All this attendance rhetoric is about conformity. It’s not in the interest of the children’s or their families. “Do this or you’re a failure. Then go to work and do that or you’re a failure.” Be part of our system or we’ll label you a failure.
As a neurodivergent adult who ‘succeeded’ at school but now is still struggling with mental health issues that were indoctrinated into my brain by the demands of school, I refuse to let my neurodivergent children suffer the way I did. I came out with good grades which did enable me to get to university and train to be a teacher (which I did for 23 years with SEND children), but the cost was not one I would in hindsight pay. My children are home schooled so they can develop more skills than regurgitating knowledge. The things I remember from school are not the facts I was taught - most of them were forgotten straight after exams - but the attitude of teachers and the cruelty of my peers. The best thing we did as parents was to stop *making* our kids attend school - they were immediately happier in themselves and feel able to express their individuality rather than trying to conform.
I'm just like you, still suffering from the consequences of conditioning but couldn't save my children. It's hard to go against a whole community, where homeschooling is illegal!
School, especially for those that 'succeed', is confirmation indoctrination not education. Education requires curiousity, experimentation, doubt, and mountains of missteps. School serves a purpose in the consumer driven race to equip us with resources to spend chasing hope and happiness. Attendance is an acceptance emblem that shows the world that we fit with what they expect.
My daughter could not manage at mainstream high school and is now educated online at home. I was sent on a parenting course for parents of anxious children. On this course I asked the tutor if you had to work in a workplace where there is constant pressure, physical bullying - pushing and shoving - shouting, sexism and racism on a daily basis would you work there? She said no, that sounds like a toxic environment. And I explained this is what it is like at high school. And as well as the constant pressure to test and assess children are in conditions that are damaging to their wellbeing, conditions that none of us would like to be in.
All this attendance rhetoric is about conformity. It’s not in the interest of the children’s or their families. “Do this or you’re a failure. Then go to work and do that or you’re a failure.” Be part of our system or we’ll label you a failure.
It’s so toxic.
As a neurodivergent adult who ‘succeeded’ at school but now is still struggling with mental health issues that were indoctrinated into my brain by the demands of school, I refuse to let my neurodivergent children suffer the way I did. I came out with good grades which did enable me to get to university and train to be a teacher (which I did for 23 years with SEND children), but the cost was not one I would in hindsight pay. My children are home schooled so they can develop more skills than regurgitating knowledge. The things I remember from school are not the facts I was taught - most of them were forgotten straight after exams - but the attitude of teachers and the cruelty of my peers. The best thing we did as parents was to stop *making* our kids attend school - they were immediately happier in themselves and feel able to express their individuality rather than trying to conform.
I'm just like you, still suffering from the consequences of conditioning but couldn't save my children. It's hard to go against a whole community, where homeschooling is illegal!
That’s really tough. I hope you and your children can find a way to move forward and enjoy learning again 🤞🏻
School, especially for those that 'succeed', is confirmation indoctrination not education. Education requires curiousity, experimentation, doubt, and mountains of missteps. School serves a purpose in the consumer driven race to equip us with resources to spend chasing hope and happiness. Attendance is an acceptance emblem that shows the world that we fit with what they expect.
This is especially bad for children of send.
My daughter could not manage at mainstream high school and is now educated online at home. I was sent on a parenting course for parents of anxious children. On this course I asked the tutor if you had to work in a workplace where there is constant pressure, physical bullying - pushing and shoving - shouting, sexism and racism on a daily basis would you work there? She said no, that sounds like a toxic environment. And I explained this is what it is like at high school. And as well as the constant pressure to test and assess children are in conditions that are damaging to their wellbeing, conditions that none of us would like to be in.
That's right!!!