Originally published April 16 2013
Ron Paul's new homeschooling curriculum: Bucking the public educational system, one liberty-minded student at a time
by Carolanne Wright
(NaturalNews) Ron Paul is on a mission to educate children. The former U.S. congressman is far from retirement with his latest project -- creating an alternative to the public school system through an independent online home curriculum. Paul believes "... children do better when their education is controlled by those who know their unique needs best, rather than by a federal bureaucrat." A long-time vocal advocate for homeschooling, Paul warns that dictatorships have historically recognized the threat of independent education and act accordingly to suppress it. In a bid for cultivating future freethinkers, the Ron Paul Curriculum was born.
Learning the basics plus much more
Unlike standard public schools, the curriculum of Ron Paul's homeschooling delivers an "education in liberty like no other." As specified by the official website, courses in mathematics, science and economics (based on the Austrian school of thought) are offered. Additionally, students learn about American history and geography as well as free market economies. A detailed course on how to reclaim America "one county at a time" is also included. Special attention is placed on the U.S. Constitution and how it has been "hijacked."
Tom Woods, an alumni of Harvard and Columbia, senior fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute and co-author of the curriculum, adds:
"The emphasis in this program is not simply on teaching from a different point of view, or teaching material that no other school or curriculum offers, although the Ron Paul Curriculum does both of these things. But it also emphasizes oral and written communication, so that students will be able to spread and defend their ideas effectively. Students will have their own blogs, start YouTube channels, and even learn the basics of video production, website design, and Internet marketing."
And the program is economical. Grades K-5 are offered for free -- six complete years without fees. After the trial period, each course costs $50 and access to the forums is $250 per year for grades 6-12. The curriculum relies on PDFs and primary documents instead of textbooks, creating further savings.
One of the major concerns about the program is lack of accreditation. But, as curriculum director Gary North points out in the Huffington Post article, "Ron Paul Curriculum Takes Swing At Public Education, Offers Hand To Homeschoolers":
"It is a sign of the almost overwhelming surrender of parents to the state that the parents, while saying they are fleeing from the state's schools, desperately want to use a curriculum that is accredited by the state. They are terrified of their own ability, meaning their inability, to teach their own children. They have no confidence in themselves. They do not have confidence that they can look at a curriculum, and then decide whether that curriculum is good or bad. The state has completely bamboozled them."
As parents weigh the benefits and disadvantages of the program, it might be wise to keep one observation in mind:
"A common feature of authoritarian regimes is the criminalization of alternatives to government-controlled education. Dictators recognize the danger that free thought poses to their rule, and few things promote the thinking of "unapproved" thoughts like an education controlled by parents instead of the state," declares Paul.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com
http://www.infowars.com/ron-paul-launches-home-schooling-program/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.tomwoods.com
About the author:
Carolanne believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, wellness coach and natural foods chef, she has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of green living for over 13 years. Through her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people who share a similar vision.
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Carolanne believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, wellness coach and natural foods chef, she has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of green living for over 13 years. Through her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people who share a similar vision.
Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Thrive-Living/499578863433146
For Pinterest fans: www.pinterest.com/thriveliving/
Find at Google+: www.goo.gl/cEZiyR
Diaspora*: [email protected]
Tsu: www.tsu.co/ThriveLiving
and Twitter: www.twitter.com/Thrive_Living
Read her other articles on Natural News here:
www.naturalnews.com/Author1183.html
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