--- In AlwaysLearning@..., "sheeboo2" <naturewalkersinfo@...> wrote:
about "middle-class privilege"
People, parents especially, have been led to believe that they lack the knowledge to do something--anything-- without an expert (or institution) leading the way. School has been touted as the great equalizer; if you "stay in school" you can be anything you want to be. It is hard to turn your back on the hope schooling offers when you're surrounded by people living "hopeless" existences.
I used to talk about homeschooling with the woman who cleaned my office. She is from Mexico and went to school until she was twelve. The most important thing to her, was making sure her granddaughter finished school. This woman is one of the wisest women I've ever met. Yet she would never believe herself capable of facilitating a decent education for her granddaughter.
The ideas you're bringing up here are fascinating to me!
I'm from Canada, and I remember when I was first learning about unschooling, combing the internet for information, I came across something posted by a young Aboriginal woman (teen, probably) who had decided to unschool, but her parents, or her family, weren't happy with her choice. She recognized this was because of now repealed sections of the Indian Act which forbade Aboriginal peoples from education beyond 8th grade.
Maybe those who "can" unschool are those who are not only able to deschool themselves, but decolonize themselves? Kinda theoretical, I know :)
However, I'm reminded of an article I recently read which included a list of the skill-set of decolonization (a lot of which made me think of unschooling): creating space for people to make their own decisions, supporting, creating safety, connecting, attending with compassion, re-integrating, reconnecting, listening, esteeming.
