Crushed by conformity

Those of you who have been following our journey at Enhancing Learning will know how passionate we are about creativity. We value all forms of creativity and seek to make a space where children (and adults) can find a spark that brings them joy. I'm currently reading and loving Rick Rubin's The Creative Act: A Way of Being

"Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It's our birthright. And it's for all of us." R Rubin (2023)

Writing is one of my creative outlets and I have been neglecting it for a while.

There is a reason for this neglect.

Sometimes the words won't come. Sometimes I can't find a theme to share easily (I have plenty of ideas but fear of speaking out can get in my way). Also life is just plain busy and my best time to write is while the rest of my house sleeps. Maybe the early morning light that helps me rise earlier is the key to getting back on the keyboard.

But there have also been some changes for our family. We made the huge decision to homeschool our youngest. I recognise how lucky I am to be in a position to home school. I acknowledge that this journey is chosen very early on for some families. And for some families it is thrust upon them as a result of "school can't". For us here in Western Australia the lack of access to alternative schooling options means that home schooling too often becomes the only choice available.

I wish it wasn't like this. I wish every affordable school wasn't forced by our system to conform to the same cookie cutter approach to schooling. I wish our state had choices and different models that were not all compliance based and driven by NAPLAN scores and a curriculum too full to allow children to grow into learning at their natural (developmental) pace. But mostly I wish we weren't sacrificing our children's creativity on the alter of conformity.

Since we made the decision to home school I have had long talks with my daughter about why - in her own words "schools are hurting children". I've reflected back on when she seemed to lose her spark of creativity and her self confidence. This was the three year old who after a week of playing flower shop in my newly created play pod rearranged the whole design and announced it was now a plane. (The child who inspired many of the play pod set ups we use and change in the Enhancing Learning centre). This was the loud funny child who suddenly seemed unable to voice her own opinion, who stopped talking to relatives and battled illness after illness.

We stopped school attendance after one week in Term 3 - 14 weeks ago. I left her to heal and explore what could inspire her to love learning once again. I cautiously tried to implement some learning targets only to recognise she wasn't ready....yet.

I gave her journals and we explored the craft shops.

She picked up a pencil and pens and she began to just draw.

Until one day I picked up her art journal and turned the pages from the day she stopped school to now. It tracked a slow re-growing of that passionate source of creativity she once had.

From black and white sad faced people. Eraser marks often angrily dashed across the pages and many teary moments where nothing was "any good".

To a slow progression of animated colourful souls that flow from her pen and leap off the page.

I kept her at school for a long time. I spent my days working with children with developmental differences where schools are so undermining of their skills and abilities. I didn't see that just because my daughter could conform to the expectations placed on her at school - that it was hurting her just as it hurts many of families I support daily.

I can now see the cost of her capacity to conform and be compliant, was a cost I'm not willing to pay in terms of her future happiness and joy.