Unschooling and deschooling are two approaches to alternative education, but they focus on different aspects of learning and education.
1. Unschooling:
Definition: Unschooling is a specific educational philosophy that rejects traditional schooling in favor of a learner-driven approach. Children follow their interests and passions, learning naturally from everyday experiences rather than through a set curriculum.
Key Ideas:
- No set curriculum or schedule; learning happens through life experiences.
- Emphasizes freedom, exploration, and curiosity.
- Learning is not divided into subjects but happens in a more holistic, interconnected way.
- Parents or guardians facilitate rather than direct learning.
Focus: Unschooling is an ongoing, active process of learning outside traditional schooling structures.
2. Deschooling:
Definition: Deschooling is the process of adjusting from the mindset of traditional schooling to a more flexible, self-directed form of learning. It often refers to a transitional period after leaving conventional schooling, during which both the child and parent adapt to a different way of thinking about education.
Key Ideas:
- Aimed at unlearning the habits, beliefs, and assumptions ingrained by formal education.
- Allows time for decompression and rethinking the purpose of learning.
- Encourages exploration and play without the pressure of structured learning.
Focus: Deschooling is more of a temporary phase or period of unlearning the norms of formal education to prepare for a new approach to learning, such as unschooling or homeschooling.
Key Difference:
- Unschooling is a long-term educational philosophy where the learner’s interests dictate what and how they learn.
- Deschooling is a transitional process that helps individuals move away from the traditional mindset of education, often as a preparation for unschooling or other alternative forms of learning.
Deschooling often comes before unschooling in families, shifting from conventional schooling to a more self-directed educational approach.
