Our good friend Patrick Farenga has been an activist and an advocate for homeschooling for over 25 years. When the reknowned author and educator John Holt died, it was Patrick who picked up the reins of Holt’s newsletter, Growing Without Schooling, and kept it in print for many more years. Patrick has been an outspoken – and well spoken – champion of homeschooling for as long as I can remember, and I was delighted to learn recently that he has started a new blog and website.
Patrick boils right out of the chute, pulling no punches, and writes: “Why should there not be a group that fights the commercialization of parenting? The very experience of parenting becomes altered when we see ourselves as consumers of parenting information products instead of adults seeking advice from other adults. Parents are cowed and neutered by consumer forces to turn over not just our money, but our responsibility for our children, to others for a fee. Television convinces most parents it is educational, to the point that many adults now willingly expose children to TV for its “positive benefits.” Our schools convince us that learning is a difficult and time-consuming task for children, and that we unqualified parents need to step aside and let the experts handle the growth and development of children every day, for longer and longer periods time. Our politicians tell us government is too difficult for the average American to understand, our lawyers tell us we’re too dumb to sit on juries, our doctors tell us we have the best health care in the world though most patients can’t afford it. And we’re told to spend even more money on education because, well, look how complicated the world is and how stupid most people are.”
I’ll be reading and linking to Patrick’s new site often. For now, just click on the link above and enjoy discovering a terrific new resource for homeschoolers!
Helen
mark
david