School’s out for ever for these kids
“Children should be seen and not heard” was once the generally accepted opinion when it comes to raising children; these days, we aim to be a bit more laissez-faire, but tend to agree that a few rules are OK. “Don’t run with scissors”, for example, hardly seems too controlling a standpoint to adopt.
However there are those who truly believe in an even less interventionist approach, for whom such outmoded opinions as “playing with matches is a bad thing” has no place in the upbringing of a strong-minded child.
This eye-opening documentary meets some such rebellious clans, and gets to the bottom of their reasoning — as well as asking whether the approach works. They include open-minded mum Jenna, whose 13-year-old son Archie is welcome to experiment with such wholesome pastimes as fire-juggling and knifeplay. He’s not been to school since he was six, however, and even now he has reached his teenage years he is still struggling with such basics as reading and writing.
Meanwhile, parents Vicky and Mike have recently taken their seven-year-old daughter, Jessica, out of full-time education, and their experience of homeschooling couldn’t be more different: Jessica seems to be thriving with her new, more relaxed boundaries.
And then there’s Gemma and Lewis, who let their seven children choose their own bedtime, play all day and eat ice cream at midnight. But playtime might be over for their eldest son, Finlay, as he decides that he actually wants to go to school.