Helena has said repeatedly now that she will go to high school. Mostly, she is consistent with this. This means we only have until the end of this year left. I am of two minds. I know that high school is primarily a waste of time if your interests are academic .. well, depending on your classmates. It is hard not to see school through the lens of ones own schooling. I was interested in what was being taught, mostly. Most of it is gone now, rendered uninteresting by time or replaced by new stuff. Some I wish I could remember because even though I wasn’t interested then, I now realise an application to my life (sorry Mr Hughes and “this is obviously not Anne’s favorite topic”).

I have enjoyed this lifestyle choice that H made for us. The economics have been occasionally challenging but my needs are few and my wants are very small.

But I am not enough anymore. I am so okay with that.

That was written before I started my excellent Transforming Education masters course. I am now really not into her going to school for loads of highly intellectual reasons that have names that I had not heard before. The course has inspired me to actually transform education, that and the excellent work my cousin does, and a school that a friend has set up. I am feeling inspired by them. I, too, will make my own job that I won’t get paid for but am compulsed to do. Now is the time – we are heading to a massive world crisis, later is too unknown. I have to model action/ resistance/ self-reliance…. something like that. I shared my idea with my child, and she is so keen and excited. She is happy that now she doesn’t feel that she has to go to school, the ‘not school’ will be social and challenging enough she thinks…. contingent on attracting other children. We are kitting it out in our heads – massive tables for projects, floor space for projects, other peoples projects, wall to wall storage, bookcases on wheels to decide the space, books, art, music, dress ups and a stage, a kitchen… selling things for fundraising, kids making decisions… weirdly, she has come up with rules for computers – something along the lines of you can only play games you write!! Lists, I see lists of ideas. Boxes of tiny screws, children pulling things apart, naming things.. working! Philosophy, ooo, some arguments. Clay.. field trips 😀 Thinking like this is creative, co-creative.

It will be work, but I will not be writing learning intentions…