Unschooling

Some fortunate children may benefit from home teaching. If it is beneficial to other children because class sizes are smaller then it makes sense.

https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/19/paren...exist-8054604/

Re: Unschooling

The rush to home school in this country really worried me. People train for years to teach if anyone can do why bother training people ? I also think some use it as a way to keep kids within certain religions or ideals. That's not healthy children should mix and learn to socialise with all sectors.

Re: Unschooling

I think the story of this family is wonderful. It’s certainly true that parents nowadays don’t have much choice in their children’s education unless one can afford to pay to send them to a private school where they have some idea of the subjects being taught.

I have to admit I hadn’t heard of “unschooling” before this. “homeschooling” yes, where one teaches their children the same subjects, but not where the children are taught subjects of which they are only interested in and without any pressure of exams and the stress that accompany them.

One would imagine though that in the case of this particular nuclear family of mum, dad and two children, 100% dedication is given by the parents in ensuring that the children are pleasurably soaking up every piece of knowledge of what they enjoy, like sponges. The children have each other as playmates and from reading the article, often mix with other children in the social classes they enjoy attending.

However, I don’t think it would work for everyone wishing to follow this path, as perfect as it sounds. For a start, what if their child is their only one? Attending school is not only for learning subjects but also learning how to socialise and to communicate with others, which is vital.

It really would be a large undertaking to “unschool” one’s child/children. I know I, along with millions of others, as much as we would have loved to have done, would never have had the luxury of time or effort to have done the same.

Good luck to those that do though, as long as the reason for doing so is solely in the child/children's interest by teaching them all they need in order to enable them to take their chosen path in life, and not for reasons of religious isolation or the parents own aspirations.

Re: Unschooling

Comments from the mother, ‘Unschooling is a very misleading term. It suggests that we try to avoid anything that resembles school at all costs, but it simply isn’t true. I guess in short unschooling to us is a constant learning through life in the same way an adult does. When we are grown up we either learn through passion or through need.'

Replies from others agree with her.

Re: Unschooling

I know little about this subject, but I do think children should be mixing and inter-reacting with others of similar age, the good and the not so good, because they learn the difference that way.

They need to make lots of friends, boys and girls IMO, and play games and talk to each other and spend time together. They need to learn how to handle bullying, friendships, even having their first 'crush' even.
And what about discussing lessons and homework with each other?

Surely they would miss out on all this if they were tutored at home and mixed mostly with adults and their own siblings more than other children?

We know many older people are lonely because of isolation, doesn't the same apply to kids as well?

Re: Unschooling

I homeschooled my children for a year and was also a public school teacher. We interacted with other homeschooled kids once a week. While many of us chose different curricula for our children, those kids who were unschooled were undereducated and typically unable adhere to any norms like rules or consideration of others. The parents of this philosophy were usually undereducated themselves.

While I can see why it is appealing in theory, for the vast majority, unschooled = undereducated = unprepared for higher education or the workplace.

Re: Unschooling

I have a friend who home-schooled her son. She had a network of similar parents and the kids mixed with each other. She is highly educated & intelligent herself and he's definitely ahead academically. I didn't approve for the same reasons others have given, but he seems to be doing ok.

Re: Unschooling

For the rare person who is highly-educated and is willing to give up at least eight hours of the day to ensure their children are mastering the material, homeschooling can be a worthwhile option. I tend to think that parents who want to homeschool should have to account to the school system in some way to ensure that they are actually teaching their children and that the children are thriving. The year I homeschooled my children so we could travel, the endeavor nearly exhausted me, and I was a credentialed educator at the time. We participated in a program similar to the one you describe, Annie. The kids had regular social/academic actives with other homeschool kids.

If people want to unschool (altogether different from homeschooling), then they have to be experts in guided discovery and know a great deal about everything. As an unschooled, they are not only synthesizing what a child wants to learn with what they need to know, but having to be able to integrate some necessary life skills and concepts at the drop of a hat. I don't know many people who are both intelligent, present, creative enough to do what it really takes for unschooling to really prepare a child for today's world.

If a child is fascinated with bubbles, does the parent know enough about water bonds, surface tension, Marangoni effect, adhesion, air pressure, hydrophobic molecules of soap, and the angles of molecular bonds, wavelength constructive and destructive interference to explain iridescence -to move children past them past the, "This is cool!" reaction to opening doors to chemistry, plumbing, engineering, or materials science? Does the parent have enough time to learn and teach all of what is out there and still manage to complete their own adult responsibilities? (I sure wouldn't have! ) Unschooling is a huge undertaking in this highly advanced and specialized technical world. A great idea in theory, unschooling seems to be nearly impossible to execute with real success.