Challenging the State: A Conversation on Family-Based Education

In August I attended this year’s Home Educating Families’ Festival. I was there to present a conference session (details here). The speakers before me were world-schoolers Jesper and Cecilie Conrad. Originally from Denmark, they now live a nomadic life teaching their three younger children as they travel. Thankfully they were in one place for several days and we were able to catch up with them during a follow up visit to the site.

In the course of that conversation they invited me to record an episode with then for their ‘Self Directed’ podcast. That was a few weeks ago now, and I have been slow posting the link to it here.

Below you can listen to it on Spotify or watch on YouTube.

The Conrad’s Self Directed podcast is available on multiple platforms – they are all listed on their family’s website.

This is how Jesper and Cecile describe the course our conversation took:

About this Episode

Join us for an eye-opening episode as we sit down with Randall Hardy, a fervent advocate for homeschooling and unschooling. Randall and his family have been at the forefront of the home education movement, challenging the status quo and advocating for parental rights in the UK.

In this episode, Randall delves into the current political climate affecting home educators, particularly in England and Wales. He shares his insights on the increasing pressures that families face and urges parents to be vigilant about their responsibilities toward their children’s education.

We also discuss the cultural shift that seems to be sidelining the value of family in education, the changing laws in Britain eroding parental authority, and the potential impacts these changes could have on family dynamics.

We explore parents’ struggles in maintaining family ties, especially when children leave home for university, and the potential benefits of not sending children to school during lockdown. This episode underscores the importance of having meaningful conversations and doing real things together as a family.

Our dialogue also ventures into the impact of generational family houses, the disconnect between parents and children, and the skills needed for a family to live harmoniously. 

We critically evaluate the pitfalls of traditional schooling and the dangers of confining children to preset evaluation models. Lastly, we probe into the emotional manipulation of the modern education system and the need to imbue children with a sense of value within the family unit from an early age. 

Join us for this thought-provoking conversation and gain new insights into the world of homeschooling, unschooling, and the essential role of family in education.

If you find our conversation helpful, please watch out for our next one coming later in the year.