Unschooling

There is a new method of teaching that is storming the nation. We all are familiar with the public school system that sets children on a set curriculum that teaches everyone basically the same skills. If you’re not into the laid back style of public schools you have the option to enroll your children in a private school that will be more structured. If all else fail and you want to take matters into your own hands, turn to home schooling. Home schooling has the same curriculum as a public school except the child loses all social life. The new things among parents who are not happy with theses more traditional methods of education and want their children to think outside the box and get a different kind of education is Unschooling. Wikipedia defines Unschooling as “a range of educational philosophies and practices centered on allowing children to learn through their natural life experiences”. Unschooling has no curriculum base at all. To me unschoooling’s only slight advantage is that the parent and child bond, and even then this might be too much.  These children are not tested on their skills and they do not get a formal education consisting of the materials that they will need to do well in college. True, not everyone is cut out or intends on going to college but shouldn’t these children have the chance? I believe that a child needs to learn the fundamentals such as math and grammar. True, in Unschooling the child is exposed to some math through activities such as quilting and carpentry, but how will that get a child prepared for college?  The child is able to make his or her own choices as to what they want to learn and basically get to explore the world around them. I’m not saying by any means that this is not a positive experience for a child, because it is. Unschooling sounds like a great way to spend your summer with your child, going to museums and having your own little book club is nice and I think would be a growing opportunity for every child.  If anything I think this method of teaching is wrong because the child has no social life, not a normal one anyway.

Fellow blogger, Ann Zeise, has made it clear in her blog that he is 100% for unschooling; she has been practicing this with her son and is enjoying it very much. You can read her experience as this hyperlink Curriculum to Unschooling. Zeise has done away with traditional curriculum and created her own that she has adapted to fit her sons interest. This is all fine and dandy in my opinion, why shouldn’t every child get to learn in his or her own way?  But there is no structure to this child’s education; he is allowed to do as he whatever he wants as long as his parents think he’s learned a lesson. The activities that he engages in are not preparing him for his future, if they were why do we even have schools anymore? Everyone could just live their lives and do as the please and we would come up with doctors and lawyers and scientists.

Now I understand that all children learn differently, but society today is harsh and is not accepting of having to adapt to different methods of teaching. Kristi Walker, another blogger and a homeschooling mother, agrees that unschooling is a joke, She comments that there are no “uncolleges” nor are there “unjobs” for these children to attend or apply for.  She is completely right in my opinion, without structure and no real expectations being asked of the unschooled, how will they be able to function when the real world asks something of them?

This also brings up another point, the parents. For unschooling to even have the slightest chance of working the parent has to be the child’s main guide.  As Walker mentions in her blog that most parents don’t even know where to start. You can’t just bring your child to the museum and read a few information cards and decide that your child now must know the history of the Aztec people. Unschooling has a demand for parents who are willing to spend a great deal of time with their children and help them discover meaning and understanding of the world around them, unfortunately there are lazy parents out there who will not take the time to do so, these are the children I feel for the most. They have no chance and will have no motivation to do anything, and why would they? They have no competition or peers to learn from they have nothing to challenge them. In schools there is a sense of competition that motivates most students to do well, and without this there is no drive to succeed.

Over all I guess in trying to say that unschooling is a nice pass time, good for summer vacation, and an all around good chance to bond with your child. But without formal education, motivation, some competition, peers and structure you are setting your child up for failure. Don’t let me be the judge here though, to find out more information visit any of the hyper links or click here.

--Susan Dixon