Category Archives: Education

Catechism of the Seven Sacraments

It doesn’t look much like a traditional catechism, does it? But don’t be fooled. The Sacrament of the Seven Sacraments is a deeply orthodox book that draws on Pope Benedict XVI’s covenant theology and is a direct response to Pope St John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization. The characters may be made out ofContinue reading “Catechism of the Seven Sacraments”

‘Heidi’ – an unschooling Classic? Part 2 – Learning to read

An important turning point in Heidi comes when in Chapter 10 “another grandmother” comes to visit Clara and Heidi in Frankfurt and shows Heidi a book: “For a moment or two she looked at it with brightening eyes, then the tears began to fall, and at last she burst into sobs. The grandmother looked at the pictureContinue reading “‘Heidi’ – an unschooling Classic? Part 2 – Learning to read”

‘Heidi’ – an unschooling classic?

There is a really interesting passage in Johanna Spyri’s Heidi where Heidi’s grandfather resists the great pressure that is put on him to send Heidi to school. “I am going to let her grow up and be happy among the goats and the birds; with them she is safe, and will learn nothing evil,” heContinue reading “‘Heidi’ – an unschooling classic?”

On Compost, Quarantine Homeschooling, and Home Education

On digging rich earth from the bottom of the compost heap the other day, I couldn’t help but think about education. I’d been working on my compost for a long time and now, at last, when the children wanted to plant vegetables, it was ready to do some good. The work I had put inContinue reading “On Compost, Quarantine Homeschooling, and Home Education”

A kind review

Professor John Sullivan of Liverpool Hope University has sent me this kind review which he wrote for the Spring 2020 issue of Networking, an English Catholic education journal: Did Jesus go to school? By Roy Peachey (Redemptorist Publications, 2019) Pp.149; £9.95. This is an engaging, down-to-earth, original, wise and spiritual book about parents, children andContinue reading “A kind review”

Slow Education: an extract from ‘Out of the Classroom and Into the World’

A lecturer in the department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge once told me that the question she is most often asked is, “How long did it take you to learn Chinese?” Her reply to this unanswerable question was always “I don’t know, because I’m still learning.” Much the sameContinue reading “Slow Education: an extract from ‘Out of the Classroom and Into the World’”

Fishing for Koi with an Afghan Veteran

Since I’m focusing on Slow Education at the moment, I thought it might be worth reposting this article I wrote for First Things a while back: Throwing my bags into the car, I waved my wife and children a hasty goodbye and then reversed out of the drive, automatically turning on the radio as I went.Continue reading “Fishing for Koi with an Afghan Veteran”

Teaching us gradually – an extract from one of my books

In The Creed in Slow Motion, Ronald Knox points out that “if it was an astonishing thing that our Lord should die, equally it was an astonishing thing that he should stay dead”.[1] We take it for granted that he stayed dead for three days but it is certainly not an event that could possiblyContinue reading “Teaching us gradually – an extract from one of my books”

Hilda van Stockum on parenting and education

“I think we ought to start a nursery school on Saturdays.” [said Joan.] “How?” asked Peter. “We could use Timmy’s yard and play games with them. And we could educate them too. I’ve got a very interesting book. It says a lot about discipline. I don’t think Mother has ever read it,” Joan added reflectively.Continue reading “Hilda van Stockum on parenting and education”