Don't give your child 13 years of schooltime hell

By Frank Richardson

TANGERANG (JP): Have you ever stopped to wonder what you are putting your child through in sending him to school? If you did not enjoy your own schooling, do you do all you can to make sure your child does not ascetically suffer in a similar way for some 13 years of her life?

Rather than places that are anonymous, labyrinthian, clinically cold and where children are force-fed information under the threat of a whole range of disciplinary (albeit non- physical) measures, are today's national and international schools in Indonesia healthy environments that help produce balanced, enthusiastic and happy children?

Does your child take time to finish what he is doing, chat with his friends and, even, his teacher, rather than rush out of school at its conclusion as if heading for a bomb shelter through fear of an imminent nuclear attack?

Are you quite sure that your child's school is a positive influence in her life? One that will help off-set the effects of almost unavoidable exposure to pervasive negative stimulants in society such as: alcohol, street fights, pornography, video violence, drugs, etc.?

Does your child have the guidance, freedom, understanding, opportunity for self-discovery, adventure and inspiration that all children, particularly adolescents, need to become happy, balanced and fulfilled adults able to make a positive contribution to an increasingly troubled world?

If the answer to any of these questions is "no", there are steps you can take to change things.

You probably decided on your political complexion very carefully and may have even chosen your religion from the great variety now available.

When you chose the house you live in, you probably carefully considered a variety of options. You read the brochures and newspapers, visited, inspected, asked questions, looked at the locality and nearby amenities.

Likewise, you would not buy a car without carefully considering the reputation of the make and model, test-driving and looking at the mechanical specifications. Then why not be as thorough in choosing your child's school?

Rather than simply plumb for a school in close proximity that offers your national curriculum, you could consider alternatives. You should be aware that there is a whole range of different ways in which a curriculum can be delivered.

To find out more about pluralism in education, you could ask what is meant by progressivism, essentialism, existentialism, behaviorism and perennialism and find a school with the philosophy you prefer.

Besides being familiar with their school mission, your child's teacher and headmaster should have clear views on the theories of philosophers and educators such as Jean Jacques Rousseau, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Friederich Frobel, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, A.S. Neill, etc.

If you do take the trouble to glean information, do not be satisfied when your child's head teacher justifies his school's pedagogic methods by simply telling you, "We believe we have got it right".

Such a rashly confident claim ought to worry you sick through fear of the presence of dogma and the absence of objective self- criticism. Likewise, you are right to be concerned when your child comes home and tells you her teacher told her, for example, that Nelson Mandela was locked up for 27 years in South Africa because he did not have a passport and that racism does not exist in Europe anymore.

Be selective, be objective and do not be fobbed off with curt replies to your searching questions or accept any mystifying answers from school staff.

Good schools do not necessarily have to have high tuition fees and expensive facilities; but they should be warm and caring places where teachers have time for their pupils and also find time for parents.

Good schools are places where children enjoy learning and do not clock-watch or count off the days to the end of term. Good schools guide and inspire through warm rapport and healthy mutual respect.

If you feared or loathed school, you owe it to your children to ensure they too are not "incarcerated" for 13 years for the sake of being educated and having a competitive edge in the market place.

If you are not looking for a school that "expands to the limit your child's natural capacity and desire for independently seeking and finding meaning, truth and enjoyment in everything she does", then you should be asking yourself whether you are taking too much for granted in the matter of her education and, thus, her future in society.

The writer is a father of three children and a professional educator.