Alternatives to Coercive Schooling

By trying to make children learn by placing them in highly controlled school

environments for longer and longer periods of their lives, modern schooling
became an industrial process that is totally different from the way children
naturally learn and grow. Many parents recognize this and eventually also
discover that learning is natural, but schooling is a choice.

At this stage, there are three main alternatives to schooling: home-based

learning, democratic schools, or community resource centers.

Some parents who deeply enjoy watching and helping their children learn and
grow, and who can accommodate their schedules, are tempted to try home-
based self-directed learning. (It’s not necessary for one parent to stay home full
time.

Many two-career couples have found creative ways to adjust their schedules,
trade off duties with other families and/or childcare providers (perhaps in a co-
op arrangement), and take advantage of times when the children are attending
classes or other drop-off activities. Some find ways to perform their work
alongside their children. And once the children are mature enough, they can also
be more independent.)

Some parents may feel, for one reason or another, that home-based learning is
not the best option for them. Perhaps they or their children prefer a somewhat
more structured and defined community. Often, these parents seek “schools”
that are in alignment with their educational, political and spiritual beliefs and
are willing to work with the school to make their children’s time there
successful. They may also look for places that invite the participation of the
student to make decisions about their own lives and how the school operates. If
this interests you, please explore the democratic schools section.

A third alternative to standard schooling—beyond democratic schools and

home-based learning—are places usually referred to as resource centers. They
are staffed with adults and thus allow parents to drop off their children. They
vary considerably in how they operate and the populations they serve (e.g., ages
two to 18, teens only, etc.). They usually offer freedom of activity similar to that
of democratic schools, as well as more organized classes with adults.
There are many places and people for children to learn with once we break out
of the conventional school model of how children learn. And if you don’t find
exactly what you need in your community, you can plug into a network to find
out what’s being planned, and/or to consider starting your own democratic
school or resource center, as described here.

Whichever option you choose, be prepared for a transition period. If your child
has previously been in conventional school for any length of time, you may find
that he or she is resistant to anything that might resemble traditional schooling,
such as having an assigned curriculum or using textbooks or other prepackaged
materials. This “deschooling process” is described in more detail in this essay.
A rule of thumb is that for every year spent in school, children will need at least
a month of unstructured time and personal support to become comfortable with
choosing their own studies, developing their own interests, and learning to
manage their own time. Many children need to rediscover their intrinsic
motivations for learning. It’s important in this situation to be patient and
remember that learning is dependent on the learner’s emotional state.

Laura Smothers about self directed learning as the natural way to learn . She
believes that self-directed learning is the secret to teaching children to explore
and develop their unique interests and curiositie