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33rd out of 125 books
—
139 voters
Instead of Education: Ways to Help People Do Things Better
by
John Holt
Instead of Education is Holt's most direct and radical challenge to the educational status quo and a clarion call to parents to save their children from schools of all kinds. In this breakthrough work Holt lays out the foundation for un-schooling as the vital path to self-directed learning and a creative life.
Paperback, 250 pages
Published
October 1st 2003
by Sentient Publications
(first published May 1st 1977)
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From the guy who kicked off the homeschooling movement in the united states - not attached to Christianity, but to free kids from the pursuit of achievement, which he equates with Education. John Holt tells us that Education prepares students for a restricted life, constrained by the everlasting failing to pursue one's curiosity and develop a holistic being.
This is a well-written and concise treatment of the Education system from an unschooling perspective. Not much has changed since he wrote i...more
This is a well-written and concise treatment of the Education system from an unschooling perspective. Not much has changed since he wrote i...more
This is vintage John Holt, who is considered by many to be the father of the homeschooling movement. Written in the seventies, his criticism of the public education system is apropos and prescient. Thirty years ago Holt proposed that school reform was not possible, that the whole system needed to be scrapped. He offered many alternative ways for children to pursue learning and self-education instead of the environment of compulsory schools whose social function is "ranking....grading and labelin...more
Sep 27, 2010
Milloum
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
educators, teachers, parents
Recommended to Milloum by:
parents wondering whether to put their 5-year old daughter at school... or not
Very radical. A 100 years back in Europe, and to this day in many parts of the world, compulsory schooling was social progress; but now, Holt says, school as we know it has to be wiped out.
Reading this book, if nothing else, revealed how many preconceived ideas I had harboured about education. I laughed out at my stupidity when reading John Holt explaining that "learning" and "doing stuff" are not in fact different processes, the one taking place at school, the other, outside... How much more ob...more
Reading this book, if nothing else, revealed how many preconceived ideas I had harboured about education. I laughed out at my stupidity when reading John Holt explaining that "learning" and "doing stuff" are not in fact different processes, the one taking place at school, the other, outside... How much more ob...more
I give the concept and content five stars, six, seven, eight, nine. Shoot me for this, but I find John Holt's writing itself to be slightly dry and thick. However, he's the Father of Homeschool and I think this should be required reading for all parents.
Another one of my favorites from one of my favorite authors - so just read it and take it in.
If you have children, this book is a must read.
If you have children, this book is a must read.
This is a wonderful book; I don't know if I'd go quite as far as Holt does in his scathing appraisal of compulsory schooling--but I'd go pretty far, and his book is a cogent, lucid, and jargon-free explanation of why.
I am really enjoying all of Holt's books. His premise, as I understand it, is that humans are born with an innate curiousity to learn and understand the world around them. Regarding public school here is my favorite quote from this book. “Meanwhile, education-compulsory schooling, compulsory learning-is a tyranny and a crime against the human mind and spirit. Let all those escape it who can, any way they can.” John Holt. Pretty much sums it up. Read it if you are curious about a new path for edu...more
As someone who's already read everything else Holt has written, I don't know that there's anything revolutionary here. I think Escape from Childhood and Freedom and Beyond had more new ideas and were more comprehensive. However, certainly worth a read.
Expanding my knowledge of what "education" is, or what it can be, this book as proved as a inspiration source for the idea's and writings come forth since uncovering the "unschooling" way of life. I will read this book again.
I imagine this is and will be one of the most important books I've read for my son's sake. Brilliantly succinct and on point. I love it and recommend literally everyone read it. :P
taught essay from it, "the myth of learning," repeatedly in freshman english
john holt is great, but for some reason I never got through the entire book.
May 19, 2013
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education | 2 | 15 | Dec 06, 2008 10:45pm |
After teaching in private schools for many years John Holt wrote his first two books, How Children Fail, and How Children Learn. He became a vocal advocate for school reforms, and wrote several more books about education theory and practice, including alternative forms and many social issues relating to the education system.
Eventually he decided school reform was impossible, and changed his focus...more
More about John Holt...
Eventually he decided school reform was impossible, and changed his focus...more
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“Much of what we call History is the success stories of madmen.”
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“Only to the degree that people have what they need, that they are healthy and unafraid, that their lives are varied, interesting, meaningful, productive, joyous, can we begin to judge, or even guess, their nature. Few people, adults or children, now live such lives.”
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