"So what do you do in school?" I asked my little niece who is going to be 5 next month and who has started going to school 3 times a week, for half days.
She looked down at her hands; "We colour." "Really?" I said turning to her mother who said enthusiastically,"Tell Auntie about the Beech leaves you learned about."
Oh you went on a hike?" I asked excited for her. "No.The teacher showed us a picture of the leaf in a book."
My sister and I looked at each other. It's fall outside for goodness sake! And the leaves swirl gracefully, dropped down from tree heights, grazing the pavement and the road; auburn, flashy red, umbra and topaz.
And out on the trails, it's a magical carpet to take you on a wondrous adventure.
The well intentioned teacher and her little book can never provide the authenticity of an outdoor experience of being immersed in the real thing.
I watched my sister's face fall in disappointment. For her, unschooling is not an option.
But I can't help wondering if whatever money she needs to have is really worth leaving a child's imagination/development at the mercy of a system that is not capable of anything more than the superficial experience.
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