Unschooling… Getting right to the point.

It wasn’t a hard decision really, this unschooling thing. B was most definitely not enjoying school – well, apart from the mixing with his friends bit.

Over a period of about three years (between Years 3 and 6) I had watched his significant bloom wither and die. By Year 6 (this year), the methods utilised by his school to ‘control’ (by that, I mean force to conform) him seemed to me to be so out of touch with his – or indeed any child’s – needs that I decided enough was enough.

And so it is that, as of two days ago, we find ourselves going down the happier – and much more inspiring – route of unschooling. I don’t bear a grudge against the school; after all, they’re just following the edicts of our government to a large degree. But I do feel that the current UK education system is failing a huge number (all?) of our children in so many ways. So, rather than apportioning blame (which I don’t see the point of anyway), I’d rather concentrate on the positives provided by our decision to unschool. We may be in what is, for us, unchartered territory, but that is where discoveries are made. And if B can make even one amazing discovery about himself then that will be proof enough to me that following my gut instinct to unschool was indeed the right thing for him.

Coming from a traditional educational background of O Levels (yes, I’m that old), A Levels and degree, I have found my mindset on such matters challenged beyond belief. Talk about an epiphany! What place do academic achievements have if you’re miserable? How many of us were told when we were young that we should follow only our passions and interests, thus discovering our talents? Certainly not me! And yet I think that is precisely what we need to do to fulfil our massive individual potential.

Traditional, curriculum-based education doesn’t allow us to follow our passions with complete focus and intensity; yes, we might discover we shine at certain subjects, but then we also have to sit there and endure the ones we’re crap at or that, frankly, we find more boring than the most boring thing on international boredom day. And what is the point in that?

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