Thursday 18 October 2012

Limiting Childhood

"The statement that I cling to through all my home visits is, "Will the education limit future life chances?"" So stated (at 9:52) Melissa Young yesterday while describing how she monitors, without any backing in law, private families going about their private business.

And right here is one of the problems we face. These people just don't realise that children are already people. They're not people-in-waiting. Little blobs of protoplasm waiting to take their place in the world in fifteen years time. They're people, with actual thoughts, and actual feelings, and actual wants and needs, actually living in the world from the day they're born.

So my question to you, Melissa, would be this: What about their current life chances?

School: limits trees climbed, limits ideas mulled over in their own time, limits curiosities followed, limits passions seen through to the very end, limits cuddles with mum and dad, limits running full pelt through the park with their coats on their heads like superhero capes, limits topics learnt about, limits splashing in puddles, limits getting mucky in the dirt, limits cavorting in the sunshine, limits throwing autumn leaves in the air, limits rolling in the snow, limits pictures painted just how and when they want, limits visits to the toilet taken as needed, limits meals enjoyed without state oversight on content, limits visits to the museum when no-one but your friends is around and staying as long as you want, limits afternoons sitting up a tree, limits mornings sprawled in the grass, limits cakes baked on a whim, limits potions concocted from spices and mystery ingredients, limits explosive experiments carried out, limits giant bubbles blown, limits books read at leisure, limits stories written for fun, limits photos taken, limits things learnt that just aren't covered by any restrictive curriculum, LIMITS CHILDHOOD.

So, Melissa, this is my definition of a suitable childhood: It doesn't reduce your chances to be a child. Your system fails, and our lives win.

6 comments:

  1. Absolutely. Excellent point.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did you forget to tag Mrs AMBIGUITY?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mrs Ambigwitty is probably off busy somewhere looking down her nose at people she doesn't understand.

      Delete
  3. Brilliant post! So true, every word!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amazing post. Except it shouldn't be, it should be how we all see children. xx

    ReplyDelete