How common is unschooling aka autonomous education in the US?

Question

There seem to be so many questions here which ask about online high school courses and getting a diploma and basically just following the whole public school model at home. I feel so sorry for the kids agonizing about getting some bit of paper and wonder why they're doing it. Is it really so important?

Answer 1

Home schooling is relatively common here in the US and yes, "getting a bit of paper" is very important.  First of all, children here are required to get some kind of schooling, whether it's in public school or home school and home schoolers must prove their curriculum and, with testing, that the children are actually being schooled.  Secondly, not getting a diploma or GED (basic equivalency) SEVERELY limits what kind of work you can do in this life.  By not finishing an education, a child is consigning themselves to the lowest paying jobs for life.

Answer 2

Homeschoolers make up about 3% of the total school-age population. Unschoolers are a minority within the minority.

It's virtually unheard of.

Answer 3

Formal education does not suit everyone, however, it represents the high point in Human evolution, in terms of intelligent development. Our institutions of learning are freer, more openly accessible, and more intellectually challenging then ever before. Our teachers are increasingly better qualified, more fired up and ready to teach kids how to think, not what to think.

Formal education is about giving you the tools you need in life, to be the best you can. It helps everyone to start on a more level playing field.

Currently around 1,000,000 children are home schooled in the US.

Answer 4

I think home school mom said it well.

You might want to do a search on Betts and autonomous learning.

My daughter tests several grade levels above her age, so the public school can not accommodate her. Therefore, she is home schooled. I think her brother has turned her against home school, but there really are no options for her in our state. I decided that Betts autonomous learner model would be best for her, but it doesn't seem to be working. I agree that  children learn by being out there in the world, but my kids most enjoy video games. They are not inclined to look at what things they would like to learn. I try to pick up on their interests in which they seem to have very little interest. For example, if my daughter wants to know why the sun is yellow, she really just wants me to tell her; she doesn't care enough to type it into the Internet. I had to create a hybrid of the autonomous learning model and gave her the materials necessary to learn based on my best guess of what would appeal to her and what she needed to learn. I let her work independently, but I sometimes set goals. As long as she stays far above her grade level, I'm not going to be too focused on following educational standards of any sort.

I sent my son out to get that little bit of paper because he's a better public school student than home school student. He doesn't seem to want to do the work except that he doesn't want to encounter the wrath of a bunch of teachers. He doesn't mind encountering my wrath. He has to do something with his life. If it were up to him, he'd play video games. I even got him books on how to design video games, but that requires tedious work and is not as fun as playing them. He thinks he will become an engineer, so at least he has goals. Public school provides structure for him.  

I want to be academically accomplished, but my guess is that children are too young to feel the same way. I don't think they are curious, I think they are interested in gratification.

Answer 5

yes. Without schooling, one cannot get hired at a legal job.

Answer 6

No one really knows how many unschoolers there are in the US; we don't even know for sure how many homeschoolers there are.  In many states, we're not required to notify the state or the district - we just homeschool.  (However, there are likely well over 2,000,000 homeschoolers in the US; 1 - 1,500,000 is the number that are registered.)

However, unschooling as a form of homeschooling is becoming more and more popular; as with almost any form of homeschooling, the parents determine requirements for graduation and evaluate when those requirements are met.  Unschooling students can receive a diploma just like anyone else - though it's really transcripts and test scores that will matter.  Quite frankly, in the 16 years since I graduated, I've never had to show my diploma to anyone.

A diploma just indicates that you finished your coursework for graduation - that can be earned in any form of homeschooling.  And honestly, there are a lot of methods of homeschooling besides school at home and unschooling - and every one of them can earn a diploma if they so choose.  :-)