The assumption in this article is that school has rigorous curricula and days filled with intensive learning.  It’s not the case.  Oftentimes curricula simply isn’t delivered or very badly delivered with poor materials and teaching methods.  Besides pd days, there are too many breaks from classroom time—there are field trips to movies; Disney movies shown in the classroom; silly projects with no learning outcome; assemblies; etc.  Every summer, my children were given the curricula to review and the curricula for new grade year they were entering to try.  Several of us mothers (some from poorer families) used to get together and spend the week day mornings doing this.  The children played their hearts out after lunch   There was not one word of complaining from any of the kids:  they appeared to enjoy the structure and the drill.

When young, living in an Ontario farming community in the 50s and 60s, two things were on the go. An informal structure of activities across the 5 households, where my household had the 24-7 long monopoly game on the go, and at the end of 5 weeks, the champion game would be held with the top 4 players. We learned our math, and the point structure was a combination of real estate and money in the bank. Obtaining Park Avenue was not necessary, but what was more important a combination of real estate property to where your banked money did not get drained.

In the back yard, the major art project was on the go, of gigantic proportions created and designed by the kids, using all sorts of materials including paper mache. The art project was kept on a trolley that could be rolled backed into the barn, and was taken out when kids wanted to work on it. Pictures would be taken for prosperity and the old brownie camera came out, with all the kids who work on the project. The creation became the backdrop for my parent’s annual corn roast, and became a topic for all the city folk and their kids.

The another part, was what I called the formal structure part, where we had to complete the lessons assigned by our mothers. It was done by individual households where I ended up with grammar and writing sheets most of the time. Also the school had a parcel of lessons sheets sent home, and to be returned to the school when school started. As for chores, there were work in during the day, and when things got real busy on the farm, she would send me out to run errands for her, without having a list. A memory game, and the 7 or so articles - if I got everything right, I would be rewarded with an extra helping of dessert.

All the kids in the neighbourhood had some type of school work activity to complete, and even it they went on their summer vacation. My mother concentrated on our writing skills, and some time spent on math drills, to practice on things such as discounts, percentages that went beyond the basic arithmetic facts.

I have passed it on to my children, but even back in the 1970s, other parents thought I was too harsh or a waste of time. It is a pattern that I have noted, if parents do it, it is seen as not as good, as the day camps or the formal summer school route.

” I think summer is a time to pursue your passions. If your passions are in the academic realm, that’s fine by me. But just schooling for schooling’s sake, then no,” Ms. Taljaard said.

Madison prefers her summers as they stand now. Asked what her favourite parts are, she responded: “Playing with my horse and sleeping in.”

My how things change - We were up bright and early, and often did not get to bed until 11:00. There was no following your passions, and letting the kids to followed their own inclinations. We had lots of freedom, but within a structured environment. Get the lessons done and the chores, and who knows what the rest of the day will bring.The time to be amaze at the star constellations, or a family of deer out for a sunset stroll across the farm. And than out came the collection of books that my father like to collect,  of nature, charts of star constellations and maybe even a trip to the library to explore.

This summer, brought an actual bonafide summer in NL. And for the first time in a very long time, a large pod of whales just on the edge of the harbour. No one needs a boat, and front row viewing of watching the whales frolicking in the water, and the whale songs putting children to sleep at night. Naturally, curious children and adults to solve the mystery why the whale pod chose this piece of NL to spend their summer. A lot of informal leaning is on the go, and not just on whales. No doubt,it be extended into the school, as formal lessons on a summer that has never been seen before and the large whale pod that came to visit.

Pretty sad statement and an indictment of our times - ” Mr. Carruthers Den Hoed is a director for the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada, a non-profit group that aims to stem the decline in kids’ contact with nature, and is completing his PhD at the University of Calgary on nature and its effect on humans.”
http://childnature.ca/about-alliance

Sad, when the kids have to be taught. Sadder yet, when the natural environment in various settings has to be filtered by groups such as the Natural Child and Nature Alliance. Worse yet when it is labeled as a health disorder - called a ‘nature deficit disorder’, and not fixing the roots problems especially in urban environments why people are no longer connected to the natural environment. Kind of hard to connect, when all the shall not rules of the informal and formal kind from others above, discouraging kids from exploring their environment due to health and safety reasons or disturbing the wildlife and nature.If not that, control learning of the kind that actually makes people fearful of nature and its wonders.

You might like to read this UK RRF message board thread:

Rousseau in Wales
http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4632

Shocking and I rather feel insulted that once again parents are seen as lacking in certain skills concerning the environment and safety. The majority of parents would teach their child as soon as the child starts crawling and walking, the dangers of fire, and other safety issues dealing with the home and the outside environment.

“Thousands of children between the ages of three and seven are to get more time learning outdoors and less hours sitting at desks in classrooms.

Under a shake-up of the curriculum in pre-school settings and 1,600 primary schools in Wales, structured play - such as weighing sand and filling pots with water - will be combined with learning other skills like cooking over open fires and observation of wildlife.

Nature trails, woodland walks, school ponds brimming with insect life and the importance of fire safety will become central to many more children’s education as a consequence of the new “outdoor classrooms” required under the changes.

They are being introduced following concerns from inspectors that children were being introduced too early to formal skills of reading and writing and were not speaking and listening satisfactorily.”
http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2460

Open fires?  Sure my family enjoyed open fires roasting marshmallows but the rules were in place. Broke the rules, go to bed and the same rules my parents had in place when we went camping. As for my children, all of them had deep knowledge about nature before formal schooling, Most parents I believe do a pretty good job on the nature file, and don’t need the education system to teach their children about nature done under the formal auspices of the education realm.

“.The outdoors allows children to explore and experience nature at firsthand; to solve problems and think about solutions; to learn about conservation and sustainability; and understand better how the natural world is affected by changes in the weather.”

I would hope any preschool worth its salt, would be teaching the little ones about nature, in a cumulative fashion to where primary students are taught the knowledge, the terms of the different types of cloud formation, wind and other things of nature. In my opinion, they don’t need lessons on conservation and sustainability until they have a full understanding of the knowledge and terms of nature to understand the underlying implication of conservation and sustainability.