The Unschooling Advocate’s Claim for School Choice
I’ve been frustrated by exchanges on Twitter with unschoolers of late. It’s not new – we’ve gone back and forth a few times before – but the last few rounds have had an extra edge of frustration and snippiness on both sides of the discussion. For me, part of that is related to the current political situation. Regardless, the tension is visible enough that observers have spoken up, making jokes about the nature and length of the discussion. It’s my belief I understand the unschooling philosophy so I’m going to do my best to describe the mindset public school advocates should understand as a part of any conversation with those who advocate for self-directed learning. Jennifer Binis – Public School Advocate
The underlying beliefs of those who advocate unschooling can best be summarized as:
The Unschooler’s View of Education
A quality education means that:
- Children are free to study what they want, when they want, and how they want. No one knows a child better than they known themselves. It makes sense, then, that child be allowed to pursue what’s of interest to them. It’s the responsibility of the adults around them to ensure they get the access to the materials, content, and resources needed to pursue that knowledge.
- External frameworks for the structure of learning, such as the liberal arts curriculum are unnecessary. In the pursuit of areas of interest, a child will naturally connect with various topics and content. Through these authentic connections, the child will acquire what they need for adult life.
- Learning is a process and conversation. To that end, the adults around the child learn how they can support the child through discussion and collaboration. This means that, in effect, there is no pre-planned teaching. When a child identifies an area of need or a gap in their knowledge, they can reach out to the adults (or other children) around them to fill that gap.
`1Additionally, the very design of formal education creates conditions that are less than ideal for all children. By requiring all children study the same topics, regardless of their levels of interest, schools set up children as passive receivers as opposed to active investigators. The common approach to grouping – by birthdate – creates false barriers between children of different chronological but similar cognitive ages. Teachers are presented as the guardians and behavior monitors, making it harder for children to learn to self-regulate and manage their environment.
If the government is to truly honor every child’s right to a quality education, then the government needs to support choices that work for all children, not just some.
Therefore: A system that not only allows for choice but encourages it is the most practical way to support parents to make the best decisions for their child.
The underlying beliefs of those who advocate unschooling can best be summarized as:
- Learning is
as natural to us as other aspects of our humanity such as pair bonding, nourishing our bodies, and being a part of a communitya natural component of the human experience A child is best suited to understand their personality, learning needs, strengths, talents, and challenges. Their parent is their partner in the learning process.Children are entitled to relationships based on respect and consent. Respecting children's right to consent in all parts of learning does not hamper their education, and may enhance it.
The Unschooler’s View of Education
A quality education means that:
- Children are free to study what they want, when they want, and how they want. No one knows a child better than they known themselves. It makes sense, then, that child be allowed to pursue what’s of interest to them. It’s the responsibility of the adults around them to ensure they get the access to the materials, content, and resources needed to pursue that knowledge.
- External frameworks for the structure of learning, such as the liberal arts curriculum are unnecessary. In the pursuit of areas of interest, a child will naturally connect with various topics and content. Through these authentic connections, the child will acquire what they need for adult life.
- Learning is a process and conversation. To that end, the adults around the child learn how they can support the child through discussion and collaboration. This means that, in effect, there is no pre-planned teaching. When a child identifies an area of need or a gap in their knowledge, they can reach out to the adults (or other children) around them to fill that gap.
`1Additionally, the very design of formal education creates conditions that are less than ideal for all children. By requiring all children study the same topics, regardless of their levels of interest, schools set up children as passive receivers as opposed to active investigators. The common approach to grouping – by birthdate – creates false barriers between children of different chronological but similar cognitive ages. Teachers are presented as the guardians and behavior monitors, making it harder for children to learn to self-regulate and manage their environment.
If the government is to truly honor every child’s right to a quality education, then the government needs to support choices that work for all children, not just some.
Therefore: A system that not only allows for choice but encourages it is the most practical way to support parents to make the best decisions for their child.
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