>
That is almost the way it is in my daughter's elementary school. They are permitted to talk softly at lunch - and usually a short command from the teacher or principal, who is usually in the cafeteria at lunch, brings it under control if they get too loud.
I believe my #55 has precedence. (you can have 5.)
Hehe! Gabz. My children would get 100 demerits a day.( I just know it!) "Chatterbox" is putting it mildly for my two. See why I homeschool! ;]
I like school uniforms. I always feel sorry for the little kids with torn t-shirts and worn out jeans. Others kids walk around in shoes that can cost over a hundred dollars, and designer labels on their clothes. The poor kids were always picked on, can you guess by whom? Uniforms are an equalizer between the poor kids and the rich kids.
And for twelve years these children won't receive any explicit religious instruction.
This strikes me as insane. Profoundly insane.
Come on, it was the late 1980s Hong Kong. ;-) For the very few who were aware of this concern then, they all viewed it as "kooky Amercian fad".
And speaking of excellence, after I came to New Zealand I attended a very traditional state school and our headmaster was uncompromising on the school's encouragement for us to strive for excellence. Imagine you went to a public school and everything is run like a private prep school. You can read this by his prizegiving speech given last year:
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_434786.html?menu=news.latestheadlines
Come on, it was the late 1980s Hong Kong. ;-) For the very few who were aware of this concern then, they all viewed it as "kooky Amercian fad".
And speaking of excellence, after I came to New Zealand I attended a very traditional state school and our headmaster was uncompromising on the school's encouragement for us to strive for excellence. Imagine you went to a public school and everything is run like a private prep school. You can read this by his prizegiving speech given last year:
http://www.ags.school.nz/prizegiving_speech_04.htm
We will as well.
LOL!!!!! The most she has ever gotten in one day was 2 and that was quite a while ago. Even the teachers have told us that her self control of her chattering is getting better.
I think the parents who have their children in public schools AND offer opportunities, after school and on weekends to interact with peers and society, are doing the same thing I am doing when I homeschool my children and then set up opportunities for them to interact with peers and society.
I sincerely believe that my children are well socialized AND that there are great kids, who are well socialized- who attend public school.
Again the real issue is parental involvement.
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