Are You a Home Education Activist?

By Beverley Paine

This article was inspired by an article in Fruitful, a regular e-zine by UK homeschooling mum and lifestyle coach, Sally Lever: http://www.sallylever.co.uk/

As a teenager I wanted the world to change, to become a more child-friendly place. My frustration that generations of wise, educated people hadn't fixed the world's problems continued to nag at me and pointed me in the direction of education. Fortunately for me, I failed my last year high school, missed my chance to train as a teacher and ended up becoming an educating parent instead!

Teaching my children at home - changing the world one child at a time - was never enough to satisfy me. I needed to share what I was learning with others. A brief dip into the world of alternative schooling was disappointing but illuminating. I found it hard and often unrewarding work being an activist pushing for change from inside the education system. I gave up on that and put all my energies into helping other families enjoy an old, tried and proven approach to education, one that within a supportive community works really well.

Activism usually conjures up images of people chained to trees, lying across roads in front of bulldozers, or bravely defying armed soldiers in poverty stricken or totalitarian countries far away. Those people put their freedom and even their lives on the line to make a statement about what they believe or to fight for change. We home educating activists don't do that, but we do push boundaries and engage in activities that challenge our perceptions about ordinary everyday life: who we are, what we want and how we can achieve our goals.

How can we follow our hearts and speak out for what we believe in without causing further suffering or hardship? How can we be effective and consistent in how we decide to act? And how do we engage in non-violent methods of transformation?

Fortunately for home education the issues we face rarely require radical action, but many of us do face challenges that leave us stressed, disturbed, and frightened: sometimes inclined to react rashly, often in ways that can impact negatively on our personal lives.

One of the side effects of becoming an activist is being more visible in the community: we put ourselves in the spotlight and this means we can become the target of criticism or adulation. Neither is welcome and both are stressful to manage. We can also, as I did, expose our family life to the world, which can be a positive experience, provided our families are happy to have their privacy destroyed for a 'good cause'. It is difficult to be an effective activist when using a pseudonym and is probably in this internet-connected world.

For a long time, I wasn't clear about my abilities as an activist and tried to do too much. 'Burn out' is a common symptom; too many of us suffer breakdowns, ill-health and even marital problems due to not understanding our personal limitations or the limits set by our circumstances. The need for change is so great and the work required to bring it about so vast it is hard to know where to begin or where to stop.

This means that the first thing to do if you're thinking of becoming a home education activist is to take inventory of your personal skills, ambitions, limitations, situation, and circumstance. Work out what you are a good at, what comes easily, what can fit into your current lifestyle without too much personal or family sacrifice. This will translate into action that doesn't drain you of energy.

Determine what kind of action suits your personality. Are you a communicator that loves writing? I am therefore I concentrate on writing answers to questions in my online support groups , books , articles, my blog , resource directories , newsletters, and magazines. Perhaps you love talking to people; you could find yourself happy giving seminars or training people. I've discovered that this isn't one of my strengths and am happy to leave that to others. Or maybe you are a whiz at debating and love a good argument; working towards legislative change may be your niche. Again, that's not an area in which I excel as I find it too stressful. If you are great at persuading people, finding ways to market your goals to a wider audience could be the way you work to change the world. Or you could be a 'people person', able to put people in touch with other people; every cause needs a campaign manager. It's important to use our strengths to find our niche, what will work for us and sustain us in our activism roles.

What life skills do you have that you can bring to support this cause? The home education movement needs bookkeepers, lawyers, public speakers, salespeople, writers, child-minders, caterers, managers, teachers, sound technicians, secretaries, visionaries: you name it, there is a job that can be filled by a volunteer at some time now or in the future. There are a range of different home educating groups listed in The Educating Parent Support Groups Directory . Grassroots action is powerful and effective: simply being part of a local group is a great way to start helping others feel confident about this educational choice for their children.

Activism doesn't have to be loud campaigns seeking solutions to immediate problems; a softer form of activism exists in which ongoing education, mentoring, coaching, and training, writing and journalism and facilitation of discussions work continuously to effect change. As a member of many groups, I take heart noticing the hundreds of organised events and activities by home educating families across Australia. It is a sure and steady statement that home education works and is a viable alternative to school-based education. Getting together and sharing our experiences is the simplest but probably most powerful form of activism.

If you'd like to help promote home education, ask yourself what moves you emotionally the most. Are you angry that the law, or how it is administered, discriminates and victimizes some families? Are you passionate about promoting an educational approach that respects children's individuality? Follow your heart when picking your causes; your passions will motivate and energise you.

Analyse the situation carefully; what needs to change? Research all aspects. Tune into news about your cause. Have others found appropriate solutions that could be adapted to your situation? What can you learn from them that can help you in your cause? Anticipate and understand the obstacles that may stand in your way, be they legislative, bureaucratic, lack of education or training, lack of funding, etc.

Find allies, people who think the same way as you. It is more productive to seek like-minded people and form coalitions than it is to spend endless hours persuading people with opposing opinions to your point of view. Think laterally: you may find allies in surprising places. Don't be an island; communicate with others regularly. Keep in touch by telephone, messaging, emails, newsletters, online social networks, blogs, etc. Seek out mentors and personal heroes, activists that inspire and encourage you by their stories.

You will need to work out how much time and energy and which of your personal skills and attributes you can dedicate to your role as a home education activist. We are all time-poor parents living busy lives and our first responsibility is to be there for our children and families. Be realistic. Set clear boundaries about what you can do and when you can do it. Learn to say 'no' as often as you say 'yes'.

But most of all take care of yourself. To serve others and your cause you need to regularly express gratitude for simply being, work to stay healthy and enthused about life, and continue to be interested and involved in your community and what's happening around you and in the world.

On a personal level, being a home education activist has added meaning and purpose to my life and given me a tremendous feeling of achievement. Feedback from people whose lives I have touched by my writing or workshops - families in despair who were watching their children's needs be ignored at school, or home educating parents who felt lost and ready to quit - encourages me to continue. I know that my efforts count, no matter how small or insignificant they feel to me, and make a difference.

www.iamanactivist.org

"I am not an activist in pursuit of recognition or fame.
I am not an activist so that strangers will think I am a good person.
I am not an activist because it is good for business (although more often than not it is). I am an activist because being an activist makes me feel alive.
Activism is being a voice for the voiceless, standing up for the weak and the frail, engaging the human spirit. It's putting your head above the parapet, being heard, being seen, being counted.Do something. Do anything. Just do something."
Dame Anita Roddick 1942-2007

Some other, related, websites that you might also like to have a look at are:

In the UK: www.38degrees.org.uk
In the USA: www.moveon.org
In Australia: www.getup.org
For world citizens: www.avaaz.org