I don’t think I have come across a topic in grad school that
has made me feel so conflicted as unschooling. Instinctively, as a public
educator, when I read about parents unschooling, my defenses are automatically
up. I have spent years of my life, and thousands of dollars in student loan
debt, to be formally educated in the world of teaching. Beyond my knowledge of
teaching, my heart is fully dedicated to my job. I believe wholeheartedly that
education can be a saving grace for a child’s life and is one of the most
important components in a society. Education can be the great equalizer. With
that said, when I hear a parent say that their child is better off playing
video games all day then in a classroom, I tend to shoot steam out my ears.
However, after reading the article We Don’t Need No
Education by Ben Hewitt, and watching a documentary Life Is: A Look into
the World of Unschooling, I budged a
bit on my stance.
Besides being a teacher, I am also a mother. A mother to a
very rambunctious, curious, too smart for his own good, three-year-old boy. I have
seen so many amazing outcomes of education, but I’ve also been witness to
teachers who are clearly there for the wrong reasons. On top of poor
instruction, I have seen bullying,
students being ignored, too much emphasis on testing, and many more short
comings. The idea of my son having to be exposed to some of those things makes
the momma bear instincts come out. I would be lying if the idea of keeping my
son home where he can openly pursue things of his interest in a safe and
supportive environment, didn’t sound intriguing. However, just because I want
to keep my son safe and happy, doesn’t mean that’s what is best for him in the
long run.
The benefits of unschooling are pretty obvious. Unschooling
capitalizes on learning because you are interested in it. There have been
multiple studies that show children are more motivated to learn when they have
a personal interest in the topic. Unschooling allows a child to pursue the
areas they are curious about.. Unschooling also builds
off natural talents. Proponents of unschooling have expressed concerns that
traditional schools focus too much on a child’s weaknesses and make them feel
inadequate. Unschooling helps compensate for weaknesses by building off the
child’s strengths. Overall, the assets of unschooling are the high motivation,
the ability to be more active, the real-world learning opportunities, and the
focus on what is interesting to the child. These positive factors should
not be dismissed.
The TED Talk above, Unschooling: Making the World Our Classroom,
discusses some of the benefits of unschooling, or worldschooling, as they call
it. This example is an extreme one, as the parent was able to fully immerse
their child in worldly travels. Because of these travels, he was able to become
fluent in foreign languages, beyond numerous other skills. One of the mother’s
claims was, “My son could learn way more in six weeks of travel, than in a full
year of 5th grade.” She also discussed how unschooling needs to be a
partnership between parent and child, with the parent being a facilitator that
can help unlock that natural curiosity of being a learner. This is wonderful
example of how powerful unschooling can be. However, not all families have the opportunity
to take their children on worldly adventures, just as not everyone has the ability
to raise their children on 43 acres of Vermont forestry, such as Ben Hewitt. Even still, a
dedicated parent who is fully committed to teaching their child, I'm certain, will provide many
opportunities for learning.
As for the weaknesses, the lack of structure and possible
social implications later in life, are just a few that come to mind. The documentary I referred to
earlier, Life Is: A Look into the World of Unschooling, was produced and
narrated by a student of unschooling.
Although Samuel was very poised and seemed more mature than 18, even he had some criticisms for
unschooling. One element of unschooling is
having children learn natural limits through their own mistakes. After living
unschooling, Samuel felt there needed to be a more, “middle of the road”
approach to limits. He recalls never being forced to brush his teeth, which
resulted in painful dental procedures for him and thousands of dollars in bills
for his parents. He spoke how his experience was just one example of how
unschooling can lack in necessary structure. He said, “It’s okay for a parent
to step in and help a child avoid a painful mistake.” Another example of the
unstructured nature was one family he interviewed, claimed they had little limits on technology exposure. During the interview, the parents sat to the
side as their young child played Grand Theft Auto. Now, I'm not a video game enthusiast, but I do know that GTA includes hookers, armed robbery, violence, and yes, grand theft auto. Not exactly the learning opportunities I would want for a young child. There have been
numerous studies on how prolonged exposure to media can be harmful to children.
Call it a difference in parenting, but sometimes my job is to say no. Yes, I
want my child to learn from his mistakes, but as an adult I understand the
importance of bedtimes, good nutrition, limited technology, and good dental
hygiene.
In a blog, I’m Unschooled. Yes, I Can Write, the
author is a student of unschooling. Although most of the posts praise the uses
and outcomes of unschooling, one post was specifically geared towards the
weaknesses. The author spoke about a lack of support. Social interactions,
especially for younger children, would need to be organized by the adults.
Socialization is a crucial skill for children and without multiple opportunities
a child might not form proper social skills. In the documentary, Samuel praised
his parents for encouraging him to socialize in multiple settings, but also met
children who he admitted, “Should have been pushed more.” They had a hard time
holding conversations and participating in anything social, and because part of
unschooling is not forcing a child to do something, the parents never helped
them overcome their social anxiety. Another downfall discussed in the blog, was
the lack of participation in milestone moments, such as graduation. Although the
author said this hadn’t negatively affected them, having these celebrations, can have an impact on an individuals identity and be an important right of passage.
Additional
weaknesses of such education can be creating a lack of respect for authority.
If a child has ever been told they don’t have to do something, what is
going to occur when that child is now an adult with deadlines and a boss to
answer to? As I said before, I would love to keep my son home for him to
explore the world based on his heart’s desires; but, I also am a working
adult in society and I understand that’s not always how the world is going to
work. I want him to be set up for being told no, having to work through things
that aren’t necessarily enjoyable, and be able to be presented with multiple
opportunities in education, not just the ones I can provide for him.
I am glad that I took this opportunity to look further into
unschooling. Before I had a very judgmental attitude to the practice, but now,
I understand more of the ideas behind the movement. I’m sure that unschooling
is the right fit for some families, such as Hewitt, and if the parents are
committed to the hard-work unschooling takes, then I’m sure they will create
fully educated children. For me, I’m going to continue my faith in the
classroom education system. While I was discussing this concept with my
husband, who is a lawyer, he summarized my thoughts perfectly. He said, “Just
because I think the legal system has flaws, doesn’t mean we should just throw
the whole system out.” This is true for our education system. Yes, it isn’t
perfect, it needs work, it needs some reinventing, but I’m not going to say we
should just get rid of it. I will stick to my schooling, but say good luck to
all those who take on the challenge of unschooling.
References
Desmarais, I. (1970, January 01). The Cons of Unschooling. Retrieved from http://yes-i-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/01/cons-of-unschooling.html
Hewitt, B. (2019, April 17). Why You Should Take Your Kids Out of School. Retrieved from https://www.outsideonline.com/1928266/we-dont-need-no-education
Studios, Y. (2019, January 08). Life Is. | A Look Into the World of Unschooling. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR_Tf56w9Wg&t=2400s
Desmarais, I. (1970, January 01). The Cons of Unschooling. Retrieved from http://yes-i-can- write.blogspot.com/2010/01/cons-of-unschooling.html
Hewitt, B. (2019, April 17). Why You Should Take Your Kids Out of School. Retrieved from https://www.outsideonline.com/1928266/we-dont-need-no-education
Studios, Y. (2019, January 08). Life Is. | A Look Into the World of Unschooling. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR_Tf56w9Wg&t=2400s
Talks, T. (2016, April 21). Unschooling: Making the world our classroom | Lainie Liberti & Miro Siegel | TEDxAmsterdamED. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH-kQJ10WWo
