What’s the intention of the words “Compulsory Education”?
In this Newsletter:
- “Compulsory Education”? A call to action
- Highlighted SDE Content & Media
- Radical Learning Facilitation Program
- On the Horizon Journal Open Call
- Upcoming Events
“Compulsory” Education?
It turns out the phrase, “elementary education shall be compulsory” in human rights documents actually doesn’t refer to making school attendance compulsory. The International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) 2023 is calling on the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to clarify this. A group of youth rights and SDE activists have created a campaign to share and spread this news at the same time for maximum impact, and we are calling on you all to join and support us in this! Look for an email in a couple of weeks that will describe in more detail how you can share your experiences, and spread the news of IDEC’s resolution and our joint call to the CRC to change the human rights documents to clarify what “compulsory” education really means. It is our hope that this change can lead to a new understanding of children’s rights, including the right to be able to choose their education for themselves.
Highlighted SDE Content & Media
Here is just some of the SDE Media and Content that we have appreciated lately. Some of this is new, some is a few years old, but all feels relevant to our current learning. We hope it may be helpful or inspiring to you!
- Building Your Community article by Esther Jones
- Community Based Agile Learning Center: video by Gastonia Freedom School
- I’m Not Responsible for my Child article by Iris Chen
- Liberated Learning & Learning for Liberation with Raj Kanani – podcast by Rethinking SDE
- The Unschool Files Zine curated by Meghan
- Unschooling as Social Change article by Zakiyya Ismail
- Will Liberated Youth Choose to do Nothing? Article by Antonio Buehler
¿Estás buscando recursos en español? El canal de YouTube de Educambiando tiene una selección de vídeos de la educación autodirigida. Y Tipping Points Magazine por La Alianza de la Educación Autodirigida ha publicado algunos artículos en español:
- Liberated Bajo Responsabilidad
- Los Riesgos de la Educación Autodirigida
- Niños auto-dirigidos, padres escolarizados
- No sueltes el liderazgo
- Parte 1: Navegando la transición entre la escuela convencional y el Aprendizaje Auto-Dirigido.
- Tu interés es tu maestro
The Radical Learning Facilitation Program has spots available!
The Radical Learning Facilitation Support Program is a 10 month program, supporting SDE facilitators through a mix of live online group coaching sessions and accountability partner sessions, where SDE facilitators get the tools to co-create a new way of relating and communicating with the youth in their life by learning how to:
- Deepen confidence and facilitation skills.
- Develop new practices to support self-directed learners in developing more autonomy and independence.
- Co-create a consent based learning culture with kids.
- Develop more collaborative, equitable relationships with the kids.
- Build consent-based and trusting relationships with kids and their parents.
- Identify and learn strategies to let go of control and power over kids.
Learn more about the program here.
On the Horizon Journal Open Call for Submissions
The call for submissions is open through March 15, 2024.
Below are two excerpts from the website:
“Despite the many attempts of educational renewal, schools will only change if the entire education system changes. This requires more research into how humans become educated in alternative environments. Very little research has been done on educational spaces that support different ways of knowing, being, and doing. Yet, contexts that draw on a different, more relational and holistic, paradigm could drive new futures for learning and possibilities for human development.”
“We call for papers aimed at understanding the value of context, relatedness and ‘true’ choice on self-determination and self-development and the long-term effects on functioning in society. We especially welcome articles that center student voice within informal, non-formal, and self-directed educational approaches that operate outside the mainstream educational system, like unschooling/homeschooling or democratic schools.”
You can find submission information at the bottom of this website.
Upcoming Events
CREATING SELF-DIRECTED EDUCATION CENTERS
ROOTS OF RESILIENCE: NURTURE SCHOOLS THAT LAST
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