Martin on Nostr: Unschooling involves rejecting the idea that there is a set of skills and knowledge ...

Unschooling involves rejecting the idea that there is a set of skills and knowledge that every human is required to learn within a certain timeframe.

So I don’t care if my children learn how to calculate percentages, the names of dead kings or how to spell. All I care about is that they learn *something*, enjoy the process, and through this learning acquire marketable skills and the ability to connect with other people.

The basic idea is that while children are not adults, and should not be treated as such, they are nevertheless *people*, and have certain unaliable rights. Foremost among these is the right to spend their attention on what they deem interesting. And yes: so long as it doesn’t negatively impact the rest of the family, that includes the right to spend all day playing computer games and eatching youtube.

It’s an educational philosophy centered on the benefits of self-directed learning and the harms of coercion (see for instance John Holdt, Mobtezzori or Reggio Emilia).