an interesting follow on to yesterday's unschooling thoughts -
today we went to a kindergym for the first time. the space and equipment were great, and later in the free play session dandan would have a ball;
but the class session, whooboy! i was dumbstruck by the amount of control exerted over and expected from the children.. all of whom complied.
sit here, don't talk, watch this; do this, then this, then this, in this way. now stand, now go do it.
for a session devoted to physical activity, there was an surprising amount of quiet sitting and watching required.

and then, at the end of the session, the kids had to sit in a circle, feet crossed, (and not tucked under the parachute they were sitting around), with their hands on their heads palms down. so that the instructor could go around the circle, and stamp each obedient hand with a "good" stamp. literally. freaking unbelievable.
ironically, in adults this would be considered cultish or brainwashed behaviour. or what we'd expect from prison inmates. it's the stuff of futuristic sci fi horror a la Orson welles' 1982.

thank goodness that by then dandan had long checked out of the group, i don't know if i would have wanted him to be sitting obediently there with his hands on his head waiting for the Stamp of Approval.

from the instructor's pov, dandan was a big Fail for this class. she was constantly trying to get him to stop what he was doing and come back to the group, and barraging him with commands (not instructions, these were very clearly Commands) to which he replied NO! to every one. good on him.

this one child had chucked it, and his mum took him out for a while. she brought him back in later apologising that he had "lost it" but was now ready to join in;
he was now totally subdued and compliant, and obediently did all the activities meant for his enrichment, with a broken spirit and the remnants of his tears drying on his now-passive face.

so this reminds me why i don't want him in conventional school. because he's not a prisoner or in the army. and i do want his spirit intact thanks.

it's just ridiculous.