he underlying concept is not actually new, but is more commonly known as experiential learning, or learning-by-doing. Research has shown that students understand scientific concepts more deeply if they physically experience them. The role of the parent, however, isn’t strictly passive; they act as a facilitator to help and encourage their child’s natural learning process.
While the concept of unschooling is quite controversial and not widely covered in the media, a growing number of parents are embracing the model. There are very few official numbers on students who are being unschooled in Australia. However, statistics on homeschooling can give an indication of the current trends. Australia-wide, the number of registered homeschooled children has steadily risen in the last few years, with an increase of 6% in 2014 to a total of 13,000 students. In the US, the numbers are much higher, with nearly 2 million children currently being homeschooled. A 2014 survey on homeschooling, submitted to a NSW Parliamentary inquiry by the HEA (Home Education Association), states that 15% of the surveyed parents use an unschooling approach to home education.
Many prominent educators and academics have spoken out against the traditional education system, including acclaimed educator Sir Ken Robinson, who, in the most-watched TED Talk of all time, claims that schools kill creativity and advocates a learning revolution.
Unschooling might be a radical solution to a one-size-fits-all education system that doesn’t work for every student, but there are some lessons we can learn from unschooling to apply to traditional education and parenting.