Forced Mediocrity

" ....the greatest service we can to education today is to teach few subjects. No one has time to do more than a very few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life."  -CS Lewis


I came across this quote on my FB feed the other day.  It really struck a chord. 


I tend to fall under the heading of teaching my children 'anything and everything'.  I want my children to sample the wide world, not to feel restricted in any particular way when it comes to learning.


On the other hand, too much sipping of too many pools, and you never get more than your feet wet in any one of them.


I think it is another of those 'walk the line' conundrums.  We have to find a balance between teaching to many different subjects, and teaching too few.


Do I want a 'Jack of all Trades, Master of none'?  Am I willing to risk having an 'expert' who knows next to nothing about other topics?


I think of the two I fear the 'expert' more.  So much of knowledge is interconnected.  It would be very hard to separate math from science, or reading from history.  Come to think of it there is plenty of math in History as well.


On the other hand, my son wants to learn violin, and recorder, and trumpet and every other instrument he can get his hands on.  While we let him play with anything (with owner permission, and hopefully safely enough not to break it)  We only go out of our way to get him lessons in Piano (cause those are cheap, easy to get to and we have a keyboard to practice on).  I think if I tried to fill his days with every topic he was interested in I would spend more time driving than anything else!  (not to mention the other 4 kids)


But...But I need another hand.  What about swimming?   He loves to swim, shouldn't I make time for him to join the swim team?  (where would the money come from?)


Is there enough variety?  Or too much?


This is why some folk prefer public school, choices are taken away from the parents, then you get to blame someone else if it goes wrong.  I guess I will take the responsibility, and the blame if it comes to that.


Hopefully I will 'walk the line' well enough the children will turn out somewhat better than ok.