Sandra here, quoting a dad / grandfather (also quoted above), who wrote in response to Jo's comments:
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While I doubt much can be said about a person based on test scores of any kind,? the advent of home schooling allows for flagrantly bad parenting, for which the child will pay for in life.? Imposing some minimal standard via testing assures there is at least some form of education going on. I don't like that such tests are done under the auspices of government,? but measuring a child's development is certainly not a bad idea.? Such is not done in order to judge anything other than progress, and as parents, we are ultimately responsible for assuring our children's progress.?
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I'm not suggesting a formal test is the only way to do that, but perhaps the only way the state can be sure the child it also has a responsibility for is progressing. Again, it is the child that pays for a lack of childhood progress.??? ?
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I don't blame people who just fell into this group somehow for not understanding more.? It's only recently that one could stumble in. :-)? For a long time, people came here from other unschooling discussions, and only those who wanted more advanced discussions joined here.
I'll make a couple of comments and the link to more information about the group:
-=-the advent of home schooling allows for flagrantly bad parenting, for which the child will pay for in life.-=-
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"The advent of homeschooling" isn't recent.??
School has failed to prevent flagrantly bad parenting.? Some schools have added flagrantly harmful schooling.
A child does not "pay" for having been parented badly.? Think again.? Bad parents have never become good parents because a stranger said "your child will pay for your bad parenting."
Unschooling, though—radical unschooling as has been discussed in this group for nearly 20 years, and in other places by some of those still in this group for ten years before that—is all about exceptionally GOOD parenting.
Not everyone who tries to, intends to, claims to be an unschooler does a great job, but very many do.? Any who fail to be better parents than they've been didn't read enough or participate enough in discussions to rub the schooly barbs off their own former thoughts.? Not everyone wants to do that.? We're here to help the people who DO want to recover from their own schooling and schoolishness.
-=-Imposing some minimal standard via testing assures there is at least some form of education going on.-=-
Learning.? There is a fancy form of learning going on.? It's based on The Open Classroom, but isn't limited by the building or the school hours or the finite set of materials that an open-classroom school has.
Learning, not education.? There is a fancy form of living within a family that dedicates itself to creating a learning environment, that we're creating.
-=-?but measuring a child's development is certainly not a bad idea.-=-
Had you read the link I brought to the pages on tests, on my site, you would see stories of real people and disadvantages even of high scores.? It can bring results harmful to self-esteem, and it will change the relationship between the parent and child in every single instance that the score is known by the parent, even if the child doesn't know.? Parents deny it, and try with all their might to ignore the scores, and they fail. So let's not test them (the parents) that way if it's not necessary.
-=-?Such is not done in order to judge anything other than progress, ,-=-
That sounds good, and peaceful.? You do know, though, that it's not true.? Test scores grade children, literally, like eggs or beef.? There are the good ones, the fair ones, and the substandard—literally, mathematically substandard.
-=-?...and as parents,?we are ultimately responsible for assuring our children's progress.?-=-
In a successful unschooling family, progress will be blatantly obvious, because learning and growth are right there, every day, all day, every week, month, and year it's seen.? But the learning happens in the moment.??
-=-I'm not suggesting a formal test is the only way to do that, but perhaps the only way the state can be sure the child it also has a responsibility for is progressing.-=-
There are some responsibilities, it's true, but parents don't serve the state.? They aren't in-loco state...reps. :-)
-=-Again, it is the child that pays for a lack of childhood progress.???-=-
Again, you're wrong.? "Pays" is a harsh and awkward way of thinking of the effects of trauma or neglect on a child.
This group is not ABOUT trauma or neglect.
The easiest way to gently look at a lot of these ideas is a daily blog called Just Add Light and Stir.? There are over 3,000 posts already, and a randomizer.? Each has a link or two to similar ideas.? It's easy to dip into for a few moments and come out calmer.
https://justaddlightandstir.blogspot.com/
Sandra
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