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Americans leave school to study with
their parents at home
Dateline: 3/23/04
by Mariana Leite
- Published in the Diário
de S.Paulo, Brazil, February 15, 2004.
- Republished here with permission from Ms. Leite.
- Translated from Portugese by Lara Fountain and annotated
by Ann Zeise.
Americanos deixam a escola para estudar com seus pais em
casa
Americans leave school to study with their parents at
home
Cresce o número de crianças e jovens que são
tirados da escola por suas famílias para serem educados
em casa. Psicólogo diz que sistema não funciona
The number of children and teenagers that are removed from
school by their parents to be educated at home is growing. A
psycologist says that the system does not work. [Isn't it amazing
how reporters can always find one psychologist, who hasn't studied
home education, to make this statement? Here's research
about homeschooling. ~Ann]
Nos últimos anos, tem aumentado nos Estados Unidos
o número de crianças e jovens tirados da escola
para serem educados em casa. A quantidade de americanos ensinados
por suas famílias passou de 800 mil, em 1999, para mais
de um milhão no ano passado, segundo o Centro Nacional
de Estatísticas de Educação do país.
O crescimento do sistema - conhecido como "Homeschool"
(escola em casa) - não significa, no entanto, que ele
seja o mais indicado para a formação dos cidadãos
americanos.
In recent years, in the United States, the number of children
and teenagers removed from school to be homeschooled has increased.
The number of Americans taught by their families went from 800,000
in 1999 to over one million last year, according to the National
Center of Education Statistics. The growth of the movement
- known as "Homeschool" (school at home) - is insignificant,
even though it may be most desirable for the development of the
American people. [See Demographics
to see "significance" of the numbers of homeschool
families.]
Segundo o professor de Sociologia Educacional Mitchell Stevens,
da Faculdade de stanford, em California, o sistema tem crescido
porque os americanos preferem instruções individualizadas.
"As escolas públicas dos Estados Unidos não
estão preparadas para isso", diz Stevens, que tem
um livro publicado sobre o assunto - "Kingdom of Children:
Culture and Controversy in the Homeschooling Movement" (Reino
das Crianças: Cultura e Controvérsia no Movimento
de Educação em Casa). "Na maioria das vezes
os pais acabam optando pelo 'Homeschool' porque é mais
barato que a escola particular e melhor que a rede pública",
acrescenta.
According Educational Sociology professor, Mitchell Stevens of Stanford University in California, the movement has
grown because Americans prefer individualized instruction. "Public
schools in the United States are not prepared for this,"
says Stevens, who has published a book on the subject, Kingdom
of Children: Culture and Controversy in the Homeschooling Movement.
"In the majority of cases, the parents end up choosing homeschool
because it is less expensive that private school and better than
the public school net," he adds. [See also The
Kingdom That Never Was: Inaccuracies in a Sociological Study
of Homeschooling. ~Ann]
Protestantes
Protestants
A religião, no entanto, é considerada um dos
principais motivos que levam os americanos a tirarem seus filhos
da escola. Protestantes, católicos e judeus conservadores
não concordam com o caráter laico (não-religioso)
da escola nos Estados Unidos. Foram eles que criaram o sistema
de ensino em casa, nos anos 70, e mantêm grupos de apoio
a pais-professores em todo o país.
Religion, however, is considered one of the principle motives
that lead Americans to remove their children from school. Protestants, Catholics
and conservative Jews do
not agree with the secular character of schools in the United
States. [As well as those of other
faiths! ~Ann] They created the homeschool movement in the
70's and maintain support groups for homeschool parents throughout
the country. [Obviously, Stevens was showing his bias here! See
History of Homeschooling
for accurate history. I am finding through emails being sent
to me that most parents are removing their children from public
schools for of academic reasons or because of bullying
or other violent behavior at the local school. ~Ann]
Na opinião de Stevens, o sistema funciona: pesquisas
mostram que o rendimento de crianças que estudam em casa
é tão bom quanto o das que freqüentam escola.
Segundo o Instituto Nacional de Educação em Casa,
de 7.306 adultos educados em casa, 74,2% têm nível
superior - contra os 46,2% da população geral.
In Stevens' opinion, the movement is working: research
shows that that the success of those homeschooled is as good
as those that go to school. According to the National
Home Education Research Institute, of 7,306 grown homeschoolers,
74.2% have a superior level [have superior yield, income, success,
status? ~Lara] compared with 46.2% in the general population.
[This translation is dodgy, it all depends on the translation
of the words "rendimento" and "nivel". Rendimento
means something like income or yield which may be loosely interpreted
as success or something like that, while nivel can mean
level, degree, grade or something like that. ~ Lara] [In other
words, this statement is too vague to mean anything at all! Anecdotally,
homeschoolers are successful.
~ Ann]
Já o psicólogo Ted Feinberg, diretor executivo
da Associação Nacional de Psicopedagogos dos EUA,
afirma que o sistema é prejudicial. Para ele, a maioria
dos pais não tem a formação necessária
para ensinar. "Mas essa não é a pior parte.
O principal é que não se pode deixar uma criança
crescer numa bolha. Ela precisa separar pais de professores.
E, depois, lidar com as diferenças entre as pessoas. Na
escola, adquirem um respeito saudável à diversidade",
assinala. Feinberg diz que os pais deveriam parar de criticar
o sistema público de educação e "concentrar
a energia que gastam ensinando os filhos para melhorar a escola".
Psychologist, Ted
Feinberg, Assistent Executive Director of the National Association
of School Psychologists, claims that the movement is prejudicial.
[Pease see Dispelling the Stereotype of
Ethnic Prejudice in Homeschooling.] In his opinion the majority
of parents do not have the training necessary to teach. "But
this is not the worst part. It is that the children are left
to grow up in a bubble. It is necessary to separate parents from
teachers. And, afterwards, struggle with the differences between
people. In school, children acquire a healthy respect for diversity,"
he observes. Feinberg says that parents should stop criticizing
the public school system and "use the energy they are spending
on homeschooling to improve the schools." [Feinberg, this
is a democracy and a capitalistic one at that! We tend to speak
out and vote with our feet and our wallets! Many homeschool parents
were once on PTA boards, and just gave up trying to make a change
in their child's lifetime! One school board member in our district
decided to homeschool one of his sons because he just wasn't
thriving in the public schools. In case you haven't noticed,
the homeschool movement is influencing changes in the public
school system. Here are more answers to your socialization
concerns. ~ Ann]
Legislação
Legislation
Como o sistema educacional americano é descentralizado,
cada Estado tem uma legislação que trata do assunto.
Geralmente as crianças fazem provas periódicas
para comprovar o aprendizado. O sistema é aceito no país
inteiro e pode ser empregado em todos os níveis - do jardim
da infância ao ensino médio. O sistema também
existe no Reino Unido (com 500 mil alunos), Austrália,
Nova Zelândia e África do Sul.
Since the American educational system is decentralized,
each state has it's own
legislation to deal with this subject. Generally, children
take periodic tests to show their learning. This system is accepted
throughout the country and is used through all grades elementary
through high school. The system also exists in the United
Kingdom (with 500,000 students), Australia,
New Zealand, and South Africa. [And don't
forget Canada, Brazil,
and all these other countries!]
[Note: we are not sure where the author got the idea that homeschoolers
accept the idea of testing or that
it is done in all states. This is not
something I told her! ~ Ann]
Mulheres desistem da carreira
Women give up their careers
Segundo o professor de Sociologia Educacional Mitchell Stevens,
da Faculdade de Hamilton, o aumento recente no número
de crianças educadas pelos pais reflete não apenas
uma mudança nas instituições de ensino,
mas também no papel da mulher na sociedade. "A educação
em casa requer que um dos pais esteja em casa período
integral e, geralmente, é a mãe que assume esse
papel", explica. Assim, está surgindo um "movimento
pós-feminista", de mulheres que desistem da carreira
para cuidar dos filhos e da casa. Stevens acredita, no entanto,
que este seja o fator que conterá o crescimento do "Homeschool",
pois muitas mulheres não querem ou não podem deixar
o emprego para virarem donas-de-casa.
According to Educational
Sociology professor, Mitchell Stevens of Hamilton College,
the recent increase in homeschooled children reflects not only
a change in the educational system but also in the role of women
in society. "Homeschool requires that one of the parents
is at home fulltime and, generally, it is the mother that takes
on this role," he explains. A post-feminist movement is
growing in which women are leaving their careers to take care
of their children and their homes. Stevens believes, however,
that this will be the factor that will limit the growth of homeschool
because many women don't want to or cannot leave the workforce
to become housewives. [A good number of fathers also participate
significantly in their chilren's home education. See Dads
Talk. Also, a good number of families with all adults working are able to homeschool.
~ Ann
As mulheres também são as líderes dos
movimentos que pressionam os governos a abrandarem as regras
sobre este sistema de ensino. Diversas associações
de pais foram criadas nos últimos anos nos Estados Unidos
e não só fazem seu papel político, de lobby,
como prestam assistência aos pais-professores, fornecendo
currículos, CD-Rom, livros, enciclopédias e métodos
de ensino. "Há um grande mercado para pais-educadores
nos Estados Unidos. Isso é bom, pois eles são auxiliados
por profissionais da educação", afirma.
Women are also the leaders
of the organizations that pressure the government to soften homeschool
laws. Diverse support groups
have been formed over the past few years in the United States
and they not only play a role as lobbyists but also provide assistance
to home educators by providing curriculum,
CD-Roms, books, encyclopedias
and other resources for teaching. "There is a big market
for homeschoolers in the United States. That is good because
they are helped by professional educators," he states.
Entrevista
Interview [with Ann Zeise over the phone.]
"Isso fez com que meu filho mantivesse a cor natural
do cabelo"
"This made it so that my son kept his natural hair
color."
Ann Zeise, de 56 anos, formou-se em Filosofia, fez carreira
em marketing e chegou a trabalhar na Apple, empresa multinacional
de computadores. Desempregada, não quis deixar o filho
Scott na escola pública e, em 1993, decidiu dedicar-se
à sua educação. Hoje, aos 18 anos, Scott
estuda na Universidade do Havaí, após ter obtido
o certificado do ensino médio no ano passado. Em Milpitas,
na Califórnia, Ann atualmente mantém um site de
auxílio a pais que educam os filhos em casa (homeschooling.gomilpitas.com)
e diz "salvar vidas" dos que se vêem em situações
difíceis na prática do ensino.
Ann Zeise, 56 years old, once majored in Philosophy, made
a career in marketing and once worked at Apple, multinational
computer company. Self-employed, she did not want to leave the
Scott son in public school, so in 1993, she decided to dedicate
her time to his education. Today, at 18 years old, Scott studies
in the University of the Hawaii, after having passed the California
High School Proficiency test in the last year. [She forgot to
add that he also had earned 64 college units!] In Milpitas, in
California, Ann currently keeps a website to aid the parents
who educate the children in house (homeschooling.gomilpitas.com)
and says "to save lives" of those who are having difficult
situations of the practical type with education. [I find it interesting
that the reporter finds it necessary to give my age but not that
of Mitchell Stevens (probably 37) or Ted Feinberg (at least mid-50s)!
In no online resource could I find a mention that either of these
men are parents. ~Ann]
Por que a senhora escolheu ensinar seu filho em vez de mantê-lo
na escola?
Why did you choose to teach your son instead of keeping
him in school?
Scott estudava em uma escola particular, mas perdi meu emprego
e não podia mais pagar. Então colocamos o menino
na escola pública, mas ele não se adaptou. Um garoto
brilhante, ele era novo para a série em que estava e não
podia ser colocado na classe das crianças talentosas por
causa da idade. Quando a professora da 4ª série disse
que ia colocar uma caixa na carteira dele para que não
se distraísse, foi a gota d'água! Além disso,
meu marido foi trabalhar na região de Tahoe, a cerca de
4 horas daqui (Ann vive em Milpitas, Califórnia). Precisávamos
ter finais de semana prolongados para nos encontrarmos com ele.
Scott studied at a private school, but I lost my job and
could no longer afford it. We put him in the public school but
he had trouble adapting. A very bright boy, he was young for
his grade and could not be put into the gifted class because
of his age. When the 4th grade teacher said she would put a box
around his desk to keep him from being distracted, it was the
last straw! In addition to this, my husband started working in
the Tahoe area, almost four hours from here (Ann lives in Milpitas,
California). We needed to have extended weekends so we could
spend time with him.
Foi difícil no começo?
It was difficult in the beginning?
Sim, pois fiquei tentando trazer a escola para dentro de casa.
Quando iniciamos o aprendizado baseado no sistema "Homeschool",
tudo ficou muito mais fácil.
Yes, because I kept trying to do school at home. When we
started learning in more of an unhomeschool style, everything
got much easier.
Como foi o desempenho escolar de Scott?
How was it carrying out Scott's schooling?
Ele começou a faculdade ("college" - período
anterior à universidade) dois anos antes, aos 15 anos,
e se saiu muito bem.
He began college two years ago, at age 15 1/2, and it went
very well.
Que outras atividades ele teve durante os anos em que estudou
em casa?
What other activities did he participate during his homeschooling
years?
Aos 13 anos, Scott foi membro do Conselho Juvenil (um comitê
formado por jovens que dão idéias ao Governo municipal),
em que exerceu várias responsabilidades, como planejamento
de shows, danças, um centro para adolescentes, exibições
de filmes etc. Também foi escoteiro. Ele praticava ainda
futebol, natação e escalada.
At ages 13-18, Scott was a member of the Youth Advisory
Commission (a committee of youth that gives suggestions to the
local government), in which he performed various responsibilities,
such as planning of shows, dances, a teen center, film exhibitions,
etc. He was a Boy Scout. He also practiced soccer, swimming and
rock wall climbing.
Quais são as vantagens da educação em
casa?
What are the advantages to homeschooling?
Acho que a principal vantagem para todos é a proximidade
entre pais e filhos. Eu gosto que ele tenha nossos valores e
não os das crianças desta região. Isso fez
com que ele mantivesse a cor natural do cabelo e não optasse
pelos piercings. Ele olha para os adultos diretamente nos olhos
e consegue conversar com qualquer pessoa. E eu tive de aprender
novas coisas para acompanhá-lo e poder ensiná-lo,
além de ter conhecido pais fantásticos que também
educam os filhos em casa.
I think that the main advantage for all of us is the closeness
between parents and children. I like that he has our values and
not those of the children of the area. This is why he maintained
his natural hair color and has not opted for piercings. He looks
adults directly in the eyes and can hold a conversation with
anyone. And I had to learn new things to keep up with him and
be able to explain some things to him. In addition, we have met
many fantastic parents who also homeschool their children.
E as desvantagens?
And the disadvantages?
Parar foi difícil. Sei que vou sentir saudade dele
agora que está estudando fora. Vejo também que
ele é mais estudioso que a maioria dos amigos, o que o
torna um pouco "esquisito" por se preocupar demais
com os estudos.
To stop was difficult. I will miss him now that he is studying
away from home. I see that he is more studious than the majority
of his friends, which makes him a little odd because he worries
a little too much about his studies.
|
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Home Learning Year by Year
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- Kingdom of Children: Culture and Controversy
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- by Mitchell L. Stevens
- Moving from why parents opt for home-schooling to the long-term
effects on their children, he draws on interviews with a mix
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radicals and persuasively contextualizes the movement within
the "organizational strategies of the progressive left and
the religious right" in their attempt to preserve their
core set of values: "the sanctity of childhood and the primacy
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Homeschooling : The Teen Years
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Homeschooling: The Early Years
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More families are adopting the homeschooling lifestyle well before
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First Year of Homeschooling Your Child
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With the constant concern about the safety and quality of our
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Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook
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More homeschooling
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