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    A Case For Homeschooling: 95 Theses Against the School System
    A Case For Homeschooling: 95 Theses Against the School System
    A Case For Homeschooling: 95 Theses Against the School System
    Ebook128 pages1 hour

    A Case For Homeschooling: 95 Theses Against the School System

    By Andrew Bushard

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    About this ebook

    Teachers act like pricks! Teachers make stupid rules! Teachers lie and manipulate! Schools drug kids! School is like jail! If you would like to break free from the school system, read this book!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAndrew Bushard
    Release dateMar 28, 2015
    ISBN9781311205957
    A Case For Homeschooling: 95 Theses Against the School System
    Author

    Andrew Bushard

    Find empowerment through the First Amendment here:We leverage freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances (the First Amendment) to empower youWe leverage creativity and inspiration to empower youWe leverage presentations, talks, mp3s, and videos to empower youWe leverage movies, DVDs, internet videos, and video games to empower youWe leverage integrity, understanding, diligence, and maverickism to empower you

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      Book preview

      A Case For Homeschooling - Andrew Bushard

      A Case for Homeschooling:

      95 Theses

      Against the

      School

      System1

      ©2013

      By Andrew Bushard

      The school system is evil and I no longer wish to be part of it. The case against our nefarious school system is airtight. I present to you 95 Theses why the school system should be resisted and shut down. I present to you 95 Theses why I can no longer be a part of this EVIL system. I present to you 95 Theses why I seek to save my soul and hopefully the souls of many others by opposing this EVIL school system.

      1 The title is in reference to the 95 Theses composed by Martin Luther in the early 16th century.

      Thesis One:

      Teachers Are Like Priests

      On October 31st, 1517, the monk Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. Among other theses, almost always the one considered most important was the thesis pertaining to his assertion that salvation comes from faith alone and not from the church or through good works. John Taylor Gatto, former award winning teacher and now critic of the school system, even discussed the importance of Luther’s Protestant Reformation in one of his books.

      One issue of Health Science compared doctors to priests since it argued traditionally priests like doctors have monopolized the control of knowledge in their respective area and have suggested that common people could not get by on their own. The article suggested that good health comes through healthful living and not through reliance on medical professionals, and thus each person can become healthy. Horace said, None of us have the monopoly on truth.

      Likewise, postmodernists and others have argued that knowledge and especially wisdom can be found by all of us without the aid of certified teachers and the educational establishment. Thus, these folks are saying what Health Science said about doctors and priests applies to teachers as well. We do not need formal education to obtain wisdom and even knowledge. Some say education causes people to think they are better than others.

      Mark Twain put it well when he said, I never let my schooling interfere with my education. Many have interpreted this beloved saying to suggest that learning is something distinct from formal education and formal education may actually inhibit true learning.

      Country artist, Randy Travis, also put it well in his song The Family Bible and the Farmer's Almanac:

      My father's father was the wisest man I ever knew 60 Years of Education; 7 Years of School

      Travis, like Twain, is suggesting that wisdom is distinct from formal education. Some even say that wisdom cannot be taught in school. Randy Travis's grandfather is very wise, but he would not be allowed to teach in the schools, because he lacked a formal education. That to me is pure foolishness. I would rather learn from a wise unschooled person than from foolish educational bureaucrat with a doctorate in education. The school system is thus denying all of us wonderful wisdom.

      One of the paraprofessionals (staff members who are not certified teachers) is very enthusiastic and passionate. Once she told me she lost her voice from teaching Sunday school. I imagine she did a great job and is an excellent Sunday School teacher. She would not be allowed to teach in our schools because she is not certified. How terrible! These educationalists should go into churches and heckle all non-certified teacher instructors of Sunday School.

      There's this Christian debater named William Lane Craig who refuses to debate those who lack Ph.D.s. I was discussing this with one other debater. This other debater quipped, Did Jesus have a Ph.D.? Good point. Jesus Christ is considered one of the greatest teachers the world has ever known, if not THE greatest teacher the world has ever known. Indeed, Jesus of Nazareth gave the world lots of wisdom. If Jesus of Nazareth came back today and had a mission of entering the public schools and teaching there, he would be denied the opportunity because he is not a certified teacher. That is utterly backwards!

      Wise people realize that we can learn from everyone. John Taylor Gatto has wondered whether the people who spend their time sitting in classrooms being brainwashed by rubbish are the most fit to teach. He recommends that people who have lived in the world and worked doing something, instead of people who just went to school sitting on their rear ends, teach children. Indeed, we should wonder if those who have went to the school of hard knocks are better equipped to teach than those who attended the garbage pit we call college. People like Gatto believe that we can learn from most anyone and not just licensed teachers.

      Similarly, veterans who have fought in wars have a lot more to teach about life than those who have merely sat on their fat rears in college classrooms. Teachers act as if they have been through so much. I have even heard them say, We go through a lot of schooling. So What!

      John Taylor Gatto said, Let all who want to teach, teach. I couldn't agree with him more. Abolish teacher certification now!

      Thesis Two:

      The Horrors of

      Mandatory Curriculum

      One of the greatest criticisms critics of the school system put forth is the aversion to mandatory curriculum. Critics of the school system say it is unwise and immoral to mandate curriculum since each individual has her or his own path and each individual’s learning should be directed by that individual.

      Folks who support this view say they believe in children. I do believe that sometimes if not much of the time, children know better than adults.

      These critics say when the curriculum is preset you have limited the kids. I would prefer to have the sky be the limit. Some say the kids themselves should be designing their own curriculum rather than some faceless bureaucrats. Wayne Dyer put it well when he said something along the lines, You have to have some discipline in order for any learning to take place, but when you allow children no input in what they are learning.. you are ruining them.

      Wayne Dyer is strongly against forcing people to avoid doing what they are here to do. I really agree with that beautiful sentiment. Who are adults to mandate curriculum? I sure do not know what's best for every kid; I believe each kid should be able to create curriculum and learning opportunities for himself or herself. Some like John Holt suggest that when you're forced to learn, you hate to learn, which is tragic because he says curiosity for learning is so natural.

      Others have pointed out that curriculum is very political in nature and if you do not realize this you are a fool. I don't like the political message this curriculum is sending our children or even myself and instead of imposing, we should let each individual have full control over her or his learning destiny.

      Psychologists might call mandatory curriculum shoulds, musts, and oughts. Contemporary Psychology, particularly Rational Emotive Therapy, is strongly against shoulds, musts, and oughts. Psychologists advise us against these shoulds, musts, and oughts because these force us to go against our free will. Some say it is a Faustian bargain when you get someone to do something he or she does not want to do.

      If you think kids are too foolish to create wise curriculum, think again. How could curriculum get any worse than we have it now? Bureaucrats need to get their meddling noses out of kids’ affairs and let them learn what is fascinating and relevant.

      Thesis Three:

      Let’s Get Rid of

      Compulsory Schooling

      Some commentators question whether it is consistent with the values of a free society, even the freest society in the world, to compel people to attend school. In our country, people aged 7-16 more or less are required to attend school. This is surely a violation of their freedom to choose. David Albert, homeschooling author, said something along the lines, When they go to school, everything is decided for them: when to talk, when to sit, when to open the book. Some call this fascism. The label is perhaps appropriate.

      Some people say I want to take away choices from people. I don't have a problem with taking away some choices such as drinking alcohol and gambling, but folks like Albert correctly argue that the school system takes away nearly ALL choices from kids. I don’t want to take away ALL choices, but educators do.

      Intellectual freedom is vital. It's one of the most important freedoms in existence. I certainly believe in some laws restricting behavior, but when it comes to intellectual freedom, we should have few to no restrictions.

      Freedom of thought is one of the most basic freedoms we have. The educators would die if we ended compulsory education, but that's exactly what we shall do. It's so tragically ironic that as some say the freest country in the world has a totalitarian school system. Compulsory sounds a lot like compulsive and indeed this fascism is compulsive.

      Thesis Four:

      Ugly Classism

      Homeschooling advocates like John Taylor Gatto and David Albert (among others) argue that the whole purpose of the public schools

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