Cultural Awareness

Reading through my favorite blogs this morning, I was intrigued by this press release, referenced by The New Unschooler.

The quote she referenced hit a cord with me.

"It is vital for children educated in
homeschooling environments to be
exposed to different cultures and to
learn to accept people for who they are,
despite cultural differences."

I completely agree with her assessment of the press release, and I felt I had to add my own thoughts.

If my children went to public school they would spend their days with children just like them. White, middle-class, marginally privileged children.

If they went to the local private or parochial schools it would be even worse. More segregated. Less exposure to people different from themselves. I should know, I went to one of those parochial schools.

As I recall the information I learned about different cultures came from reading, documentaries, news programs and eventually, college courses.

Never was I required to take a class on cultures of the world. Teachers never had time to elaborate upon what little cultural information they gave.

Yet, my children, who are out in the world every day, learning from the world around them, are constantly subjected to new people, ideas and cultures.

I spend a great deal of my 'schooling' day (and a good bit of the 'rest of the day') explaining differences, discussing inequality and repression and teaching tolerance and respect.

Obviously, I agree with the press release in their assessment. Children do need exposure. Children need to learn about others.

I believe that their intentions were good. I understand what they were trying to impress upon readers. I think that it was just poorly worded and organizations attempting to cater to homeschoolers need to understand their audience a little better.

Rarely is it a homeschoolers intention to bring their child home to shelter or exclude them from real world learning. Rather, homeschooling is done in an attempt to expose our children to a broader range of lessons and realities.

Homeschooling does not mean schooling at home, as it once did. For most families, my own included, homeschooling means being educated outside of the classroom, in the world. What better way to learn about cultural tolerance than to actually participate in the world around us?

(It should go without saying that I have a great amount of respect for teachers and administrators in the school system. They do what they can, with the resources provided to them and within the context of what they are allowed to (and have the time to) teach.)