CHAPTER 2 - "IN THE BEGINNING"... IS EDUCATION
- IT STARTS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN
It is impossible not to communicate. We may say someone won't communicate with us, but you can be certain they're communicating even if you don't like the message: fear, loathing, boredom, depression, distraction, anxiety, awkwardness, shyness, hidden admiration, etc.
Just as we cannot not communicate, so too we cannot not educate. Our every word, intonation, gesture, act of omission or commission -- everything -- communicates to children long before they are in school. Ultimately, education reform begins at home, which is why an increasing number of families have been opting for home schooling.
The schools themselves communicate vastly more than particular subjects. What subjects are selected ? Precisely what content in each is selected ? How much content is selected ? How is it presented ? What provisions are made for children of differing abilities ?
How is the structure of the school building used in educating the children ? How is the school day organized? What are the qualifications and attitudes of the teachers and other staff members ?
What is actually required of the students ? and of their parents ? What standards are adhered to, and how seriously are they regarded ?
Education reform grows from weighing how these concerns and scores of other school, family and community concerns are addressed.