Unschooling
Unschooling is a form of informal learning . The children do not go to school, but choose their own area of interest and are supported by their parents or external teachers. In German-speaking countries, the term “ free learner ” is also used for this. The term was coined by John Caldwell Holt .
The educational scientist Tim Böder from the University of Duisburg-Essen estimates that despite the fact that unschooling is prohibited in Germany due to compulsory schooling , there are several hundred students in Germany who practice unschooling.
background
Unschooling describes a child-led learning in the living environment, in contrast to the classic form of home schooling without attempting to imitate the traditional school and its curricula at home. There are therefore no scheduled classes or specific times during the day for which school-like activities are prescribed. Topics are dealt with when the child is interested in them. The parents - or the people with whom the child lives together - are less teachers than supporters and companions of the learning process. It cannot be ruled out that a suitable teacher will be called in for a project (e.g. to learn an instrument). The child then only deals with one topic for weeks, depending on their interests.
Motifs
Unschooling advocates and advocates argue in different ways. Some complain about the inefficiency of learning in a school, particularly through teaching . Others see unschooling as an opportunity to let children learn independently and argue that it is impermissible to force children or young people to do things they do not want. Children would have the same human rights as adults and should be able to decide for themselves what they learn how, where, when and with whom. In the opinion of many representatives and advocates of unschooling, it is a scandal that decisions are made beyond the children about what is “best” for them from the point of view of others and that they are thereby incapacitated . Likewise, every child would be born with an intrinsic motivation to want to learn something, which is, however, often suppressed in school by dictating to the child exactly what to learn, how, when, where and with whom. In addition, it is criticized that social interaction, communication and arguments in school are strictly regulated and that students spend most of their school time almost exclusively with their peers, which would result in social and emotional skills being impaired. It is also criticized that certain temperaments are encouraged in schools, while others are inhibited.
Incidentally, the motives for unschooling are similar to the motives for home schooling .
Country comparison
In all English-speaking countries and many other countries in the western hemisphere such as Switzerland and Austria , at least home tuition is permitted. In most European countries there is compulsory education , i.e. the acquisition of knowledge is not tied to school attendance for the child.
The same requirements apply to unschooling as to homeschooling.
criticism
Critics counter this by saying that no level of education can be guaranteed with unschooling . Such children have too few social contacts and are not adequately prepared for their later professional life. There is also criticism similar to that of other non-school forms of learning, such as protection against child abuse, religious fanaticism or the fact that children do not receive an education. Proponents of unschooling also believe that it has both advantages and disadvantages and that this form of education is not suitable for everyone. The study by Peter Gray is intended to prove that a degree from a normal school can also be achieved with unschooling . The results of this show that the respondents have acquired more creative or independent professions. The study is not representative.
See also
literature
- Olivier Keller: Because my life is learning . Arbor, Freiburg 1999, ISBN 3-924195-44-7 .
- Stefanie Mohsennia: School-free : From learning without borders , 2nd updated edition, Anahita-Verlag, Königslutter 2010, ISBN 978-3-937797-12-0 .
- Dagmar Neubronner: Die Freilerner , Genius, 2008, ISBN 978-3-934719-34-7 .
- André Stern: ... and I never went to school: story of a happy child . ZS Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-89883-228-1 .
- Bertrand Stern : No more school! - the human right to freely educate . tologo, Leipzig 2006, ISBN 3-9810444-5-2 .
- Alan Thomas: Home Education: A Sensible Alternative . tologo, 2007, ISBN 978-3-940596-00-0 .
- Bruno and Doris Gantenbein: The preservation of uniqueness: development through natural and self-determined learning . Ataraxis.ch, 2015, ISBN 978-3-9524155-1-1 .
- further literature can be found at: John Caldwell Holt
Web links
- Information center life without school
- Pro-learning - Celebrate Unschooling Switzerland
- Family network of free learners (Austria)
- No more school, part of learning in freedom - project workshop
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Parvin Sadigh: School: Forever Vacation . In: The time . November 21, 2014, ISSN 0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed on August 24, 2019]).
- ↑ a b Results of the study by Peter Gray and Gina Riley: When free learners grow up ... In: the free learners. March 5, 2016, accessed on August 24, 2019 (German).
- ↑ a b WORLD: Unschooling: Learning without school, without grades, without a teacher . In: THE WORLD . November 13, 2016 ( welt.de [accessed February 24, 2020]).
- ↑ a b c A father says - "My child doesn't go to school". In: deutschlandfunkkultur. August 12, 2014, accessed on March 11, 2020 (German).
- ↑ a b c biul: 10 TIPS for successful unschooling. In: Freilerner.at. January 31, 2019, accessed on February 24, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Isolation through unschooling. November 16, 2015, accessed on August 24, 2019 (German).
- ^ Parvin Sadigh: School: Holidays Forever . In: The time . November 21, 2014, ISSN 0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed on August 24, 2019]).
- ^ A Survey of Grown Unschoolers I: Overview of Findings. Retrieved on August 24, 2019 .