I want to do a paper on the Unschooling movement but as I ponder on it, is there still a place for it in a time where students need to learn so much that we cannot afford them the luxury of learning on their own?
The issues raised in Ivan Illich’s seminal 1971 text De-Schooling Society continue to be highly relevant at a time when neo-liberal discourses and practices are having such negative effects on too many public/government schools. Many parents are voting with their feet in terms of the growth of ‘home schooling’. With the rise and rise of the internet, there have never been greater opportunities for the organisation of informal ‘educational networks’ recommended by Illich and supported by technology. Even if most educators might ultimately see Illich’s ideas as too radical, anarchic and ‘out there’ – and focus their energies instead upon advocating for schools that are less like factories - the case for greater student voice, freedom of choice in organising their time and focus, and space for creativity remains compelling. But what do others think?