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What do you think of when you hear the words: ‘Alternative Education’? Alternative education is a major buzzword at the moment. More and more people are crying out for a better system which works for their child rather than a system that just wants to pump out little factory workers. Because, lets be honest, this is what the traditional schooling model was based off. The need at the time of the industrial revolution for more factory workers and what better way to do it than build institutions for the new generations to go and learn to be good little, obedient robots.
Now this is a far cry from what our schools look like now. Even the most traditional are somewhat getting with the times to provide a well rounded education, offer options for different pathways, offer arts, music, sport etc. But they do still have one thing in common: They need to teach to the masses. And those masses belong in the Matrix of life having to prepare for the workforce. You go to work, come home, sleep, repeat. And this is a fundamental problem with our system in today’s society where we have people from all different backgrounds, religions, languages, social economic status, learning abilities and difficulties, disabilities and general likes. If we were all the same, the world would be boring. So why put everyone into one classroom, teach to the average, letting all the others fall behind. Survival of the fittest.
But what if I told you it didn’t have to be this way?
Alternative education is a new movement of sorts which includes many different models of education. There are so many options it is ridiculous and once you go down the rabbit hole of discovering what else is out there, you can never go back. So many people are opting to take that red pill and discover the real world where children can learn what they are interested in, do work that is tailored to them individually, not be taught to the test and have the general freedom over themselves. More and more alternative schools are teaching independence, the ability to choose a task, complete it, return it to its spot for others to use, to think outside the box. To be innovative, imaginative, solve problems and thrive in a world where not everyone thinks and learns the same and that’s OK.
- Forcing students who are visual learners to take notes and read from a text is just not fair.
- Forcing students who need to use their bodies to learn things through trial and error isn’t fair.
- Forcing student who like to talk problems out to sit and be quiet isn’t fair.
We have so many examples of how some children are just left behind and labelled negatively isn’t right when there are so many better ways to do things.
So what can we do about this?
We need more options. Private schools are very expensive and sometimes students who need it the most, miss out. Options like Montessori and Steiner carry such big price tags its just unattainable for some people. But when local public schools adopt these methods then something special is created. The general public who otherwise wouldn’t have access to these amazing approaches to learning, suddenly do. They get to learn at their pace, have work tailored to them if they find something difficult or are granted just the freedom of moving around the classroom at their own will instead of stuck behind a desk.
Alternative methods like Montessori and Steiner endorse a holistic approach to learning, free from the competitive nature most schools have, where children choose to learn and aren’t forced to. Where their motivation is their own self satisfaction not the gold star or certificate. They compete with themselves to become the best person they can be instead of dragging others down so they can be a the top.
Imagine an environment that the child can walk into and choose anything they wish to work on, at their own individual level and in their own time? I can tell you now, this does exist. In Montessori schools students get an uninterrupted period of 3 hours where they can work on materials for as long as they need to. They receive small group lessons pitched at their level, in that subject as opposed to one lesson fits all for all 32 children and too bad if it doesn’t. This world exists and it is slowly making its way into the mainstream world as more and more people wake up and realise we can demand more.
Some parents are going as far as home schooling altogether because the dollar factor of private alternative school is too high and they find even those environments too restrictive for their children. And that’s OK. There is no one size fits all model in regards to education. With disabilities and learning difficulties on the rise, more and more families are opting to take this brave jump into the unknown and educate their own children. And they have every right to. This is what alternative education is all about. Providing the best fit for each child.
Sometimes this requires trial and error. Sometimes the right fit is found straight away. Sometimes as seasons change, new environments are tried. The important thing to remember about alternative education is that it doesn’t have to be the only answer. You can pick and choose and adapt between all the methods to make a custom fit and if that changes from year to year or child to child that’s OK. I know many people who may have a child in school and some at home, or one child at one school and another at another because that is what works for them. This is what I love about alternative education, it is eclectic and can be adapted to suit.
Unschooling (a form of home schooling where no rigid curriculum is followed and where natural learning is the plan) is becoming more and more popular these days as schools are pushed to follow a curriculum which doesn’t suit everyone. Academic pressure is pushing students to do well in test which have no value in the real world and parents are sick of it. The real world consists of so much more than being able to shade in the correct bubble or awards those who sit still and quiet the best. Almost everything we do day to day can be linked to the Australian Curriculum from cooking to gardening these cover almost (if not all) subject areas.
Alternative education is so needed in this fast paced, modern world we live in. Our Matrix is full of distractions but it is also filled with opportunity. If you choose to go down the rabbit hole and discover the other options to education, stick around. I will be covering more on this topic as time goes on. Trust me, you will never be the same again once you know.
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This past year we have been experimenting with all different kind of things when it comes to learning. One thing I learnt was learning is so much more than what we have come to associate with classroom learning in schools. This was a very well written and informative article touching upon various aspects of alternative education.
Thank you so much for your comment. You are absolutely right that learning is so much more than what we think of when we think of a classroom. I’m glad to hear you have been experimenting and seeing what works for you 🙂
Definitely is a rabbit hole. And the struggle is navigating your way through it- as you are searching what might best suit your child and you. The struggle I’m having at the moment is, having made that decision to take my children’s education into my own hands- is to ensure that I driver the BEST- and that takes a lot of work, energy, and effort.
So much pressure these days to have everything perfect. I think that puts unrealistic and often detrimental pressure on us mothers especially. Try to relax, the fact that you care about your children’s education is the first step. I have no doubt that you will do an amazing job 🙂