Sylvie Martin

So I wonder if there are statistics available for the French schools about
the ages of reading fluency and comprehension. I just can't believe that
every French schooled child would be reading fluently and fully by 9 if
every American, Australian, English and Canadian child is not.
***************************** Oh, you're right.. But they don't care about those statistics.. One thing here in France is that they ask things to the parents who homeschools they don't ask to the teachers at school.

Maybe it is worth saying to your child, especially an older one, "We can
keep these folk of our backs and comply with the law if you do a few of
these worksheets. Would you be willing to sit down sometime for a hour and
I'll help you if you want?" I should think saying that would be better than
going to court if the risk was losing your child.
***************** Oh ! yes... It's exactly what we are doing here, in my family this year, with Tom. I know radical unschooling can't be defended in front of an inspector, here, at the moment, sure, sure, sure.. I will never take the risk..
We discussed with Tom about all that. He's ok with that.

Today, I'm so confident with my children.. I see them living, they seem to be happy.. They have time, they love this life... And I just have this little thing in my head, those people, they will not let them taking their time...

But I will not give up. I will find something to carry on.. :-))

I really hope that my english is ok, I'm not sure about it... I wouldn't want saying the opposite that I want to say...


Sylvie (eliott le Magicien 97 - Tom le Héros 99 - Lilou la fée 02)
http://www.webzinemaker.com/louves-online/
www.yourtes-tipis.com et www.sculpture-rod.com
----- Original Message -----


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sylvie Martin

I can't imagine, for myself, that it
would be worth losing one's children over at all. Not even for a
week. There are other ways to make a point.
******************************** Yes, I feel the same. I'm so scared about those stories...



But that's why integrity and ethics need to include principle and
priorities.
**************** We thought about that last year, for months,with my husband, and it was very hard to find a solution... we found it for the moment. I hope we will find solutions for the next years...


Sylvie (eliott le Magicien 97 - Tom le Héros 99 - Lilou la fée 02)
http://www.webzinemaker.com/louves-online/
www.yourtes-tipis.com et www.sculpture-rod.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Sandra Dodd
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 2:23 PM
Subject: Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Sorry, Jeanine! (was Unschooling in France, but unschooling other places too)



On Mar 17, 2006, at 5:53 AM, Robyn Coburn wrote:

> Maybe it is worth saying to your child, especially an older one,
> "We can
> keep these folk of our backs and comply with the law if you do a
> few of
> these worksheets. Would you be willing to sit down sometime for a
> hour and
> I'll help you if you want?" I should think saying that would be
> better than
> going to court if the risk was losing your child.


Years back there was a family (not unschoolers) who went to court
over homeschooling and their children were taken away and (I think)
the mom was put in jail for a while, and they seemed happy about it,
in that they were practicing civil disobedience and making their
point and getting publicity. I can't imagine, for myself, that it
would be worth losing one's children over at all. Not even for a
week. There are other ways to make a point.

-=-I guess parents might view saying "let's work on your reading" in
some way
as compromising one's integrity and ethics. They might see it as
unacceptable, and be willing risk whatever the consequences are. I would
hope that the child involved is mature enough to have a real
understanding
of what is being risked, and a real ability to consent to be a heroic
figure
in the struggle for Unschooling rights. -=-

But that's why integrity and ethics need to include principle and
priorities. My "ethics" take a back seat to my desire for my
children to be safe and happy. So far, I haven't had to make a
choice between those things, but I wouldn't think long if one of my
children was about to be taken away from me. I would compromise the
HECK out of life to keep that child with me. If I had to have my
kids in public school to keep them, they'd be in school today.
Because I DO have a choice, then I make the choice that goes toward
keeping them with me, which is that they don't go to school. And I
make the choice that goes toward natural learning and the maintenance
of their curiosity, which is to help them discover the world in fun
ways.

Last night Holly was in the hot tub with me and Keith. That tub has
been good for incidental conversations. Wednesday night it was us
and Marty, talking about college and U.S. Savings Bonds and such.
Thursday it was Holly, telling me how glad she was that I had shown
her "view source" for webpages, because she had found some good
backgrounds and codes, for her My Space page. We talked about the
legalities, courtesies and ethics of using other art and codes, and
how to credit people, and how to lift public domain art onto her own
computer and then upload it from there. We didn't plan that, and
couldn't have, and it was great.

-=-My fears are more along the lines of how she might be emotionally
harmed by testing etc and how I could mitigate that.
-=-

http://sandradodd.com/testing

I stand by that. If Holly gets busted here in her final years and
the state demands she be tested, I'll just recommend that she make a
pattern with the numbers and walk away whistling happily. Kirby is
past the age of compulsory attendance. Marty, at 17, is working full
time, which is a kind of twilight zone. It's one of the requirements
for being allowed to drop out of school, and so I could say he's
finished with school, or I could say he's doing a project on trades
and vocations. I'm just not worried about it. He's reportedly one
of the best workers there, and the lady in charge of the deli section
has been chatting him up, but when she found he wasn't 18 she was
disappointed, he said. She said he was always cheerful, and he
should come and work in the deli when he's older.

Sandra




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