Home schooling

[Az]

For example: far too much emphasis is placed on math and science,

[Apocalypse]

Well, I wouldn't say too much emphasis is placed on math and science, but I'm likely to go into a math heavy field and all I'll need is my high school calculus course.

[Az]

Well, I wouldn't say too much emphasis is placed on math and science, but I'm likely to go into a math heavy field and all I'll need is my high school calculus course.

and what would that math heavy field be?

[Apocalypse]

Directing the firing of really large guns.

Much of artillery OBC is math classes.

Hopefully I'll get that as a branch...then move back in to the statistics heavy field of human resources.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Japher
Sikander: private school?

Not an option for them. They have only one breadwinner, my sister in law. She works for the postal service, which is decent money but not enough to pay for private school. Her husband is a more or less disabled Vietnam vet who's a lot better at spending than making money.

[Az]

Directing the firing of really large guns.

Much of artillery OBC is math classes.

Hopefully I'll get that as a branch...then move back in to the statistics heavy field of human resources.

don't you have computers that do that for you, btw?

[Apocalypse]

Does the calculator do everything for you in calculus?

[Az]

depends on the calculator.

[Apocalypse]

Anyway...the point is that the computers don't do everything and you have to do some things yourself...especially if something breaks.

Why do we even have calculus classes if everyone can just get the best calculator?

[Ben Kenobi]

If you want to quote Plato, you would have to end up quoting his ideas about how expertise is to be preferred to uninformed people doing their own thing. Read The Laws if you want an honest opinion on Plato's attitude towards home schooling.

Somehow I don't think Plato would qualify to be a teacher in this day in age. I agree with you about uninformed people doing their own thing, but I don't think anyone has argued that parents who are not equipped to teach their children should be homeschooling them.

The current system that we have does not care about obtaining good teachers or making people teach better, but is everything about making sure that the teachers accept the prevailing philosophy regarding public education. You rail about how the students are ill served, and part of that stems from the common assumptions that are the gospel of public education to which all teachers adhere.

[Ben Kenobi]

The teaching of history is a politicized joke. For most students at my school it was not compulsory, and there was no general curriculum that instructed students on the basics of how we got to where we are. I include in this religious education. Most students graduate high school without understanding the basic tenets of the world's religions

Agree wholeheartedly. I have had to educate myself on these topics, since we did not spend any time on this in History. It's funny, we did a whole unit on German and Italian unification, yet nothing came up about the role of the Catholic church in either.

Political education is comical. Mine consisted of ignorant teachers explaining how we had democracy and everyone was free, and many other countries did not. It wasn't designed to produce active citizens of a democratic polity, but to produce docile livestock who wouldn't ask hard questions. A friend of mine who went to Teachers' College confirmed that this was the stated aim of the current curriculum. The same goes for so called "Social Studies" which gifted students no understanding of how actual societies work.

Also agree. We did a unit of philosophy, which I thought was well done, but in terms of political science, I've always been interested in politics and studied that on my own. So I guess I've supplemented my own education.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Odin
If the parent who is teaching is educated enough and has enough time on his/her hands to homeschool, I'm all fine with it. People who think it is all fundies indoctrinating thier children don't know what thier talking about. Where did the "homeschooling = fundie indoctrination" myth originate from, anyway? The teacher's unions?

I think you're a little naive to think that you weren't indoctrinated in public school.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Agathon
There are plenty of problems with current primary and secondary education systems.

For example: far too much emphasis is placed on math and science, to a level which will be of no practical use to most students. Thinking back to my 7th form calculus class, I can't think of more than 3 or 4 people who actually went on to use calculus in their careers. Teaching practical logic instead of most mathematics would benefit more students.

I think this is true. Every student has to take algebra in high school now, but most of them will never use it (and they don't pass it). I'd much rather people were proficient at practical logic, than fail at algebra when they never were going to use it anyway.

Good post. I say if you really want to know how our high schools are doing ask a college professor. Some of my college professors are very concerned with how bad things are in California.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Kidicious


I think you're a little naive to think that you weren't indoctrinated in public school.

Of course I was. My history classes were full of pro-US bias and my civics class was full of capitalist propaganda. I read enough to figure out it was mostly BS indoctrination and social engineering, unfortunately most people don't see though the BS.

[Kidlicious]

What people believe is tied into their survival efforts in most cases. People want to believe that those in power are telling them the truth, because the alternative is frightening. People who are able to seperate the two are the exception.