Home Schooling Is Better Than Traditional Education…. in very very very small doses
Would you agree, that all too often in the UK,
there are whopping blanket generalisations;
which supposedly fit and apply to each and everyone on the planet;
with singular bigotry,
that can also all far too easily,
be garballed and taken completely out of context.
However, surely as a very generalistic rule of thumb,
that with children of normal school ages
that is starting from around 5 years and above,
in terms of their daytime schooling,
they are going to be better educated, in overall terms,
by attending the usual types of private, state
and church based traditional classroom schoolings etc.
with all the other pupils in attendance.
Isn’t one of the major factors here,
about the huge need for child socialisation;
arguably within mixed gender traditional schooling too;
in full preparation
for their outside of school future world,
including the whole of their subsequent working lives
and beyond.
The huge amounts that pupils learn
just only from their peers.
As fellow pupils can influence, develop
and do get to know each other,
far more, than school teachers,
get to know the children.
Does more credance and attention need to be given
to the survey and analysis made,
of the millionaires in California during the 1970s.
When it was discovered that the common denominator
of these millionaires,
was not their academic achievements,
but in fact, it was instead
that the millionaires,
“get on well with people”.
Surely, success in marriage, family life
and virtually every occupational field,
being not just only the commercial work environments,
is largely dependant on getting on well with people.
However, again as a general rule of thumb,
if a parent is seeking additional schooling tuition for a child,
in the evenings or weekends or school holidays,
outside of normal school hours,
then surely one to one teaching,
by a suitably qualified and professional private teacher
visiting the child, in their own home,
can be ultimately desirable.
Especially from a potentially academic attainment point of view.
For hasn’t it generally been proven,
beyond all reasonable doubt whatsoever,
that the smaller, the total numbers of pupils,
in a given classroom,
under the proverbial teacher to pupil ratios,
the better it is for the child student,
from an academic perspective.
This being due to the more direct
and individual attention
that the pupil will receive from a teacher.
Conversely, turn that on its perhaps undisputed back,
with a quotation from Stephen Leacock,
in his book entitled: “My Discovery Of England”,
in 1922 when he stated:
“Most people tire of a lecture in ten minutes,
clever people can do it in five,
sensible people never go to lectures at all”.
End of quotation..
Could the quotation mean that learning
by one’s self at home,
can be even more effective,
than being educated in a“one to one” situation.
Through research, discovery learning
and parrot fashion assimilation of key material.
Alternatively, should it be considered
that these are whopping generalisations
and bigotry again indeed.
What about mixtures and variety
and the added benefits
of team work in traditional education.
Thankfully there is no insular “I” in team work.
The proverbial two good heads being better than one.
A communicating community of interest
in traditional education.
Also liaising and comparing notes,
with other similar communities of interest.
Developing and sharing best and worst practices.
Alas, in conclusion,
if it wasn’t for the current vital necessities of lockdowns,
shouldn’t a home, continue to revert
to being nothing more
than a place to hang one’s hat
and educate the cat.
Mark Rodgers
South Lancaster Speakers Club
