homeschooling is for punks

I'm so glad you posted this. I have so many friends who are teachers and they are absolutely CONVINCED that anyone who likes the idea of homeschooling is a far-right loony.

do attract a lot of attention these days.

the library I work in is filled with homeskoolers every week day morning. Some of them seem normalish the rest are straight out of the swamps freaks.

Which is all the more reason for normal folks to stand up for good ideas and not let it be associated soley with the far right.

Well, there are a few problem with this. First of all, a good majority of kids that are homeschooled actually have their parents as teachers-not so punk rock or anti-authoritative in any sense-and while homeschooling doesn't follow, let's say, a public or government-funded school system (homeschooling curriculum/grade levels tends to be more advanced), that would be like saying private schools are for punks. Also, this may be a generalization..but they don't get out much. Being sheltered: also not so punk rock. However, being close-minded: pretty damn punk rock. So is homeschooling really for punks? I guess that what it all comes down to is the student..it could really go either way.

yeah it depends on the parent pretty much. my cousins were homeschooled and I would say they were pretty sheltered....but it didn't hurt them much and i think they get out quite a bit now that they are old enough to drive. I would say they lean more towards being on the punk side of things because they are wayyyy diy. they built this awesome yurt-like house all by themselves, they have lots of horses that my aunt rescues, and my cousin breeds goats. they are almost completely off the grid, they use solar energy and a generator, they have outhouses and one composting toilet, the only thing that they use from the outside is a telephone wire so they can get the internet and have a telephone.

just asking.

you, FITD, have a fairly narrow description of what it means to be punk. maybe it would help your argument for you to state exactly what that is. 'cause if, to you, it means that only youth can be punk, well, i got a problem with that.

ok, so my aunt might not be miss punk rock but she is a hell of a lot more diy than pretty much all of the serious "punks" that i know. i mean...her outhouse could be on the cover of better homes and gardens if she wanted to. she has ugly outhouses too, with spiders and worms in them, and ugly outhouses are super punk rawk!

When did I say anything about punks only being youths?

In response to HMM, I am the blogger who was using punk as a metaphor in her post. The premise that homeschooling isn't punk because parents are the teachers is missing the point.

The point is that for people who are homeschooling secularly or who are unschooling, the kids are free. Free not to say the pledge. Free to wear what they want,be who they are, eat what they like, say what they think and most importantly learn what they want (provided they have supportive parents) Most kids get out often and do many cool things. This is a pretty radical idea to most people and I would venture it is less radical a thought to people with a punk background who've been doing that stuff for years on their own anyway. If that makes me a hippy and not punk, well then come rip my Decontrol stickers off my leather and call me a poser!

What I'd like to say to the world, and apparently even to Punk Planet readers is; stop thinking polygamist isolationist survival compound when you hear the word ‘homeschooling’ and imagine a life without the 4 walls of school.

Thanks,
Kimzyn