Peter,

As a long time advocate of "free school" learning, I am thrilled that you have started this blog. I look forward to future installments and the conversation that follows.

Mercer

I want to wholeheartedly support Peter's ideas-- it is high time someboy restores sanity to the rather curious domain of present world activities in education where the focus on achievement (testing, etc) overshadows the processes of play in learning. The freedom of learning starts from freedom of being-- oneself, rather than following the rules...

I'm a newly graduated product of the american public education system and can't speak fast enough to express my outrage. Each point and question you brought up is valid and it's just the tip of the iceberg to uncovering the ridiculous mess. What is truly interesting about it all without going into too much detail, is how selfish psychology of parents, administrators and regulators have destroyed what ought to be a fostering and productive environment for our children. we'll, not their children. they, of course, attend private school.

Please write more and expose the entire facade. I'd be happy to be of help if possible.

Dear dyhappy,

I want to pick up on one point you made. I'm sure it will be a topic for a future installment.

When you talk about the "selfish psychology of parents, administrators, and regulators" you are hitting the nail squarely on the head. And I say that without intending to blame them--they are behaving entirely in accordance with human nature.

Democracy was invented out of the realization that there is no such thing as a benevolent dictator. People in power inevitably organize things in ways that are best for them. Schools are organized and run in ways that benefit the administrators and teachers. Universities are organized and run in ways that benefit the professors.

In a later installment I am going to tell you about a set of schools that are actually run by the people they are meant to serve. Can you imagine that? These schools are built upon the idea that governance is done best by those who are governed! Where on earth did that crazy idea come from?

Some people, when I introduce this strange concept we call "democracy," in relation to schooling, say something like, "But isn't that like letting the inmates run the asylum?" That tells you what some people think of our children!

You ask how you can help. Spread the word about the blog, keep tuned, and keep commenting.

I'm thrilled to see this topic appear as a blog for Psychology Today -- I hope to start a Master's in Psychology soon (non-traditional/older/online), and would love to eventually head toward learning, development, and educational psychology.

Are you familiar with Dr. William Glasser's book, "The Quality School"? His philosophies are one of my influences, and he seems to take a similar stance on education, especially the difference between "schooling" and "learning". Even in the late 80s and early 90s, I was one of those undercover cynics who worked the system to earn As with the least effort, and only discovered a love of learning itself toward the end of my undergraduate years. Now, (many) years later, I'm hoping to learn to change the very system I used to beat.

Looking forward to reading more,
Allison

I'm relieved you understand my intention. Most "adults" become defensive whenever I say anything on the topic and refuse to believe that anyone else besides the "immature, poorly behaved inmates" could be responsible for the situation.

Another issue that could be explored is how many parents view school as "free" day care. The education aspect becomes incidental.

I'll relate a short anecdote showing how the system is protected against change or "improvement." I gathered evidence in an attempt to get my high school math teacher fired for gross incompetence and the principal reacted to my report by threatening to expel me for "illegally" recording my union-backed teacher in class.

Thanks again for covering this topic. Please continue to explore the issues and link any new materials.

Mr. Gray, you're sounding very much like an unschooler! Thank you for an insightful and on-the-money article; I'm looking forward to reading more. And yes, I unschool my two boys, for the very reasons you discuss :)

Hi Peter,

So you're saying the bucket-loads of money I spent for my son's junior year abroad in Australia -- play, travel, and very little study -- wasn't a waste? This is very good news!

Valerie

I'm very much looking forward to your blog posts. There aren't nearly enough voices advocating for freedom in education. Our schools are little more than prisons, with only two real purposes: (never mind those cooked up for public consumption) keep the kids dumb so they do as they're told without asking questions, and keep them out of the way until they're old enough to contribute to the economy.

PS - you need an RSS feed.

I was appalled when my then 4th grade daughter came home from her MCAS exam. She was told by her teacher that if she wanted more time to perfect her English essay she could eat lunch at her desk that day. Recess and lunch have been gradually eroded and phased out in grade schools now. We wonder why childhood obesity is rampant when our children are cooped up in school without a break, then not allowed to walk home because there are no sidewalks.

Legal child abuse in the public schools has got to go.

Thanks, Peter, for providing this forum for discussion.

I think it will bring together a variety of thinkers on this subject. This is so very important, as the public education system appears to be spiraling out of control in a dangerous direction with regard to the creative, intellectual, emotional, and behavioral development of America's children. My own children attend a Sudbury model school. However, my interest in public education remains strong in that I work daily with children, teens and families as a clinical psychologist and am frequently reminded of the ways that public education impacts the lives of children and families who do not have access to healthy educational alternatives.

It has been my observation that the philosophies behind public education are readily adopted by some parents who rely heavily on this system for guidance regarding "what values and habits will make children successful as adults in the work force." Parents often feel pressure to punish their children at home for "failures, mistakes, or lack of motivation" at school, which sends kids the message that mistakes and failures are unacceptable not only with regard to the learning process at school, but also with regard to becoming an acceptable person within the family and community.

The Mistake, Failure, or Lack of Motivation is often never really explored as an event that might have some instrinsic value. Mistakes sometimes lead to new ways of doing or seeing things. Failures sometimes help us to recognize problems with the way we motivate ourselves or with the way we estimate necessary time and resources for achieving goals.

Failure also help us to evaluate our personal strengths and weaknesses and can motivate us to explore other parts of ourselves to find the talents and abilities previously hidden, ignored, or undervalued. Similarly, a person's Lack of Motivation to achieve a particular goal, sometimes accompanied by 'boredom,' can be a signal that the person is pursuing or being required to pursue goals that are not yet (and possibly never going to be) recognized as relevant. I am not saying, "no one should ever do anything they do not feel like doing." I am pointing out that there is something important to be learned from a perceived disiniterest or lack of motivation to achieve a goal and that what is important can be lost when we write off a person's lack of motivation as simple laziness, defiance, or some other "offense" against parents, teachers or other authorities who have chosen what goals another person will be required to pursue.

The promotion of the belief that failures, mistakes, and motivational issues are "punishable" offenses or behaviors that need extinguished, is just one of the ways that the methods and philosophies of public education affect kids relationships with parents and with themselves.

I look forward to reading discussions on this Blog, and to hearing others' opinions on how more freedom to learn through play, trial and error, and self-determination could be incorporated into the public school system.

Caren

Yes! Thought-provoking and insightful - can't wait to read more.

I am an early childhood professional, with my training based on the theories of Piaget among others- so I was pleased to see his name mentioned.

It scares me that play is not valued and that parents of 2yo's want academics...that preschool is now like kindergarten, kindergarten like 1st grade and homework is piled on kids -for the sake of homework... teaching is to the test, especially in MA with MCAS...children cannot learn for the joy of it, but in order to pass a test, get a correct answer...and are robbed of true learning.

Then there is my 9th grade son, who is failing school due to missing homework and low test scores...it never ceases to amaze me to read his school progress reports stating that he is at "risk of failure" and a "pleasure to have in class", from the same teacher, it just seems so incongruous.

We are looking into the Sudbury Valley School, which I just learned of recently- it was wonderful to watch my son's expression as he heard about it- that there existed a school you could actually look forward to attending.

My other son spent 4th grade being admonished by his teacher to "be quiet" he was not even allowed to speak on the way to lunch.

There has to be a better way than the way it is being done.

I look forward to following this blog.

Dear Readers,

Thank you all for your comments. This first installment has clearly struck a chord with many people. If I am reading the tracking records correctly, roughly eight hundred people turned to this page in its first three days, and there have been many more since then. Please keep spreading the word about the blog, linking to it on other sites, and drawing people in. I’m hoping that together we can be a force that will help reform education worldwide. I’ve been invited to be a member of a national think tank on educational reform—composed mostly of researchers who study child development—and I assure you that your comments will influence my presentations to that group.

It is clear that people are coming to the blog with somewhat different ideas but some common ground. One clear area of common ground is the need for learning environments where children feel safe and where the atmosphere is one of mutual trust and respect. It is hard to imagine that anyone would feel free to learn in a setting that does not include those characteristics. A question that we will deal with down the road is that of how to provide such environments. We can’t just rely on the good will of teachers to be sure that children are respected. We have been doing that all along and it doesn’t work. It is the system, not the teachers, that needs reform. It is the system that disempowers students and leaves them vulnerable.

Catana, thanks for mentioning that I need an RSS feed. I think that the icon under “Stay Updated” at the top and to the right of my column is supposed to be an RSS feed; but it doesn’t seem to be connected. I’m working on solving that problem.

Keep checking in, commenting, spreading the word, and linking our blog to other sites. We can have an impact. My next posting is tomorrow.

-Peter

Dear Peter,

First of all, I saw your presentation at this year's NEEPS conference and it was absolutely eye opening. (I was one of the SNHU students presenting in the conference, I actually sat at your table at dinner!)

Anyways, I think you bring up so many valid points that one school or education does NOT fit all students. I can't tell you how troubling it was to spend my high school years not learning, but more like "training" to pass the MCAS in Massachusetts so I could graduate! Even the teachers did not seem to be enjoying themselves because both the teaching and thee learning are so restricted by what we are supposed to know and not by what we want to learn about.

I look forward to reading your postings!

-Erin

Couldn't agree more!

When my previously home-educated daughter entered the school system at the age of 11, after a few euphoric honeymoon weeks she became seriously disillusioned. Her problem wasn't primarily with the system (though she did find it bizarre that you had to ask permission to pee), but with the other children.

"They're so weird, mum. They act like learning is some kind of bad medicine. You have to take it because it's supposed to be good for you, but they sure don't like it."

For my children (who started off home-schooled but ended up un-schooled) learning is not something other people do TO them despite their resistance, but something they do FOR themselves -- because they love it!

Thankfully, they've managed to hold on to this attitude (mostly), as they've continued in the school system.

I've always felt that play was important, valuable and far more worthwhile than all that "work" that goes on in schools! Beautiful articles and I look forward to reading more. Your writing reminds me of Sumerhill, "Freedom without License" . . .

I enjoy watching my kids play, create and imagine their days away!!

Dawn - unschooling mom to 4 "free" kids! ;-)

I am thrilled to have stumbled across this blog and am looking forward to crafting a paper on it. If there are any additional websites or sources of information you can point me toward, I would be grateful. Many thanks for enlightening me and again I am eager to read more of this information.

As a long-time participant in the education of bright, unique, beings, I am so grateful to find this blog. What you are saying so desperately needs to be said to policy-makers in schools and in government. I'm referring concerned parents to this blog; I believe they will find it inspirational as well as informative.

Keep on!

Peg

I just found this site through an unschooling yahoo group that had a link to the 7 sins. I can't wait to read your other posts. You're preaching to the choir here, even though I am a "successful product" of modern schooling (B.S., M.S., M.B.A. and Ph.D.). After my many, many years in formal schooling, I have decided to spare my children the coercion and manipulation and conditional self-esteem and worth inherent in the school experience. My goal as a parent is singular--to help them preserve their intrinsic motivation and unique selves.

My children are 4, 2, and 2 months. I am dedicating my current life to allowing them their rightful freedom by staying home so they won't have to go to the public babysitter. I am giving up a very, very lucrative salary to do this, but my husband and I have no regrets. We'd rather sacrifice financially than throw our kids into the rat-race.

I hope your vision of school as we know it disappearing in 50 years comes true. In the meantime, we'll pretend as if it has disappeared in our family.

Dear Peter,
My homeschool group sent your "Seven Sins" link to me and got me hooked so now I am starting from the beginning. I am a wanna-be homeschooler not sure quite yet how to make it work financially for us, but building up slowly. Our youngest is having the most terrible time in preschool and I hate sending him there. I would much rather spend the day letting him explore, getting messy and having fun learning. At four he says he hates school and it tears me up inside. I am ready to give up my job in order to give him his freedom; that is how much your words have struck a chord with me. Thank you for sharing what I have felt since I went to school and hated being bored there.
Lisa

Lisa, it's nice to hear from you. How awful that even in PRESCHOOL kids are not free to play, explore, get messy, and learn in their own natural ways. Best of luck. -Peter