🍎 The OpenEd Daily: Deschooling vs. Unschooling
The explosion in alternative educational models has come with a boom in new terminology. Yesterday, we explored the modern phenomenon of “worldschooling.” Today, we’ll unpack two old-school educational labels: “deschooling” vs. “unschooling.”
At first glance it might seem like a distinction without a difference, but we believe words matter and have power.
So let’s start unpacking!
Deschooling vs. Unschooling
The term “deschooling” was coined by maverick philosopher Ivan Illich in his 1971 book Deschooling Society, which argued that society as a whole needed to move away from its dependence on schools as the primary means of education.
He believed that a functional educational system should have three purposes. It should:
- “provide all who want to learn with access to available resources at any time in their lives;
- empower all who want to share what they know to find those who want to learn it from them; and, finally,
- furnish all who want to present an issue to the public with the opportunity to make their challenge known.”
The book was written to influence a societal change – not provide a manual or introduce a new educational approach. But many of his observations are still useful for the parent/educator.
“Even most intentional learning,” Illich wrote, “is not the result of programmed instruction.” (In other words, you probably didn’t learn your best dance moves in PE class.)
Unschooling, on the other hand, is an educational approach that individual families can adopt. Developed by an educator named John Holt (also in the 1970s), it argues for letting kids pursue their passions and learn through real-life experiences. Parents act more like tour guides than teachers, providing resources and support but letting the child lead the way.
As Holt wrote, “Children learn from anything and everything they see. They learn wherever they are, not just in special learning places.”
So while deschooling and unschooling aren’t identical twins, they do share some DNA. Both challenge traditional notions of education and emphasize self-directed learning. You could say deschooling is the big-picture relative always talking about changing the world, while unschooling is the cool aunt who lets you build rocket ships in the backyard.
While these ideas might seem radical, they’ve influenced a great deal of mainstream education reform. The growth of project-based learning, personalized education plans, education savings accounts, and even OpenEd all owe a debt to these philosophies.
We’re not here to tell you which path is right for your family. Our goal is to provide information and resources to help you navigate the sometimes confusing world of increasing educational options. Whether you choose traditional schooling, unschooling, or something in between, we’re here to support your journey.
🎙️ Sharpening Critical Thinking with Hannah Frankman
In our latest podcast episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Hannah Frankman, the thinker behind the popular @rebeleducator Twitter account.
Hannah emphasizes the importance of equipping young learners with mental tools and critical thinking skills that can help them navigate complex information and make sound judgments.
Tune in to the full episode to discover:
- The “guillotine” that will make you question every cause-and-effect claim you hear
- The “flaming laser sword” that’ll save you hours of pointless debates
- The counterintuitive truth about learning speed
Don’t miss an episode:
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