Synopsis
'Bound to be Free' explores the myth that compulsory education is free education, arguing that in fact institutionalised education is detrimental to our freedom and autonomy, whether as children, parents or members of society. The book is divided into six chapters, with an introductory chapter setting out the thesis that 'free' compulsory education is a myth, which hides a whole range of 'costs'. In the following chapters these costs are examined in depth. The true financial costs to individuals, families and society are not always apparent in a system that is free at the point of delivery, but these costs still exist. Moreover, since financial control and philosophical control inevitably go hand in hand, parents must take back the former if they value the latter. The social costs of free compulsory education, including the rise of medical, psychological and civil liberty intervention into families under the guise of education, can be astronomical. This is not so with home education.
Similarly, the cost to individuals of being required to conform to institutionalised systems, with the resulting emotional costs, including bullying and quasi-educational labelling, represent attacks on individuality and tragic waste of human resources that home educated children need never suffer. Finally, 'free' education deskills both parents and children in favour of 'experts', whereas, both philosophically and pragmatically, home education nurtures a culture of mentors, resources and skills. The concluding chapter proposes that home education is a not only a positive alternative to paying these costs, but also promotes autonomy and freedom in education and life. 'Bound to Be Free' is a radical re-appraisal of education as a way of life, as opposed to an institutional instrument of control and social planning. It proposes that the cost of compulsory schooling is too high and that home education provides not only a life style choice for the few, but a critical alternative to the common understanding of education. It is a book that should be of interest to parents, educators and policy makers alike.
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