[People familiar with the field of education know that among the leading lights speaking up for less coercive styles was John Holt. His books in the 70s showed intense sympathy for students — How Children Fail, How Children Learn, etc. I talked with Holt in ’72 and wrote up this meeting here: https://gaither.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/john-holts-conversion-to-home-education/
As I keep updating information, and finding old files, I recognize there are dark sides to this industry that need focus. This update about John Holt’s fears will be included in a book I’m working on. TA]
John Holt’s Prophetic Voice
It’s 2015 and in most of the Western World — particularly UK, US, Can, Aus & NZ — the education field seems to be infected with something called “transformation to 21st Century Learning”. In the US it’s called Common Core with similarities shared with other countries — shift to competencies such as collaboration, critical thinking, enquiry learning, constructivism, etc. — generally away from skills and content. Part of this move is because of technology — why teach knowledge when it’s just a mouse click away?
Whatever is indeed happening — few really know because so much is untested — yet being implemented in wholesale ways. Some critics express the opinion that these “paradigm shifts” are being imposed by stealth and without common consent. Fads come and go in education but this time there’s a coercive streak that’s just beginning to be talked about.
In all the writing about John Holt and his mission to help parents and students toward meaningful learning it was rarely mentioned that he had an underlying concern about totalitarianism. Sure, he promoted non-compulsory education, learning centers, home education, alternatives, etc. But for their own sake, not as escapes from fascism!
But Ron Miller, in his book — Free Schools, Free People, 2002 — mentions that “Holt explicitly suggested that the alienation bred by authoritarian education could well ‘prepare the ground for some native American brand of Fascism’ “.
Noting that so much of Common Core and the rest of 21st Century Learning depends so much on central control it is enlightening to read Miller’s impression of Holt’s “prophetic voice” in forecasting ”an efficient social machine managed by a privileged elite. Holt foresaw the coming of the New World Order, and he did not like what he saw.” (pg 89)
Without getting the book, you might be able to get a 6 page magazine article off the Internet or from a research group that is entitled — John Holt: His Prophetic Voice, Education Revolution, Autumn 2002, pg 28-33.
Today, I truly intended to just update information on this thread, but felt that this aspect of Holt’s mission should be brought forward because I also perceive this cultural hazard. In the article I wrote in 1987 that I provided a link to in the above story I warned about the “predatory state”.
The link to my article — Home Education – The Third Option doesn’t work, but can be obtained at: https://independent.academia.edu/TunyaAudain#
To get Parent Rights and Their Children’s Education (1977) — http://www.parentsteachingparents.net/page/3/?s=parent+rights