Appreciating the ask

It’s been a while since we’ve experienced the school system.

We had a bit of a reminder of it when a couple of my kids went part-time to a Steiner school. They chose not to continue after a term. What I clearly remember from a parent’s perspective is the overwhelm of all the communications they sent out.

It was so hard to keep up with everything. And most of it was irrelevant for us specifically. What was apparent was that it was a one way communication. The school were telling us things, the opportunity for real feedback and consideration for our children wasn’t really there.

Whilst there is communication between school and parents, this does not mean there is flexibility or adaptability. The communication is usually a one way system. The schools tell you how it is and there is usually little movement away from it.

Any accommodations require meetings, red tape and paperwork. What could be done in a snap decision in a self-directed type environment is turned into a situation, full of stress, that drags on and often doesn’t really address the issues.

I was reminded of the simple beauties of home education when one of my children moved to an older group in a forest school setting. He was going to start along side a friend that really helps him feel at ease, his friend however was unable to make it on that first day.

This new group was boisterous and louder than what he was accustomed to. Kind of like moving from primary to secondary school, but in a…