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RE: Visit to the Free School: Finding Treasure in the "Sticks"!
Good news!
I think I’d be happy for my children to be somewhere like that if they wished it part of the time at least. I do think we were built for most of human history for tribal living and I also notice for my teens it has not been enough for them to fit with their family. They instinctively know we are the past generation and have felt panic about whether they can fit with their generation. I think this is a big part of why one of my daughters left unschooling and took herself off to school to be ‘conventional’. Her drive to fit in her generation is powerful and will make her undergo many levels of hardship. If I could have provided her something like this she may have felt she fitted with her generation.
That really seems like the biggest challenge to me, as well (well, besides the state breathing down our necks), building/finding a community of peers and buddies to share the adventure of life with. Either way, don't be too hard on yourself. It takes a lot of guts to follow your heart and do something that's a bit against the grain. Cheers to you, @sallylloyd.
Yes :-) Thanks @kafkanarchy84.
We recently got to largely not worry about the state [locally at least ... and it was a big problem] breathing down our necks re unschooling/home education as we worked with our local authority to rewrite their policies and procedures in line with the UK Government's 'Guidelines for Local Authorities on Elective Home Education' [ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288135/guidelines_for_las_on_elective_home_educationsecondrevisev2_0.pdf ] which is quite reasonable as it stands at the moment. Education law as regards home education in the UK is good as it stands [understanding of unschooling, no registration, etc] but it is always under assault and we've worked hard to keep it that way. It is very hands off, but in practice local authorities like ours in Staffordshire UK were not adhering to it [it's not guidance but guidelines which means they don't have to]. Luckily, we found they were acting outside of the law [conferring statutory duties they don't have to private companies who sent unlawful school orders etc]. That [and a pretty hefty political campaign] enabled us to gain their cooperation and get a chance to educate them and the council employees who have contact with people who home educate or are thinking to home educate in our area. They even advertise the fact that home education is a viable, legal opportunity for children when they send out their invitations to register for school aged 4-5!
I think this surety has give me more space to think about other issues ... a bit like art can develop within cultures when their basic needs for food, shelter and safety are met.
:-)