Joke test of taking children seriously
Taking Children Seriously people will cringe at the educational agenda implied by this joke, whereas homeschoolers/unschoolers will find it funny, and others will wonder what it’s all about.
by Kevin Schoedel
On Politically Incorrect…
A comment by the then Governor of Oklahoma.
Are your children free to follow their own interests?
Assuming your children have interests different from yours, are they going to be able to follow those interests, or not?
That something is legal does not make it right or best
An argument that the mere fact that something is legal does not make it right or best. Many different things are perfectly legal; not all of them are good.
Why allow minors to disregard the guidance of their elders?
Does financial supporting our children mean they must obey us? Is it right to expect quid pro quo for our support?
Theory-laden observation
Sense perceptions—physical sensations—DEPEND—on a rather low level—on how one is thinking about them. Observation is theory-laden.
Coercion punishes children for reasoning
The problem is that when coercion is used, it really doesn’t matter whether your reasons make sense, or whether the task is the right thing to do. They have to do it regardless. It precisely blocks their thinking in that area.
Intimidation called ‘influence’
Arguing about whether coercion is really just force or threat of force.
Did the coercion achieve its intended effect?
Coercion would be wrong even if it did work, but it often doesn’t. And whether or not it accomplishes its intended effect, it often has unintended effects too.
Parents accept costs and inconvenience for their children
Whilst being non-coercive can be inconvenient, it is no more inconvenient than being coercive. A child taken seriously has no reason to see adults as adversaries.
Parents know that punishment is damaging
We parents delude ourselves that we are doing the right thing, viewing our coercion as ‘necessary’ or ‘unavoidable’.
The primary function of teachers is to coerce children
The primary function of teachers is to hold innocent people against their will (in other contexts known as “imprisonment without trial”), to force them to do things they don’t want to do, to stop them doing things they do want to do, and to “train” (coerce) them to conform.
Age-of-consent laws fail to protect kids
Whilst age-of-consent laws are intended to protect children, they often fail, and may be counterproductive.