The following information on this web site is quoted from Chapters 21 and 22 of Harrison's book titled: "Successful Children Almost Effortlessly (Through Self-Management)."
FOR EDUCATION:
The Harrison System can eventually change a great
many things for the better but change in any form often creates resentment.
We dislike change unless it's obviously pleasurable or the alteration brings
relief from discomfort. On the other hand, if the deviation from the normal
causes discomfort it will be fought aggressively. When the change involves
outright pain, all battle restraints are removed.
You may expect the most disparaging remarks from the
controllers of public education in the following order of intensity:
teachers' unions, school administrators, and colleges of education.
This is the natural order of discomfort expected. You know and the administrators
of the teachers' unions also know that there will be little need for their
services when instructors are independent contractors in full control of
a lucrative business. Even though they should heartily approve such obvious
betterment for their clients, you can almost depend upon hearing dire warnings
about the "dog-eat-dog" competition generated by such an insidious scheme;
or how such a teacher is a traitor to his colleagues and is certain to corrupt
pupils; and finally the death of public education probably will be flaunted
to scare parents into fits of frenzy.
If people were only allowed a pause to think rationally,
they would realize how nonsensical such statements are. For example, nothing
can destroy public education in the United States - it's too firmly entrenched.
Whatever is done to public education can only make it better -surely it can't
be made much worse, only more expensive for taxpayers and more lucrative
for controllers.
The government must try to educate its citizens. Welfare,
crime and other social problems caused by citizens who are gradually becoming
less and less able to do much of anything for themselves are eliminated only
with free men educated in self-reliance. So let's recognize the old scare
tactic of "public school funerals" for what it is - the convenient hog wash
of frightened controllers who think they may lose their lucrative but useless
jobs.
Now that we understand that public education is here
to stay, let's see if we can't discover some way to improve it. In the author's
last two books he couldn't say enough good things about the possible
implementation of a "voucher system" for public and private education. Since
then, more facts have come to light and now the author views it with disfavor.
Yet, it is the best of the other bad solutions.
The voucher system, in its simplest terms, is merely
a certificate given to parents by their school district which may be presented
to the school of the parents' choice with the expectation of receiving a
free education for their child. The school accepting such a document is paid
for the services rendered from public funds. Thus, parents are permitted
to select the school of their choice and have the school reimbursed by the
taxpayers. Oh, if it only were this simple!
The trouble with vouchers is the usual difficulty one
may expect whenever the government is involved - constant meddling in affairs
that shouldn't concern the government in any way. Instead of merely handing
the certificate to an eligible parent for presentation to the school of his
choice, the government insists on attaching all kinds of conditions to its
use. For example, the Constitution prevents church schools from racial and
religious discrimination. Federal, state, and local laws specify what subjects
will be taught, where, and how long. Lawmakers provide the snooping inspectors
necessary to assure compliance. At last the ever-widening authority of government
takes over the school operation. A recipient school relying exclusively upon
vouchers would find itself completely at the mercy of the bureaucrats. This
situation would and should be intolerable to most school owners, and even
the administrators of any participating public school in the voucher
program.
A much better disbursement program of public funds for
education purposes lies with a tax deduction for schooling. Of course, this
suggestion is unusable for the poor, since they pay no taxes from which a
deduction could be taken. Therefore, the voucher remains the only alternative
for these people who need to eliminate the debilitating effects of
child-management the most. But, before a voucher system can be acceptable,
government meddling must be eliminated.
Ah, ha! Enter the Harrison System private school (Click
on
www.behaviormodsuperkids.com/PvtSch.html).
When all comers can be accepted on an unrestricted basis, with classrooms
enlarged as needed, and self-reliance methods used, what could be better
for the purpose? What more needs to be said? Well, perhaps a lot!
First of all, we have really put the cart before the
horse in this chapter, just as all voucher advocates have done in the past.
Instead of prattling on about the need for vouchers and tax deductions for
school expenses, let's start H-S schools as an alternative. Each one must
entice parents into wanting to enroll their
child. It's your job, with the author's assistance, to make it all happen.
Once Harrison System private schools are established and producing the product
of which they are obviously capable, the poor will demand a voucher system.
And, those who aren't poor may be content to pay for what they want instead
of demanding a subsidy from their government. Soon the cost of education
to taxpayers can reduce itself to a mere dribble instead of its former torrent.
Furthermore, everything would be gradually established through attrition
and competition, rather than by some painful upheaval such as the immediate
establishment of a voucher system would produce.
An excellent place to begin would be with the bottom
of the barrel. Just imagine how may resident schools, orphanages, juvenile
delinquent schools, and foster homes exist throughout the country, which
are awaiting the self-management techniques available with the System. What
a proving ground this would provide for self accountable methods! Is there
a skeptic anywhere who would doubt the ability of the Harrison System after
obvious success was earned with such youngsters" Think of the tax
deduction!
However, one caution must be mentioned at this point.
Observers of even obvious success can be fooled into believing something
different when the facts are sufficiently twisted by the selfish who fear
for their own personal interests. So don't be misled by statements professing
that the Harrison System is useful only as a crutch for the maladjusted child.
This was effectively used in the past when the self accountable Harrison
System was turned into a technique to pay children for proper behavior. The
improper conduct was either ignored or explained away. After approving it
for use in classrooms of twelve or less handicapped youngsters, it was labeled
"behavior modification." Quite naturally, this did the trick. What proud
(management) parent or teacher would ever want to use such a program with
a normal child? Now, if you fall for such nonsense, someday you might expect
your child-management-trained offspring to be working for the so-called
handicapped person who has been educated with self accountable methods.
Although the executives of teachers' unions rightly have
cause to fear the loss of their jobs, and some public school administrators
theirs, and a few colleges of education may experience a drop in teacher
enrollment, yet, truthfully, the controllers of public education won't really
suffer to the extent they may believe now, because everything should happen
through normal attrition and competition over a long period of time.
With such a gradual-attrition program functioning, public
school classrooms should slowly become available for leasing by the private
school sector. As a public-school teacher retires, or pupils are lost to
the private schools, the schoolroom should be rented to provide income for
taxpayers. Almost painlessly, the public schools could be converted into
prosperous and productive "publicly-private" schools, instead of what they
are now.
There will also be cries, especially from some controllers,
that the Harrison System Institute (which is explained in the book) is
trying to maneuver itself into a position of power and control over all education
in the United States and even the world. As a thinking person, you should
recognize this as merely another ploy by someone who is about to lose his
or her own position of power and control. Such a happening is not only impossible
but also undesirable for the aims of the Institute.
First of all, immediate legislation would not only be
invited but probably passed at any indication that anything even resembling
control was being attempted. And second, does it seem logical to you that
an institute organized specifically for the purpose of promoting self
accountability and eliminating the insidious effects of management would
use tactics that are just the opposite?
Now that you have been shown exactly how the Institute
will operate, you should realize that every associated private school has
complete and absolute control over itself and every H-S teachers has complete
and absolute control over himself. The Institute exists to serve them and
never the reverse. Suggestions are accepted as profitable or rejected as
unsuitable. This is the essence of self accountable methods. Besides, would
you rather the control of education was left in the hands of those who have
it now, or placed in the hands of parents who should know what's best for
their children?
Next to God, only parents know what is best for their
children. Perhaps the teachings of both can be combined with the church school.
The next chapter should let us see how.
TO HELP THE CHURCH:
One could believe that God wanted His subjects to
have a blind faith in a supreme being which would naturally prevent them
from losing it. But evidently this was not His desire since He gave humans
a free will to do as they pleased. Moreover, He introduced Satan to be certain
everybody has a chance to choose between right and wrong.
Now, when children are trained through child-management
methods, they become conditioned to follow the instructions of the manager
- whether it's God or Satan. Since the child isn't given the training to
exercise his judgment, and this doesn't mean some choices among several
suggestions made by an adult, his decision-making capabilities are not developed.
Thus, the child becomes an adult who can be easily converted to God's ways
or he can be just as easily led away from them.
We oldsters have a habit of saying that the children
of today have no blind faith in the Lord and thus have fallen away from His
ways. However, this needn't be true so long as some devout person is always
in attendance for proper guidance. But that is impossible! Therefore, everyone
must eliminate self-destructive child-management training and replace it
with self accountable methods. Children who think for themselves love God.
God's principles are beyond logical refute (if they weren't,
He could have deprived us of our reasoning powers). All the self-reliant
person requires is a proper explanation of them to become a permanent disciple
who can't be swayed from His teachings. The Harrison System is the perfect
tool for the job. It becomes the bait to attract and the hook to hold. The
obvious joy of System use is sufficient bait and the self-reliant product
it generates is the right hook to hold the converted, first through logic
and then through faith. So let's see how this can be easily accomplished
by both the small and the large church of any denomination.
All churches should form self-help workshops for the
parents in their congregations. This can be an easy task since each church
has all of the ingredients for great initial success. For example, most churches
have adequate facilities; they have enough (eager) parents, since all
are now probably using the hateful child-management; most congregations contain
some talented or experienced teachers; and finally, churchmen should have
a great desire to create people who want to think for themselves - God's
way.
Once a self-help workshop for parents is in operation,
the church should consider starting a private school using the Harrison System,
or - if they already have a school, converting it. Probably the workshop's
parents will insist upon this. And, as you gain new workshop recruits, their
children will also enroll in the H-S private school. Thus, you will have
a built-in mechanism to increase school growth. Yet, this is only the start
of wonderful things for the church.
Instead of mixing religious instruction into the regular
school day, defer this until the hour following. Although this suggestion
may seem inappropriate to the devout, it could enhance God''s work. Perhaps
you would like to see why.
First, by not mixing religion with the customary subjects,
you will attract all persons to your private school. This in turn can serve
to build attendance for the religious instruction offered after school. Remember,
children talk! Trust children of the church to entice others - if there is
a reason.
Second, without religious instruction, your private school
should qualify for vouchers to help the poor. If the government isn't too
unreasonable with its mandates, your school could do a great amount of good
for the people needing it the most. But if you shut the door to this possibility
by mixing religious instruction, you may regret it later. Just imagine how
you might feel to be able to reach the street children with your program
of self-accountability. And, to know that someday their lives might be changed
for the better just because they had an opportunity to attend your school.
Third, and perhaps most important, when the private school
instructor needs to mix religion with the regular subject matter, it becomes
much more difficult to acquire such a specialized teacher whenever a replacement
is necessary. The practical way to go is as suggested in the chapter on private
schools (or on the web site cited above). Utilize the independent contractor
as an instructor for your classrooms. This will eliminate many many problems,
and it will give your school the competitive advantage it deserves. In fact,
never again can the tax-supported schools compete with you as long as they
continue to use child-management methods.
Fourth and last, your non-religious private school could
do an excellent job of recruiting children for your Sunday School. Again,
when the children of your church talk about the delights of a Harrison-System
Sunday School while attending your private school, you may be surprised at
the results. You may have the whole family attending your church. This might
be assured if you are willing to make the change suggested in the next
paragraph.
Why don't you think about implementing self accountable
techniques into your regular church services with adults? Instead of having
to be a superpreacher, entertainer, and perhaps high-pressure salesman to
recruit and hold your congregation, how would you like to replace this with
System methods that might work a lot better? Now of course, this is merely
conjecture since the suggestions that follow are merely that and nothing
more. Maybe they have been tried and are working well now but not to the
the author's knowledge. The question for you to consider, if you are a pastor
or influential churchman, is: What could possibly work in my church?
Let's consider a few suggestions and see.
Appoint or elect a (System) banker, from the
membership, who will be in charge of the church's "System bankbook for the
recording of "Church Credits." Next, select volunteers to become student
assistant pastors who in turn will select the rest of the congregation as
pupils. Now, whenever the pastor explains some of God's principles before
the whole assemblage on Sunday, the congregation cant be turned loose for
reinforcement study in their groups. Tests given at the end of each study
period earn church credits with the student pastors being paid a bonus of
ten percent of whatever their pupils earn. Items that are motivational to
such adults could be auctioned to create unbelievable incentive on a completely
self accountable basis. Now let's see what this could do for your church.
The first and most important thing your church would
have is extensive involvement of the congregation. No member would ever again
be just a passive listener. Instead of just the opportunity to become a Sunday
School teacher or Bible-class leader who in the past earned only prestige
for the job; instead of (suffering) constant horseplay or maybe
abuse from the class; instead of (suffering) a lecture by the
pastor for misbehavior; all (of the congregation) will be self
accountable through credits and paid in something tangible for honest effort.
Prestige will be earned through one's own (obvious) initiative. Any
member of the congregation could aspire to a student pastorship or a teaching
contract to present God's lesson. Instead of merely belonging to a church,
membership would become an integral part of their church as self accountable
methods were used to assure faith in oneself and in God.
The next chapter will let you see what the results for
society must be when enough Harrison-System children become self-reliant
adults.