Schools should be a place where children learn what they most want to know, instead of what we think they ought to know. The child who wants to know something remembers it and uses it once he has it; the child who learns something to please or appease someone else forgets it when the need for pleasing or the danger of not appeasing is past.
-John Holt, from How Children Fail
Indeed. I heard another powerful quote once. I can’t remember the exact wording but some influential/important advocate for education, as opposed to schooling was asked by a parent what they should do if the child refused to do his work that they’d set for him. Said speaker just looked at the parent for a moment then said something along the lines of “I have NEVER heard of a child refusing to do HIS work. I have known plenty of children that refuse to do OUR work.”
Oh, I absolutely LOVE this! Thanks for sharing it.
You’re welcome.