2009年8月7日星期五

家.教(上)

問小朋友,最渴望是甚麼?十個十一個答你:「唔駛返學!」

「Miss,過埋暑假係咪又要返學嘞?」是我在假期中,聽得最多的學生提問。

就算上課的日子,也常有學生問家長:「媽咪,聽日可唔可以唔返學?」,或者哀求我:「Miss,唔做功課得唔得?」

在這個暑假,我也就真的聽到一個「唔駛返學」的故事。

友人早年移居美國,近年當上媽媽。她的兒子,跟當地愈來愈多的孩子一樣,從來未返過學。

這些小朋友,一樣會接受教育。方法,是Homeschooling。沒有固定課程,也無固定學習場所,學什麼,由孩子話事,家長就與之一起找答案。

小朋友對花有興趣,就去公園;對動物有興趣,就去動物園;對家居有興趣,就一起動手添置生活所需。上山下海、走訪博物館、社區中心、甚至只是周街行,或參加群體活動,不一而足。

孩子想發掘的,一律不阻止,陪着去經歷就是。過程中,不會把答案直接相告,卻鼓勵孩子「每事問」。

雖說是從生活學習,孩子離開了書桌椅子課室黑板,卻比學校裡的學生看更多書。因為尋問再尋問不果,最後也會回到書本上來。而且有了親身經歷,知識更易入腦。

友人之子,天天領着媽媽(對,不是媽媽領着他)東踫西看。出生至今,沒說過一句:「可唔可以唔學xxx」、「可唔可以唔去邊度邊度」。

相反,因為習慣「打爛沙盤問到篤」,對事物鑽深了,又引發另一輪新興趣來,相對同齡小朋友,不論理解事物的深度和濶度,或自學和自理能力,都勝一籌。

友人說,當地的家長,因痛恨公立學校機械式的操練,徹底扼殺小朋友的好奇心,紛紛用腳投票。單是05/06年度,「唔駛返學」的孩子,已超過二百萬個。(待續)

8 則留言:

匿名 說...

你嚇0下個小朋友,
話唔返學,考試就會肥佬,
考試肥佬,就幾乎判0左刑,
係香港,以後要過住悲慘既生活,0古0厘都冇得你做!

Unknown 說...

這大慨是homeschooling的一種,Child-led learning。也有同樣在家自行教育,但每天、年也固有定課程的。其中有Classical Education--先教grammar, logic, and rhetoric,給孩子學習的工具,讓他學會如何自己學習,自己發言,自己思考。然後才教『科目』,讓他自己教自己有興趣的科目。

你朋友在那裡住?

在香港不可以在家自行教育,是不是?

Frostig 說...

我都很希望將來可以在香港為孩子進行 homeschooling,可惜,香港政府不允許其一,手停口停將會沒有錢生活其二......

都說香港生活太逼人...... :-(

匿名 說...

Sadly, more of the homeschooling parents in the US are fundamentalist Christians who want to shield their children from knowledge (such as evolution) that challenges their religious beliefs. These kids grew up in a very insular, sheltered environment and socialize only with others with similar beliefs and backgrounds.

Unknown 說...

Dear anonymous,
Surely you are aware that many, and most of best, schools in Hong Kong are affiliated with religious entities? Browse an actual forum for homeschooling such as the "Hive Mind" http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/ and you will find homeschoolers across the entire spectrum of beliefs. All of these people are dedicated to educating their children in the best way they know how, many of them having given up high paying and professional jobs. Take a second to understand issues before joining the sheeple, bleeting out nonsense like "fundamentalist Christians" and painting all US homeschoolers with a broad stroke.

匿名 說...

Dear Chocobean:

Please don't be so defensive and read my message carefully. I never made any broad stroke criticisms against all Christians or all homeschooling parents. But it is true that the Religious Right has used homeschooling to fight against education system, which is supposedly run by those morally bankrupt lefties, in the "Culture War." And in that case, the goal of homeschooling was not really to promote independent/critical thinking. I could imagine homeschooling being used by SOME parents in Hong Kong to fight in its own version of the Culture War.

Again I'm talking the Christian Fundamentalists specifically – I am well aware that many schools and universities with religious affiliations offer rigorous liberal arts education and have trained many great minds over the years.

So my point is, don't romanticize homeschooling. While I do agree that there are many flaws in Hong Kong's educational system, I don't think homeschooling is the answer.

Just because I have reservation about homeschooling, I must be ignorant and misled? Huh? Do you know anything about me or where my perspectives on home schooling are coming from?

匿名 說...

Dear anonymous,
Christian homeschoolers do NOT protect their kids from evolution. In contrast, they provide good education by exposing their kids to evolution and creationism as basic scientific model so that the kids will have good understanding of different models and have a better education that is complete and unbias. They do not grew up in a insular, sheltered environment and socialize only with others with similar beliefs and backgrounds. They have contact with people with different beliefs and backgrounds. I think you truly lack of understanding of what homeschooling is really about.

匿名 說...

Dear 匿名,
Christian homeschoolers do not shield their children from knowledge such as evolution. In contrast, they exposed their kids in evolution and creationism as two valid scientific models. The kids can have a better undersatndng in a complete education. They can then make their own judgment. Public school only provide one model, that is shielding kids from knowledge that challenge their beliefs. Christian homeschoolers do NOT live in a insular, sheltered environment. They have connection with people that have different beliefs and backgrounds. I can clearly see that you really lack of understanding of what christian homeschooling is about. The author is not romanticizing about homeschooling. She is simply pointing out the beauty of it and the weakness of HK education system. No system is perfect, but after comparison, homeschooling seems to be a better choice.