Photo Credit to Waponi on Flickr
There are so many ways to educate your child, but unschooling might be the most provocative. People assume it is what is sounds like – you are a negligent parent who not only does not send your child to school like ‘normal’ people, but you don’t even educate them at home! If you did, you certainly would not call it UNschooling!
There are many reasons people object to unschooling, but one of the most common reasons is the myth that students will not be well-prepared for adult life. (Wikipedia)
This begs the question, what exactly DO students need to know in their adult life, and what is the best environment in which to learn it?
Children Have To Know How to Get the Job Done
In the adult world, people seek a career in a field that they are interested in. Think about your own degree and compare it to your current job. I doubt that much of what you learned in college is actually applicable to that job. More likely, you got the job because of your degree in general, and then you were trained to do that job the way the boss wants it done.
In other words, you followed your interests, and worked out the details of the job while on the job. In other words, the education you received in a public school did not fully prepare you for doing the job – only for getting the job.
At the elementary and secondary school levels, what is learned about life? What is taught about doing a specific job? For that matter, what is taught about getting a job? I work part time at a local fast food restaurant, where every one of my co-workers is young enough to be my child. (Seriously, I am older than all of their mothers!) The biggest problem I see with these employees is their utter lack of respect for both the job and the supervisor. They seem to think they are entitled not only to the job, but to being treated “fairly,” and not having to “work so hard.”
Could they have learned this in a public school, where the task is handed to them with detailed instructions, depriving of them of the necessity to think? At school, they are told when to be where, how to do the assignment, and even where to sit! How does this prepare them for getting a job done, without such specific direction, and doing that job well?
Pursuing Education by Following Interests
Contrast the unschooled child who is allowed to follow their interests (much like the adult who is seeking out a career!). Let’s say, for example, the child wants to study horses. In order for him to learn much of anything at all, he is going to have to learn to read. He accepts that challenge in order to meet his own goal.
Perhaps he is allowed to own a horse. In order to accept that responsibility, he will have to learn how to feed and otherwise care for the horse. This will involve using mathematics and science, among other things, to accurately measure feed. The child will have to earn enough money to pay for the feed and will gain an understanding of the economics involved. Perhaps he will also realize he has to learn some geometry in order to build a shelter.
The horse may get sick and need medical attention. The child becomes interested in what the vet is doing, and even learn to do some care himself. This requires him to study science. Perhaps all of this will lead to a college education in veterinary medicine, and eventually to becoming an entrepreneur. Perhaps this phase will burn itself out – but the knowledge obtained throughout the process will be useful in future interests.
While the public school student is trained to memorize facts that they are not interested in, the unschooled child learns to set goals, learn what is required to achieve them, and to get the job done right without a great deal of supervision. Which would you rather hire for your business?
Our son started his first job today – detasseling. The first day was a short day, tomorrow is off and Sunday is optional. He’s one of a handful of people choosing to work Sunday. Why? There’s a $2/hr bonus at the end of the season for anyone who works each day they’re taking crews out.
That said, when he went to get his state ID for the job his signature was atrocious. We realized he hadn’t practiced his handwriting enough, and was a little embarrassed. He has practiced a little bit each day because of it. There are practical issues with unschooling. The benefits far outweigh those issues, in my opinion, and they’re easily remedied.
For instance, this is the same kid that didn’t wasn’t interested in reading until he was nearly 8 years old and then in about a span of a month was reading better than his cousin two grades over him. No flashcards. No reading tests. No feeling “bad at reading” or writing or science or MATH.
In short, he’s confident that he can accomplish what he sets out to do and does not worry about not being able to learn new things. THAT is the biggest benefit to unschooling, THAT is what people need to truly succeed in the workplace and sadly it is the first thing destroyed by a system focused on “compliance” and child-rearing instead of education. lol
Thanks for sharing your experience! I agree that many school systems – especially with more emphasis on testing than ever before – teach hoop jumping more than learning.