Shikshan.org : Education in India

Unschooling Lifestyle Consciousness and Practices

Unschooling is a lifestyle choice families make in relation to education, learning and growing of child.

In large part of society, typically schools and schooling culture is perceived as means of education, learning and growing of child.
Unschooling questions and examines prevalent practices of mainstream schooling, and instead of following such practices as a rule, unschooling families follow what they perceive potentially more life serving for mindful joyful living in the moment as well as for the future.

Some of the principals, practices, concepts, consciousness relating to unschooling practiced by unschooling families are,

1. Learning is natural, constant process and need not be put in compartments of specific subjects, curriculum etc. Most unschooling families may not rely on or need specific curriculum; with belief that curriculum can emerge from natural, organic living.
2. Trusting that children are capable of learning on their own and need not necessarily need proactive teaching for learning to emerge. In other words unschooling parents drop the idea that, "Children won't learn if somebody won't teach."
   Proactive teaching may not happen in most families.
3. Shifting from teacher-student, adult-child models of 'Power-over Authorities' to > 'Respectful Partnerships of equals'. It is mutual growing & learning journey of equals, Child+Parent+Family
4. Trusting and being open, curious, accepting towards choices of child, than dictating child what to do.
5. Empathic engagement, connection and sharing with children.
   How are you feeling? What are you experiencing? What are you needing?
6. More focus on joyful living and the journey of living & growing & learning than merely destinations (like subjects, curriculum, exams, certificates, degrees)
7. Embracing & trusting that there can be abundant / multiple ways of meetings various needs of living, than following limited conventional strategies of typical School > Exams > Certificate > College > Degree > Job route Exams, Certificates & Degrees are optional, and many unschooling families may not seek them.