Several people recently have recommended that I check out Blogdial and see what there is on the subject of home education. The impression I gained was that this is a left-leaning, libertarian place with sound views on the subject of freedom. Well I had a look and was quite frankly shocked by what I saw. Here is an example, taken from a piece on home education;
"Lets make something absolutely clear: the German people still love Adolph Hitler and the Nazi philosophy of National Socialism. In their heart of hearts they worship Hitler and they demonstrate their love for him by executing his laws in his honour."
Would that be all Germans? Even those born long after the war? Apparently so, because the writer goes on to say;
"The morality of the German people is once again in question.
They can either say that they 'did not know'‘ that Hitler’s laws on Home Education were being executed today, OR they can say that they agree with them, and that ‘Hitler wasn’t all bad’. Either way, they are guilty of the same crimes that the Germans of WW2 are."
Growing up as I did in the years following World War II, I was familiar enough with this sort of nationalism. My own family were rabidly ant-German, to the extent that my grandfather would not travel in a German car. However, most of us have got over this sort of thing now; after all, the war ended well over sixty years ago! I am surprised to find modern home educators espousing this sort of outdated nationalism.
I read a bit more and was absolutely astounded to find this statement a few lines later;
"As I said before, children are a special form of property. You need to accept this principle as one of absolute truth. They are either your property, or the property of the state."
This is almost beyond belief. Children are not property at all. I most certainly do not own my daughter and I find it horrifying that anybody, let alone a supporter of home education, should think in this way. The author continues;
"This is about who owns children, and if you do not accept that children are property and you as the parent are the absolute owner of that property, then you are declaring that the state is the absolute owner of your children."
How's that for a false dichotomy? If I as a parent do not accept that my children are my property, then I am declaring that they that the state is the absolute owner of them! This is so completely mad that I cannot make out whether it is supposed to be a spoof or what. Is it meant to be taken ironically and am I just being a little slow in catching the joke? Perhaps those who read the author of this stuff, Irdial, could offer some help here and explain why such a lunatic is evidently so popular with home educators?
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Being an irritable, middle aged man who grew up in England during the fifties and sixties myself, and assuming the quotes are accurately reported, I'm flabbergasted by what I read. It's complete nonsense.
ReplyDeleteThe diatribe is about the legal situation regarding home education in Germany?
No mention of the Gestapo on this occasion though! I've seen that mentioned in several articles I've read recently about the situation in the UK. I'm totally bemused.
There's a lot of garbage on the internet Simon.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is about German home education laws, Bob. And earlier, the writer describes Britain as fascist! You are right suzieg, there is a lot of garbage on the Internet. The reason that I looked at this site is that it is often recommended on places such as What Do They Know?, Renegade Parent and Carlotta's site. The impression I get is that it is very popular with many British home educators, which is why I was intrigued to read the sort of things on it that I printed above.
ReplyDeleteYes, I don't get it either. I think I know who the author is and I worry about his health and welfare.
ReplyDeleteSeriously disturbing.
I just hope to God that people outside the HE community don't read him or we'll really be up that creek without a paddle.
Mrs Anon
Simon, *Some* of the views on Blogdial have been very supportive of home education, hence the recommendations. If we dismissed everything anyone said because they showed signs of extremism in any respect, I don't think there would be much left for us to read.
ReplyDeleteMrs Anon, government is supposed to develop policies based on evidence of their likely benefits for everyone, not based on the political or philosophical views of the supporters or opponents of such policies. We should be drawing the government's attention to the evidence base (or lack of it) for its proposed HE policies, not fretting about what home educators might or might not think.
Ah suzieg, one detects a distinct lack of candour on your part! You begin by telling me dismissively that there is a lot of garbage on the Internet, hinting that I have stumbled across such garbage. In your next post, you reveal that you are quite familiar with Blodial and the mad views expressed there and that you agree with some of them. This is not really a surprise, because the main home educating sites often say things like, "See Blogdial's incisive analysis" or "Blogdial sums this up brilliantly". In other words, Blogdial is reagrded as a very good place to find sound views on home education. The fact that he is mad as a coot seems to have escaped everybody's notice!
ReplyDelete>>>>>>>Mrs Anon, government is supposed to develop policies based on evidence of their likely benefits for everyone, not based on the political or philosophical views of the supporters or opponents of such policies.<<<<<
ReplyDeleteGovernment? Who mentioned government? It's the general public's view of HE which I'm concerned about. The HE lunatic fringe has always had the potential to do us a lot of harm.
>>>>>We should be drawing the government's attention to the evidence base (or lack of it) for its proposed HE policies<<<<
Been there, done that. You?
>>>>>>>not fretting about what home educators might or might not think.<<<<
Well, that's kind of the reason I've been here, reading and commenting all these months Suzy, because I DO care what home educators think. :-) I care about the truth.
Isn't that why you are here too?
Mrs Anon
"In your next post, you reveal that you are quite familiar with Blodial and the mad views expressed there and that you agree with some of them."
ReplyDeleteSo are you suggesting that you disagree with every single view expressed on Blogdial yourself?
Well Anonymous, there are over 16,ooo posts there, so I have not read every one! I have to say that as soon as I realise that somebody thinks that children are the property of a parent, that all Germans are as guilty as those who took part in World War II and that Britain is a fascist country, I rather lose interest in whatever else the person says. i dare say that some people feel the sdame way about my views as expressed on this blog!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDelete>>>>>>>Mrs Anon, government is supposed to develop policies based on evidence of their likely benefits for everyone, not based on the political or philosophical views of the supporters or opponents of such policies.<<<<<
Government? Who mentioned government? It's the general public's view of HE which I'm concerned about. The HE lunatic fringe has always had the potential to do us a lot of harm.
>>>>>>>
My apologies, Mrs Anon. Since the government is proposing changes to HE legislation I assumed you were referring to it, since it designed the creek up which we would be. My own view is that the lunatic fringe goes with the territory of being a human being, whatever cause is being embraced. I was just feeling a bit weary of people saying things like 'we can't say that/ask for that/disagree with each other because if we do we are all d-o-o-m-e-d'. That clearly wasn't what you meant, though.
>>>>>We should be drawing the government's attention to the evidence base (or lack of it) for its proposed HE policies<<<<
Been there, done that. You?
>>>>>> Yes indeed. What bothers me is that public policy has shifted to being derived from public opinion - or rather the opinion of swing voters in focus groups - from being evidence-based. Interesting discussion about this on PM (R4) yesterday. And the S&T select committee has started a series of inquiries into the evidence base for govt. policy, so there might be light at the end of that tunnel.
>>>>>>>not fretting about what home educators might or might not think.<<<<
Well, that's kind of the reason I've been here, reading and commenting all these months Suzy, because I DO care what home educators think. :-) I care about the truth.
Isn't that why you are here too?
Mrs Anon
>>>>>>>>>>
Well, I realise now I misunderstood what you said. The point I was making was that there are all sorts of opinions amongst home educators. Not sure whether one would necessarily be able to sort the wheat from the chaff or how one would get the ones whom one thinks are going to do enormous damage to the cause to keep quiet.
I started commenting on Simon's blog because I was concerned about some things he said about children with special educational needs. I have been tempted into commenting on other matters. Perhaps I should have resisted.
Ah suzieg, one detects a distinct lack of candour on your part! You begin by telling me dismissively that there is a lot of garbage on the Internet, hinting that I have stumbled across such garbage. In your next post, you reveal that you are quite familiar with Blodial and the mad views expressed there and that you agree with some of them.
ReplyDelete>>>>>>>>>>
There *is* a lot of garbage on the internet. Some of it is on Blogdial. I don't think I did say I agreed with 'some of the mad views expressed there'. What I said was some of the blogs have been supportive of home education, hence the recommendations. Pay attention at the back, there!