10 Problems with Classical Classrooms

and

 Their Solution

I found these 10 points very encouraging for all homeschoolers considering classical education at home using the Trivium. I say encouraging because you are given a solution to the 10 problems.

I just realized how much money parents save by teaching the Trivium at home… up to $4,500 for each child and for 8 years. That’s a total of $36,000 for “one” child. If a homeschool family has more than one child— which is very likely, the cost is higher in a private class room. This doesn’t mean you won’t need to spend a dime for your homeschool books, everyone does, but it won’t be $36,000 for your 1^st grader.

Twenty years ago, I substituted at a Christian school when teachers called in sick. I recall a tragedy. An 8 year old girl had been raped while on her way to the Christian school that morning. Obviously this had nothing to do with the fact she was enrolled in a Christian school. Nonetheless, it is good to know as homeschool mothers, children are not sent off anywhere— alone, unsupervised while paying absorbent amount of money.

The following italized 10 points were used with permission from: Teaching the Trivium: Christian homeschooling Classical Style, written by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn

In their book, explanations are given for the 10 problems.

1. Classroom schools create bonds which can easily cross and oppose the proper bonds of authority and affection.

2. Classroom schools can create an atmosphere of ungodly rivalry instead of godly challenge.

3. Classroom schools create a cross-cultural exchange outside of the parents’ control, establishing values which may conflict with those of the parents.

4. Classroom schools can be academically inferior in many cases simply because of the inefficiency of teaching the identical material to multiple of children at different learning levels.

5. The age segregation of classroom schools encourages peer groupings as the proper way to portioning society.

6. The gender mixing of classroom schools can create situations which are inappropriate.

7. Time at school away from home, other after-school programs away from home, and schoolwork brought home from school—these all draw order and commitment to the school and away from the family.

8. There is an inherent contrast between: 1) the tutorial-discipleship model, and 2) the teacher-classroom model.

9. When learning is artificially separated from real life, many things are left unlearned, creating a vacuum void of things which need to be learned by daily example.

10. Resources are imprudently consumed.

Maribel Hernandez

www.APMFormulators

Topics covered this week: External Medical Aids, Medical History taking and Nanomedicine.

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