From the first moments people dip their toes in the world of education outside of school they’re confronted with impassioned ideas about “structure”. “We don’t believe in structured learning.” “We’re not recreating school.” “I know we don’t want structure but I’m not confident I can provide the right education.” It’s impossible to miss the pushback. It becomes a sore spot for many people, whether they pursue an intensely formal approach or the polar opposite. While formality is not even remotely my choice I understand the formal people - it’s everything we know, the blueprint we’re raised in. My thoughts on formalism in learning are for another day, but I’ve long been fascinated by the strength of anti-”structure” pushback.
After all, human achievement comes from being intentional and deliberate. We don’t just stumble into inventions or writing novels, we choose to work on them, we intentionally hone our crafts. We teach our knowledge and skills to the next generation, passing on what we know, growing together generationally. We don’t expect everyone to work things out for themselves from scratch. So I was always bewildered by people recoiling from planning a learning trajectory.
One day it hit me. People weren’t talking about structure, they were talking about force. If someone grows up in a system where “structure” meant imposed by authority it’s completely understandable to revile anything related to that. But structure really doesn’t have anything in particular to do with school! Structure doesn’t mean drilling. It doesn’t mean rewards and punishments, it doesn’t mean ranking or separating children. It doesn’t at all mean a one-way transfer of information to be assessed or quantified. Let’s reject school’s ownership of structure.
I remember someone posting an article in a home education group a while ago about a young child who’d done his maths GCSE early. “Take a look at this Tarquin”, she seethed. “Bet his parents hothouse him”, another chimed in. “Why home ed if you’re going to push them like this? I would never”, was the final, damning comment before the thread was closed. I was horrified at how cruel some of the comments were about a child thrilled with what he’d done. But then I tried to take a more charitable view. Those people live in a world where it’s unimaginable that a child would want to climb their own personal mountain, to find a goal and overcome challenges to achieve it. They can’t imagine a child choosing that. I understand that a particular type of learning is praised in society and people are rubbed the wrong way by it, but schools aren’t known for their support for wildly precocious children. A home educated kid following a wild goal is something to be celebrated! Don’t be afraid of following a superficially “structured” goal if that’s what your child wants.
So what actually is structure? It can take a few forms. It can mean using specialised resources, establishing and working toward specified goals. It can mean taking part in planned activities, or a time management schedule to fit a busy life. None of that has to be enforced with threat of punishment or needs a towering authority figure. All of it can be self-directed, through consent and empowerment. And it can always be open to changing course.
Personally, I’m defiant. I reject that school owns the concept of directional, systematic learning. I frankly don’t care if now and then some things we do might bear a superficial resemblance to school. Learning and focus are so much bigger than a single administrative institution and if my educational practice occasionally looks like school then that’s school’s problem. We won’t not do something because it might look a bit like school. And I hope that new home educators find freedom as well - to not see totally recreating school as the only valid education choice, and to not feel they have to studiously avoid anything that looks too school-y. Your educational practice is yours and your family’s, to develop and change, to suit your needs! Work from the ground up, don’t limit yourself by the ideas of a system you’re not a part of. Support your child to build the experience they want and thrive in.
In terms of practicalities, children can and do develop their own learning structures. We can support them in this, they can choose to change it, we can go off on interesting diversions. None of this involves force or obedience or sad, downcast eyes. Nobody has to feel like a failure. If anything, there’s a huge amount of practical learning that comes with self-direction and setting their own goals. In home education you can build a plan with them and learn skills relevant to self-management along the way.
If you’re new to home education and weighing up the topic of “structure”, what do you think? Are you thinking of an approach that looks like a home schoolhouse? Would you consider building a plan with your child, to empower them in their learning? Do you think you’ll have ongoing conversations with them about what they want to get out of these years? I’d love to hear.
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