One of the most stressful things I feel that parents go through, based on my experience, is the process of placing your child in an educational setting. And for so long here in the Philippines, there has only been one option - a brick and mortar school with a traditional system of classes, uniforms, and schedules.
Within the last 30 years though, there has been some movements on putting up alternative systems for children. Though not as widely accepted as traditional brick and mortar schools, progressive schools, playschools, special education schools, even homeschooling have been coming out of the woodwork. The teacher in me is extremely thrilled for this, though at the same time I am dismayed at how little options there are for parents who, like me, dislike the traditional system and want an alternative for their child.
R is getting older, and the search for progressive preschools has not been too difficult. There are plenty, at least as far as I know within the metropolis. But now that he's getting too big and too old for preschool, around the middle of last year we started looking for schools to place him for grade school.
And as if that task is not daunting enough for parents of neurotypical children, for children with special needs, it's even more complicated, and the options pool is even smaller.
So let me tell you how we went about it...
My husband and I met in high school, one of those traditional systems, and were very badly burned by it. I was bullied because of my quirks, while he struggled with the system due to it being too rigid.
By the time I got pregnant, we were both adamant that we weren't going to send R to a traditional school system. My training in Australia as a teacher also gave me that much conviction, although they called it by a different name there. Having R diagnosed with SPD, and eventually ASD, sealed the deal.
It took us some time to find a school we were willing to try with R, because to our dismay, we found that most schools still use the traditional system, even Christian schools. It left us wondering if this is a need that is not being addressed by the churches or organizations running these schools, and definitely broke my heart.
But now that we have a school that we're willing to try for R, I feel a bit better. But at the end of it all, R is the one who'll tell us if this school is a good fit for him, and we'll see as the years go.
So for those who are navigating through this part of parenting, let me share some insights my husband and I gleaned from this journey. And one of the things we really learned was to differentiate between traditional and progressive education.
Traditional education is defined as "teacher-centered delivery of instruction to classes of students who are the receivers of information. Traditional schools generally stress basic educational practices and expect mastery of academic learning in the core subjects of math, reading, writing, science and social studies". This is the system we are most familiar with. The bell rings, we file into class, take our seats, and listen to the teacher talk about whatever the lesson is for the day. We have homework, projects, exams, and at the end of each quarter, we take home the dreaded report card to show our parents.
I personally dislike this system because, in my opinion, it's a one-size-fits-all system, a cookie-cutter system, even going as far for me to call it a factory worker training camp. It disregards the fact that children are all different and intelligent in their own way, but insists on measuring students to a certain level of standards that they need to accomplish. Yes, I know some things are needed by all, like writing, reading, typing, and doing maths, but I do not believe that it allows for creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.
The traditional system is highly dependent on teacher-to-student transfer of information, and gives the student no ownership over what is being discussed. There is no level of control on the part of the student, and all control is given to the teacher. There is not a period of time where the teacher makes an effort to find out what the student does or doesn't know, and makes assumptions on what the student should already know based on standards mandated by a governing body.
In the spirit of fairness, I must say that the advantages of the traditional system is that it's highly regulated by the government, and standards are enforced. Teachers and parents have less work to do, it is more on the student's efforts to study and review, and since it's the most common form of education, can easily gain prestige and a good reputation.
On the other hand, progressive education had its beginnings in the late 19th century, and defined itself by these seven principles:
- The Student has the freedom to develop naturally.
- I understand this as allowing the student to be himself or herself, and to go at his or her own pace, without being compared to others.
- The Student's interest is the motive of all work.
- It's important for children to have ownership over their learning, so the teacher has the responsibility to get to know what the student's likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses are, and then tailor the content to catch the student's interest.
- The Teacher is a guide, not a task-master.
- I cannot like this enough. Because teachers are also human, not all of the information they give is accurate. I have great respect for teachers who answered difficult questions with "I don't know the answer to that. How about we find out together?"
- This actually, in my opinion, encourages the students to think and find out for themselves, instead of just sitting there waiting to be fed with information.
- The Student's development is to be studied scientifically.
- I am of the belief that grades do NOT accurately reflect how much a student has learned. Getting a 95% for English in one's report card is not an indicator that the student is fluent in said language for their level. In fact, I believe that grades tell you nothing about what a student has learned.
- Assessment is still important though, so it's up to the school, the curriculum and most importantly the teachers, to administer an assessment method that allows the student to showcase what he or she has learned, instead of regurgitating facts on a test paper.
- Grades are not as prized as the reports of the teacher's written observations are more important.
- Give greater attention to all possible factors that affects student development.
- Yes, because a lot of things happen that can mess with a student's mood for the day, and mood can affect learning. Which then leads to our next point...
- School and Home cooperation is vital for the fulfillment of Student's needs.
- This. A million times this. If home life is disrupted, school life is disrupted. Parents and teachers need to see each other as PARTNERS in the student's development, not enemies.
- School as a Leader in educational movements.
- I will quote the website because it couldn't be said any better. "The Progressive School should be a leader in educational movements. It should be a laboratory where new ideas, if worthy, meet encouragement; where tradition alone does not rule, but the best of the past is leavened with the discoveries of today, and the result is freely added to the sum of educational knowledge."
The disadvantage of the progressive system is that this requires more work on the part of the teachers and parents, as they not only need to teach, they also need to act as unofficial counselors or psychologists. It's also a lot more paperwork on the part of the teacher, and many parents feel a progressive school tends to be more lax on structure and discipline compared to traditional schools.
However, personally I prefer this system, partly because I've been trained in this manner, and also because I have witnessed many damaged people who have gone through the traditional system and came out with deep scars and hurts. The information we got from the traditional method often turns useless as we find we can't really apply them in our lives, as opposed to being given ownership over what we learn, and thus we tend to remember it more.
Another plus is that progressive education tends to be more accepting of special needs and works to be more inclusive, and I love that, because it reflects the real world. Children are given opportunities to work with other people of differing ages, abilities and skill levels, as well as develop life skills in a way that is realistic and applicable.
Another plus is that progressive education tends to be more accepting of special needs and works to be more inclusive, and I love that, because it reflects the real world. Children are given opportunities to work with other people of differing ages, abilities and skill levels, as well as develop life skills in a way that is realistic and applicable.
In my humble opinion, I am not saying the progressive system is perfect, but I prefer it over the traditional system because I believe it encourages creativity, critical thinking and collaboration more, while allowing the students to be who they are.
Don't misunderstand, some are suited for the traditional system, but not all are. Others work best in the progressive system, others in a hybrid, others in a more technical or vocational system, and yet others in a homeschooling setting.
My point is, know your child. Find out what works for him or her. There is nothing but pain to be had for a child who will thrive in a progressive system but forced to function in a traditional one, and vice versa. If your child needs the structure of the traditional system, do it. If he or she does better in a system that allows creativity and flexibility, then go. If they're better off being homeschooled, homeschool away!
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