By: Gaia Charis

Gaia Charis — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:09:09 +0000

Speaking as a past-life professional democratic educator and also as a home-educator to two of my four children ( of whom Emma Agusita happens to be one! )….every generation since the advent of mass state education has had its advocates of democratic learning, the benefits of which Emma espouses. However, the most pertinent sentence in this article is the one which states that…’ policy makers and educationalists must therefore be willing to support and develop effectual and truly democratic conditions…..’Indeed so , but the history of state education has always been permeated by the dual nature of educational policy making and subsequent practice; on the one hand the overtly stated ideal of promoting the educational development of the individual to their full potential and on the other the covert practice of ensuring that, for the majority of pupils, this does not happen because if it did the social status quo would, effectively, end up being overturned. The thoughts of a cynical old educationalist ? No, just a warning to this generation of aspiring democratic educators not to underestimate the scale of what you are espousing ( revolution !) or the likely resistance you will encounter. Forewarned is forearmed…..GO FOR IT !!!!!!!

By: Doug

Doug — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:36:19 +0000

Totally agree with the tone of this post. I have been saying similar for some time now … good to see that i am not on my own.

Comments on: It’s a question… of balance

By: Gaia Charis

By: Doug