Tuesday 12 April 2011

On medieval peasants

I suggested a couple of days ago that a child who did not receive a broad and balanced curriculum might end up like a medieval peasant, with a stunted and restricted outlook on life. Predictably, a number of people were quick to assure me that medieval peasants were a lot sharper than I seemed to think and that they were real whizzes at growing their own organic vegetables. I should have expected this. These types are rather like the pre-Raphaelites, harking back to a simpler and less complicated lifestyle in which children were unencumbered by too much book learning. This is quite a strong theme among some British home educators; the Guardian reading, sandals wearing, organic food and no vaccinations brigade.


Perhaps I did not make my meaning clear enough though and the fault may be mine. My reference to medieval peasants was meant to convey that this class had little opportunity for exploring elevated ideas; art, literature, science and culture. They had enough on their plates averting starvation and very little time to sit down in the evenings and read Chaucer. Their everyday life occupied them fully and they had neither time nor money to explore anything else. This is the risk that I see when parents talk about education being part of everyday life. Instead of actually trying to introduce their children to the wonders of mathematics and high culture, ancient history and quantum theory, they might rely upon what their child knows and encounters every day. History will consist of looking at pictures in the family album. Geography will entail learning about the streets around his house, mathematics will be learnt during shopping trips.


For many of us, the role and purpose of educating children is to show them something beyond their ordinary lives, ideas which they might not come across in the local shops or while looking at their family history. This is why I compared such a lifestyle to that of a medieval peasant; the horribly stunted horizons of this lifestyle are uncannily similar. It is all very well saying that little Timmy will learn about maths while shopping with his mother, but unless somebody takes the trouble to show him things like calculus or Algebra, he may well grow up thinking that mathematics consists only of arithmetic. This is not very exciting or stimulating and the child's view of the subject has been artificially limited, to the great detriment of his future development. The same happens when history is taught through the family photograph album. In this way, even the most fascinating topic can be made humdrum and dull for the child.

47 comments:

  1. "This is the risk that I see when parents talk about education being part of everyday life."

    Maybe their everyday life includes art, literature, science and culture? This is true of our home and presumably yours. Why assume that other families live more impoverished lives than yours?

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  2. Medieval peasants didn't live in this world - this world that thrusts so much information at us every day. Their children would be unlikely to say, "Hey, where's Ivory Coast? Why are the people from Ivory Coast speaking French?" or "What was Chernobyl? What does radioactive stuff do to you?" The horizons of someone living an every day life now are unimaginably wide when compared to those of medieval peasants.

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  3. 'Why assume that other families live more impoverished lives than yours?'

    One need only read the posts on some of the biggest home edcuation forums and lists to see what I mean. Or try reading books recommended by organisations concerned with home edcuation. For instance, Education Otherwise describes one book as;

    'A good source of support and basic information. Should be in every library in England'

    this is Teach yourself Home Education by Deborah Durbin. This book suggests exactly what I talk about above. The author says,

    'History lessons can be covered by exploring your family tree'

    As I say, this promotes a narrow-minded and parochial outlook.

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  4. 'The horizons of someone living an every day life now are unimaginably wide when compared to those of medieval peasants.'

    They are in your house Allie, where current events are discussed, newspapers left laying around and the television news is on. This is not the case in many homes.

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  5. Graham Stuart M.P just said on facebook this about 20 day rule i think you should do post on this Webb?
    The problem that the 20 day rule was proposed to fix was that of schools encouraging reluctant parents to home educate so that they could wash their hands of the child and remove its name from the register forthwith. I have always supporte...d the idea of the 20 day rule. It enhances the rights and choices of parents and restricts the freedom of schools. It seems entirely in line with my desire to strengthen and reinforce the rights of parents against the powers of the state. If local authority staff try to bully or threaten parents then that is something that needs to be dealt with - it is not a necessary result of the 20 day rule. I've now read all the posts and the home ed forum posts and I don't think that this is the problem that lots of people seem to fear.See More

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  6. Have you been to Allie's house then Simon? I think it would be very difficult for a family in today's modern environment to only end up learning about how to harden off your vegetables and how Great Grandad sowed his oats wildly in his youth, and completely avoid talking and learning altogether about topical world events.

    Perhaps some families aren't so much concerned about introducing facts but more with inspiring their childs interest in certain subjects. Perhaps researching the family tree will inspire a love of learning about how the past connects to the future more than reading about some unrelated individual like Captain Cook?

    Just a hypothesis.

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  7. Are you saying that you have actually come across home-educated children whose sole exposure to geographical knowledge was the streets around their home and to historical knowledge the family photo album?

    Or is this another over-simplified generalisation for the purposes of making a point - like your reference to the hypothetical medieval peasant?

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  8. 'Are you saying that you have actually come across home-educated children whose sole exposure to geographical knowledge was the streets around their home and to historical knowledge the family photo album?'

    I certainly have come across such children who, once reamoved from school, learned nothing about history and geography beyond this sort of thing. Removing children from school at the age of fourteen or so in order to 'home edcaute' is quite popular in hackney and Tower Hamlets where I work. I could introduce you to teenagers who have not even seen a book since being taken out of school. Nor do they use the Internet for anything other than facebook or watch the educational television programmes.

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  9. 'Have you been to Allie's house then Simon?'

    I have not and if she does not read the Guardian, watch the news on television or discuss current affairs with her children, then I am sure she will set me straight!

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  10. "Removing children from school at the age of fourteen or so in order to 'home edcaute' is quite popular in hackney and Tower Hamlets where I work."

    LOL! How many of those are talking on the HE lists or are buying and reading 'How to HE' books you mentioned earlier?

    "I could introduce you to teenagers who have not even seen a book since being taken out of school. Nor do they use the Internet for anything other than facebook or watch the educational television programmes."

    Report them to the LA then, it's your civic duty. If it's as bad as you claim they will not be able to prove, on the balance of probabilities, that they are providing a suitable education.

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  11. "One need only read the posts on some of the biggest home edcuation forums and lists to see what I mean."

    That's ridiculous. I could tell little about the art, literature, science and culture in your home from you posts to email lists. You mentioned IGSEs and the mechanics of taking them from home and that's about it. No mention of learning through doing and other educational activities that you have since mentioned on your blog. I I only had your HE email lists posts to judge by, I would have concluded that your daughter had a a fairly narrow cultural experience whilst growing up.

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  12. No, Simon's not been round for tea. But we do, indeed, read the Guardian, watch the news and discuss current affairs. In fact, a couple of weeks ago we bought lots of papers on the same day so teenage daughter could compare coverage of the cuts demonstration. She was a bit astonished by The Sun but it's all part of learning about the world!

    If you know teenagers in the position you describe, Simon, then that's a very poor deal for them. But I suspect they weren't get much more access to anything that would broaden their horizons when they were in school, were they? Sounds like things in their lives were already going very wrong.

    I haven't read that book by Durbin. Does she suggest that learning about history should begin and end with the family tree? I doubt it. Taking starting points from day to day life is fine, surely? I know that things in our local area have often been the starting point for wider enquiry. Did you know that the world's deepest hand dug well is in Brighton?

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  13. 'Report them to the LA then, it's your civic duty. If it's as bad as you claim they will not be able to prove, on the balance of probabilities, that they are providing a suitable education.'

    Local authorities seldom bother with fourteen year-olds. It being almost impossible to prove that an education is not being provided, particularly if no visits are being undertaken. Some of these people are on the lists and have used the edcuational philosophies from HE-UK to persuade their local authority that they are genuine home educators. One person I know has a collection of such things sent in by parents, all uncannily similar.

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  14. 'No, Simon's not been round for tea. But we do, indeed, read the Guardian, watch the news and discuss current affairs. In fact, a couple of weeks ago we bought lots of papers on the same day so teenage daughter could compare coverage of the cuts demonstration. She was a bit astonished by The Sun but it's all part of learning about the world!'

    Ha! I knew it. My own daughter when small honestly did not understand that the Sun was supposed to be a newspaper. Mainly because it did not contain any news!

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  15. "Some of these people are on the lists and have used the edcuational philosophies from HE-UK to persuade their local authority that they are genuine home educators. One person I know has a collection of such things sent in by parents, all uncannily similar."

    If they accept only an educational philosophy they are not doing their job properly, especially if they have a collection of similar documents! Report them to their employers for not doing their job properly. If those children are worse off at home than school, it's partly down to you for not doing anything about it, though I suspect Allie is right in her estimation.

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  16. Simon wrote,
    "Local authorities seldom bother with fourteen year-olds. It being almost impossible to prove that an education is not being provided, particularly if no visits are being undertaken."

    You seem to think that LAs need more power to fix problems that are partly caused by their inability to follow current laws correctly. If they cannot tell that a suitable education is being provided from the evidence provided by the family (which should go way beyond an educational philosophy) they should issue a SAO, not just ignore the problem.

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  17. Anon says- they are not doing their job properly, especially if they have a collection of similar documents! Report them to their employers for not doing their job properly. If those children are worse off at home than school, it's partly down to you for not doing anything about it, though

    Im afraid Webb wont report any one who works for the LA for not doing thier job properly he has evidence of children not being home education yet refuses to take action to help these children every day that goes by for these children that you claim you know of is anther day wasted for their education act man and do something to help these children. im sure if you sent or phoned your LA their would take action to help these children?

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  18. "If they cannot tell that a suitable education is being provided from the evidence provided by the family (which should go way beyond an educational philosophy) they should issue a SAO, not just ignore the problem."

    It's stupid and a waste of money to change the current system without even knowing if it can work if it's followed by LAs correctly.

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  19. Peter and Carol..
    Did you write your Educational Philosophy yourselves?

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  20. "Did you write your Educational Philosophy yourselves?"

    Writing an educational philosophy isn't a requirement, you know. We are known to the LA and have never written an Ed Phil and Simon has never mentioned writing one. It's just one option amongst many for providing evidence of a suitable education to your LA.

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  21. It's quite odd that Peter and Carol didn't answer that one.
    So, that leads to the question whether they've ever put anything in writing to Hampshire CC, such as a written plan or report.
    I know that you can download an 'Ed Phil' but I also know of some local contacts for EO that will write them for you.
    If anything was written by Peter and Carol it would surely raise doubt concerning their literacy.

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  22. Anon says-Did you write your Educational Philosophy yourselves?

    no we never wrote an educational Philosophy or sent in as parents any evidence of an education!

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  23. anther anon says=So, that leads to the question whether they've ever put anything in writing to Hampshire CC, such as a written plan or report.

    we never sent in as parents a report to Hampshire CC. We did send in letters of complaint!

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  24. Yes, I've read some of your letters on your blog.
    Do you have a learning disability?

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  25. anon says-If anything was written by Peter and Carol it would surely raise doubt concerning their literacy.

    the letters of complaint we wrote where praised by County Councillor Dr Tony ludlow who said what good letters their where with so much detail! he was very dissapionted to see how poor HCC letters where with spelling wrong dates wrong and not address correct and facts in many letters where wrong along with a number of lies that where told! Dr Ludlow works for big collegue in london very respected man for him to praise your letters you know you done good!

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  26. anon says-Do you have a learning disability?

    no we do not have a disabitlty do you have a disability?

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  27. I think he might have been patronising you.
    How did you manage to write such letters without so many spelling mistakes and grammatical errors?
    You can't manage to do that on here or your own blog.

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  28. anon saysHow did you manage to write such letters without so many spelling mistakes and grammatical errors?
    You can't manage to do that on here or your own blog.

    this is just a blog no one cares whats on here! how did we do it you ask very easy we took our time made sure we had our fact right and told the truth about what had happened! your question remind me of some one saying to me have you got any exams in chess(you can take a course) your boy is so good at it? i said no i have no exams or anything like that but yes your right he is very good at chess and we taught him! but he said how? and the answer is so simple by being willing to spend a great deal of time with him over his chess with a book or on the internet nothing clever really but maybe in this day and age it is?

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  29. Peter or Carol said..
    'anon says-Do you have a learning disability?'
    where he/she/they copied the sentence.
    Then they said..
    'no we do not have a disabitlty do you have a disability?'
    And managed a spelling mistake.

    Niace would assess that and similar mistakes as confirmation that the writer has a learning disability.

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  30. Hmmm....the chess thing. I wanted to ask whether you thought that 5 hours of playing one game was healthy?
    I know that 5 hours of playing a Playstation isn't. Sony warn gamers about doing it.

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  31. anon says-Niace would assess that and similar mistakes as confirmation that the writer has a learning disability.

    who is Niace?

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  32. anon says-Hmmm....the chess thing. I wanted to ask whether you thought that 5 hours of playing one game was healthy?

    not all games last 5 hours some are over very quick! in a long game a player can get up go out side for air or just clear his head outside of room we as parents spend a lot of time in the playing room makeing sure Peter has everything he needs including fresh drinks at his table and correct seat for him also making sure people dont get to near his board as this can distract a player Peter knows we are thier and is now of an age to deicde for himself if he feels he needs to get up from the board i think the longest game Peter ever had was 7 hour game but most game last i guess about 2 to 3 hours but i have noticed that Peter been winning games much quickr this could be becuase he has got much stronger in the last few months and has just won the uxbridge open adult tournment his last game was over within 1 and a hour hours it our duty to make sure that Peter is always safe at the board and that it does not harm him in any way! we will only play in chess events that are safe well run and where Peter can have assess to good playing conditions we will not play anywhere we not sure about we will visit a playing area a day before to check everything out!
    not all chess parents do this im afraid! we do and will turn down a paying chess event if condition are not correct!

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  33. 7 hours eh?
    In Niksic and Pljevlja chess is considered an old man's hobby, or something to do while drinking Espresso and smoking.

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  34. "In Niksic and Pljevlja chess is considered an old man's hobby, or something to do while drinking Espresso and smoking."

    An interesting factoid I'll agree, but how relevant is this to the current discussion? I mean, in some countries its considered inappropriate for girls to be educated above a basic level. Your factoid about chess seems as relevant to Peter and his son as my fact about a girl's education in other countries is to my daughter.

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  35. Seems a bit strange that a country that considers chess to be an old man's hobby to be played whilst drinking Espresso and smoking would organise an international chess tournament though.

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  36. Peter and Carol
    What books does your son read?

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  37. There's quite a link to Chess and mental illness.

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  38. anon ask-Peter and Carol
    What books does your son read?

    I was going to say chess books LOL! at the moment he reading the book Krondar the Betrayal by Raymond Feist
    Peter likes wizzard fantasy type books he has many many books and at some point he would like to give some of these books to other home educated children!

    some people think that all Peter does is play chess if only he would! he does all the normal things a boy his age does such as hanging out with friends looking for a girlfreind going to sport centre trampline club he goes their cos more girls go to the club than boys i think he get a fair bit of attention from the girls thier! he did win a medal few weeks ago so he is geting better at this. Takwon-do club swiming this friday i think his freinds are coming over to play board games while i cook them dinner! this weekend!he goes on the computer as well enjoys trips to London on the train with me to see various sights in london and he growns sunflower plants!

    he also writes rules for games he has made up

    we dont really play that many chess tournments as we will only play where conditions are correct and safe for Peter we could play every week if we wanted but we dont! we get asked lots but turn these request down much to the surpise of the person asking! he thinks like many of you do that all peter does is play chess!

    now anon tell us what books you read?

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  39. anon says-There's quite a link to Chess and mental illness.

    is their? my guess is you could link anything to mental illness?
    gives your picture of what you think Peter like and i bet your guess wrong? i give you a clue for one he has a very good sense of humur and loves to tell jokes! and boy can he talk! once you get to know him!

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  40. Peter, you are so cool and laid back! The other anon keeps trying to wind you up yet it washes right over you. I can just imagine them sitting there grinding their teeth frantically trying to think up something to say that will annoy you and failing miserably every time.

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  41. nice anon says-Peter, you are so cool and laid back!

    thanks you can visit us any day! you want a free chess lesson? or your children?
    your got be cool in this life a lot of very silly things have been said about us and Peter most of it wrong so we keep a good sense of humur laughter is the best cure for anything Peter loves Ken Dodd you watch him on you tube he soooo funny!
    we got a chess match tonight v Reading A team at Reading lookig forward to it Peter plays for Sandhurst A team wish him luck!

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  42. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Peter, good luck!

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  43. Have you heard of Luis Henrique or Bobby Fischer?
    How about Bill Hartson(British chess master), Charles Krauthammer(in Time Magazine) or Stephan Zweig(I like Zweig)..
    they made some comments about mental health and chess players.
    Ever heard of Morphy or Steinitz?
    Or Tony Miles?

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  44. Whatever happened to being conscious of online security involving children?

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  45. Yes, I'll never understand the way some people give so much information out about their families on the internet. Simon's daughter even published their full home address and phone number on Facebook! He and Simone have appeared on TV and in several newspaper articles. On the one hand I think the advert is probably good for HE, but on the other, you never know who is going to read and locate you. Just look at some of the strange comments that have been written here recently!

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  46. nice anon says-Anonymous said...
    I'll keep my fingers crossed for Peter, good luck!

    Peter draw his game and his team won the match if you type up berkshire chess and look up the club sandhurst A team your see this site gives information teams postions and the players!

    I played as well in a much lower team and draw as well! maybe you keeping your fingers crossed help. your brought me luck anon!

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  47. anon says-they made some comments about mental health and chess players

    so what?

    chess helps people it bring people togther of all ages and races men/women we could do with few more women players! it gives many old peopel something to do and a sort of soical life many people play for fun and to have chat you do more than just play chess at a chess club anon! some clubs have partys trips away all sorts go on why dont you go along to your local club to check it out? i know of 89 year man who plays it has giving him purpose in his life before he just sit and watch tv! now he has a member from chess club pick him take him to chess once a week he loves it i think some of the local players at his club now make sure he got food and just pop round for a chat!
    i have meet some really nice people though chess some i have know some for over 25 years i know of one man Richard James who with out his love for chess many juniors would not have learnt how to play every week he was thier runnign Richmond chess club he was never paid for this work!

    people of all walks of life can fall victim to mental health problems my advice is for you to chill out and relax and go to your local chess club and lend a hand!

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