Unschooling

submitted by [deleted] from self.aaronswartz

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[–]EVERYBODYPANIC 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Have been a big proponent of Unschooling for decades. Glad to find someone else at all interested in the concept. Intrigued at even a consideration of non-education. For example, in India, the have the Mahabharata, a very ancient epic poem. It is the longest poem in the world and takes DAYS to recite the whole poem. At festivals, poets recite it from memory, and it is reported that these performers always are untutored illiterates. Seems that people who are able to read cannot memorize at all as well as their unregimented brethren. Unschooling is a good half-way measure.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Wouldn't you say that the untutored illiterate who recites the poem was unschooled? I don't see the distinction between unschooling and what you are calling "non-education". Just because the illiterate chose not to learn how to read doesn't mean he didn't educate himself in all sorts of other things he chose to become educated in i.e. the recital of lengthy poetry.

Much of Aaron's conception of unschooling revolved around the personal tutor or mentor, a one on one relationship of learning rather than the traditional one on 30 schoolroom scenario. It's not like anyone can avoid this though the illiterate learnt the poem from somebody.

[–]EVERYBODYPANIC 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Good point. The poetic reciters learn many thing, but intentionally avoid learning to read and write. They surely have jobs and raise families. So far as my studies indicate, none of the reciters for thousands of years were literate.

I brought this aside forward to indicate that things we believe about educational needs may not explain it all. Now, what you describe above is homeschooling and tutoring. Gentler versions of regular education. Unschooling really means what it says. Kids learn what seems important to them at the time and in ways which they themselves choose. Unless we 'school their minds to mush', kids love learning everything and if allowed, would come to adults with questions. Unschooling does include adult input as requested. Reading, writing, math and world studies would be gobbled up by a mind filled with wonder.