Would you consider an alternative education program for your child?

Question

I am a teacher of twenty years standing. Throughout my career I have become disillusioned with educational programs that do not promote the spiritual, social and academic needs of our children. I would like to start an education centre that includes a wide range of learning experiences that encompass the whole person. I would start with four year olds as I have a child moving into that age group and continue devloping year after year. My focus would be on teaching important literacy, numeracy and communication skills as well as developing a diverse and questioning mind about different cultures, religions, lifestyles, values and especially self esteem. I would appreciate feedback from other parents about the project.

Answer 1

I fully agree with you and teach in a similar manner. No child should be taught just one belief. Cultures and values clash and understanding these differences before the child reaches the age of judgment, would be of great value. Literacy, Mathematics, Social understandings and self esteem along with inner faith and self expression are invaluable in the wholeness of children.
I am a Priest and as bad as this may sound to others, I refuse to allow children in the temple for doctrine teachings until after that child's twelve years old. The age of Judgment.
The child can then follow the path that he/she chooses without "thought redirection".
Children may come into Temple for day care and for games dances playing and enjoying their young days. They get no religious teachings.
I do wish we had more teachers for them that cared about them more than the pay check or long summer vacations.
I am glad that you are a Teacher.
En Tis Blethec

Answer 2

That would depend on how it is represented. So long as one culture, religion, etc isn't placed above others, I don't see a problem with it. But you will have trouble finding parents that are going to agree to their child learning about different religions. Look at how upset some get if you suggest that prayer could be let back in, but you would have to allow for all religions. I think out of 100 parents, you might find 2 that will be willing to do this.

I do think it's a good idea to teach children all of those things. I just don't see many people giving in to the idea that their child might end up reading something that promotes a practice in a religion they don't like.

Answer 3

Yes and no. On the one hand, alternative educational programs can easily alienate children on a social level. On the other hand, it's very true that good, wholesome values aren't really as embraced as they once were.

I would ultimately say no, however. Social skills are a must for any child to grow up and identify with his fellow man. Going to the same schools, growing up as others do, and socialising with others will certainly develop them and prepare them for the "real world." The deciding factor in my personal decision was the realization that if any parent were to simply spend more time with their child(ren), set a good example, be nurturing, etc., where a child goes to school won't really matters so much as far as the moral or ethical development in concerned.

Take a look around - there are plenty of great kids in schools, and probably 99 out of 100 times, they come from very caring, loving homes. In addition, even private and home schools often have snotty brats, whose parents are more willing to throw money at problems rather than sit down and spend quality time with their children.

So, no, I wouldn't give a child any special or alternative education methods or programs.

Answer 4

I believe in the concept of Mind, Body and Soul. Most education systems deal quite well with the Mind and Body part. However, the soul part has always been left to the parents, which was fine up until recently, when public education systems decided that atheism was the way for teaching children. As a result, I will not send my child to public education, but rather to a private school of my choosing. This will be a better choice in the long run, as most private schools do a far better job of teaching than public schools.

Answer 5

A tentative yes. I don't have kids yet but I have been wondering about what kind of school I would send them to. I think you also need to encourage different ways of learning, support children in whatever method works for them and find some way for them to progress at whatever speed they need. So then kids aren't left behind if they don't understand something straight away and don't get bored, frustrated or complacent if they find something easy. I would like my kids to be able to study topics that interested them as well and not have such a rigid academic structure in schools. I think encouraging questioning and debate among students is a good thing, but it would be hard to keep the teachers views from influencing how they taught certain ideas.

Answer 6

I went one step past considering. I enrolled both my kids in a Christian school. Not so much because I'm a devout Christian, but because the public schools in our area were infested with dirtbags and the faculty were hamstrung to do anything about it. I had more say so as to what went on and the quality of education and the discipline were exemplary. I agree with much of what you say and I would go further than self esteem, I would teach kids how to motivate themselves through positive reinforcement techniques and introduce them to success strategies. Most people have no idea of the successes they could accomplish if they just forge ahead and ignore what others say. The common denominator in all successful people is, they BELIEVED they could do it.

Answer 7

My children are too old for that. I also have been teaching for many years and feel the same as you. I encourage questioning of everything now in my grandson. I would not support a system that promoted any specific religion though

Answer 8

i did no longer have intercourse till i replaced into purely approximately 20, yet i think of me being a greater woman that spent time with a gaggle of gay adult males had greater to do with my prolonged virginity than my abstinence based guidance. yet, i think of telling young infants factually each and every thing which could bypass incorrect with intercourse (from STDs, to being pregnant, to heartbreak, and so on.) is honest. i'm agnostic and does no longer help the ethical discouragement, fantastically in a public college, yet staying abstinent till you could shoulder those household initiatives is clever. Abstience must be greater effective than a a million sentence determination directly glossed over till now somebody shows you the thank you to place a condom on a banana.

Answer 9

This sounds great and I completely agree (except possibly with the part about "diverse cultures").

Answer 10

u can start such thing , but at one stage u suld realize that somethings r miising n that things r religion

so religion is neccesary 4 all round development