Re: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Questions about Their Future

Hi Michael,

I couldn't go past your first few words.

How could you compare being given freedom, admittedly best if you make the
choice of the School and philosophy that you participate in; and being
required / forced / instructed to learn specific things.

One of the most important aspects of being a Student in a Sudbury model
School is that they have the time to work out who they are, how they fit in
to the world around them, and to develop meaning from the things that happen
around them. In that process, Students try out all sorts of things,
hopefully responsibly. the range of things that they can learn is
unlimited, unlike an incredibly limited curriculum. The need or wish to
learn calculus or French will develop from who the Student is, and what they
need to learn - not because some other well meaning adult, government, or
bureaucrats have said that they must. I know that Students miss out far
more and are far more restricted in mainstream Schools than at Sudbury model
Schools, even given that it is also harder in SV Schools simply because
no-one tells other people what to do, and people actually need to think for
themselves, and make their own choices.

Regards, Derek Sheppard (elected Staff and a parent)
The Booroobin Sudbury School - a centre of learning
www.booroobinschool.com.au
Ph / fax +61 07 5499 9944
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Kinnucan" <Michael_Kinnucan_at_buacademy.org>
To: <discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org>
Cc: <discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Questions about Their Future

> Not to play devil's advocate, but these responses don't quite answer my
> critiques. My point is that choosing not to make your child learn algebra
> is as much of an imposition in their life as is choosing to make them. I
> contend that, had my parents sent me to an SVS-model school, that decision
> would have been tantamount to a choice not to allow me to take calculus.
> This seems to me to be a problem. I know as well as anyone the evils of
> forcing students to learn things, but at the same time I recognize that
> there are cases in which forced curriculum, though harmful in the short
> term, is to the student's advantage in the longterm. Is this not in fact
> the case? (That is, will everyone who would enjoy knowing calculus become
> self-motivated to learn algebra?) Or is it a necessary evil that students
> who would have enjoyed calculus miss out on it at SVS, an evil more than
> made up for by the freedom of SVS schools? Or is there a way to
> compromise, a way to decide which subjects lead to sufficient good that
> the harm of forcing them on students is worthwhile?
>
> The example of algebra-> calculus is, of course, peripheral. To give
> another example: Right now, I want to learn as many languages as possible.
> When I was six, I wanted to play with my friends. However, when I was six
> my parents put me in a public elementary school's French immersion
> program, meaning I spoke only French in school, all day. The result is
> that I am now fluent in French and have no accent. If I chose to start
> taking Spanish now and spoke only Spanish in school, I could not learn it
> fluently and without accent. In fact, even if I moved to Spain and lived
> there for the rest of my life, I would never speak Spanish without accent.
> So my parents' and school district's requirement that I show up for school
> everyday, something that did not please me then, resulted in knowledge
> that pleases me immensely now. Worthwhile?
>
> -Michael
>
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Received on Sun Mar 02 2003 - 05:31:35 EST