MICHAEL MARTINEZ spoke of Re: Ivan Illich to DAN TRIPLETT on 08-06-96
MM> -=> Quoting Dan Triplett to Michael Martinez <=-
MM> 
MM> DT> MICHAEL MARTINEZ spoke of Re: Ivan Illich to DAN TRIPLETT on
MM>07-31-96  
MM> MM>School is fine for people who _want_ to be there.   But why
MM> MM>should it be obligatory?
MM> 
MM> DT> Because students, like all "children" needed to be guided by
MM> DT> responsible  adults who understand that given a choice with no
MM> DT> immediate consequences  many would choose not to attend school.
MM> 
MM>That's the responsiblity of their parents, not you Dan nor any
MM>policy- maker.
I don't agree.  There are laws regarding attendance in school.  Parents 
can be held accountable ( I am assuming to some degree) if their 
children don't attend school (of some kind).  But your comment seems  
more philosophical than a direct comment regarding school attendance.  
Parents have had their children taken away from the home due to neglect 
and abuse.  The parents ARE the ones responsible for the child. But the 
State has some expectations and the parents are obligated by law to 
comply.  So policy makers are in fact needed to guide children into 
making choices that are in the child's best interest.  If a child makes 
a choice that opposes these policies, there are consequences.  Why else 
would we have a juvenile court system?
  
I am sure Illich has some ideas that can benefit education.  But to 
suggest the whole system be dismantled and then restructured is not 
reality.  It would be an impossible task to start all over.  While there 
are many badly needed structural changes, these changes, if they come at 
all, will come slowly and over time.  Changes that Illich suggests could 
only happen over time.  The system won't allow for anything else.  So to 
suggest otherwise is a waste of time.  Even if the suggested changes 
were seen as positive and accepted by all in the educational system, the 
change could only come about gradually.  Illich's ideas are too radical 
to have any chance of serious consideration in the field of education.  
So for all the ideas he may have, good or bad, it is like blowing into 
the wind.  
Perhaps you could focus attention on areas where change _could_ occur.  
Doesn't it seem obvious that no matter what you may think about Illich's 
ideas, the educational system will not accept them?  Seem like a waste 
of time to continue pursuing the idea.
Dan  
CMPQwk 1.42 445p
And on the 8th day God said, "OK Murphy, you take over"
Did I get it right this time? (*\M***=*-*?) 
--- GEcho 1.11+
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