Learning in the Absence of Education

Essays on Homeschooling

© Beverley Paine

Girls In Education
(continued)

It is important for parents to be familiar and confident with tasks they wish girls to become competent at, and to model this behaviour. The same can be said of boys in non traditional tasks around the home. This may mean parents' attitudes and abilities may need to change, with parents embracing new challenges and activities with honesty and enthusiasm. Fathers and mothers both need to examine the roles they display, and to question their actions and speech, focussing on the issue of ender equality. It is surprising how well embedded biased attitudes are, and how much self-evaluation is needed to expose them.

In the school environment girls benefit from time to work with girls only. This helps diminish the competitiveness between the sexes during activities boys are normally more adept at. A filtered down effect can occur in the home. Girls need to be comfortable enough to take on the role of 'doer' rather than the traditional 'organiser'. Naturally, access to activities and materials more usually associated with male behaviour is necessary, and opportunity to use and play with them without the presence of boys from time to time.

It is important to take a gentle approach when introducing such activities and materials; often girls will have little experience with these mediums and will need time to experiment with and explore them. It is easier if this approach is adopted in the toddler years, as it gets harder to break down hidden beliefs of incompetence with materials for older girls. Frequently girls will 'look' to boys or fathers to 'take over' the task, or demonstrate competency, rather than experiment themselves.

Often mothers will need time to catch up on learning more perceived masculine skills and abilities too. It is helpful for parents to seek out support, by keeping informed about current trends and philosophies regarding equal education, and by keeping in contact with similar minded home educating families. This helps to reinforce the changing values, attitudes and beliefs in the homeschool. It is hard to change anything without support in the social environment.

Although taking girls seriously in education and providing them with equal opportunities is crucial, remembering to have fun and enjoying the learning process with them helps build confidence, reducing the possibility of the stunting effects of fear of failure so dominant in girls. Taking a conscious and responsible approach is the first step in opening up a world full of opportunity and learning to both girls and boys. An education based in equality has advantages for all children.

Since writing this article I have increasingly noticed, as my children grow, the gender bias that exists in this our own family. Despite having their father home all day, and his sharing the domestic duties with me, our boys tend toward 'boyish' things and April toward 'girlish' things. I have never gone out of my way to become competent at the practical and mechanical side of our life. Perhaps this has been a major downfall. I have always presented the traditional female role of emotional support and family organiser. Robin has always done the physical hard work of building houses, fixing cars and the plumbing.

I still agree with everything I wrote in the article, but acknowledge once again how hard it is to change entrenched values. I have noticed an alarming trend in education and society to believe we have won gender equality. The myth of equal pay fools too many, both men and women. There is little equality shown anywhere in society, and too many people show little or no respect for people of either gender. Perhaps by going against the grain, and rejecting a failing educational system by choosing to educate my children at home, I have given my children a tool by which they can hope to change what I have not been able to - entrenched and disrespectful stereotypes.

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More than 60 essays covering a wide range of home schooling concerns and issues, such as late readers, value of play, socialisation, learning maths, part time school, and thoughts on testing. Learning in the Absence of Education is an intimate and honest look at day-to-day homeschooling life spanning several years. Includes articles on learning maths, reading and writing, spelling, socialisation, part time schooling, fathers and homeschooling, value of play, grading and testing, coping with stress and illness, and much more.

"These essays are the real life experiences of a long term home educator and activist and make inspiring reading... a valuable resource for all those interested in home education.... What I particularly appreciate are the personal day-to-day stories that are so specific in the incident or outcome These are essays written over time that reflect natural learning (read life) as it really happens.

I really enjoy Beverley's writing style in this book. It is very direct, sometimes even challenging the reader. She tries to be scrupulously honest always so we read of advantages and disadvantages of whatever topic she is discussing. She will also point out the ideal situation and how she thinks she falls short. Sometimes she is self-deprecating; sometimes she glows with enthusiasm for their successful lifestyle. There are touches of humour and sometimes wry cynicism.

Hopefully this book will answer many people's questions and fears about natural learning. It is all in here: how right it feels when natural learning is working well, what happens when we have insecurities ourselves, and the results so far. By presenting the natural learning case in this essay style, Beverley has been able to reflect the different moods, the ups and downs, that make the book a valuable resource for all those interested in home education, whatever their current style."
Janine Banks, home educator, Qld

ISBN 1876651016, 128 pages... $22.95

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Homeschool Australia SA HE Network Unschool~Kidz! About Beverley Paine

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