@unschooling_dad, you are one of the first people in this entire thread to speak out with any sense of education and common sense on the issue. Props to you.
As a young man that was unschooled until I was 16 (at which point I, myself made the choice to attend high school) I am a bit aghast at the number uneducated (ironic eh?) comments here. Many of you have repeatedly said things like "parenting failure," "laziness," "uneducated," etc. But this is not even close to the truth. What many of you are missing is the fact that most kids have "education" shoved down their throats since the time they can speak and so have no desire the pursue things on their own.
Like unschooling_dad said, humans have an inherent desire to learn. When you treat education as an opportunity rather than a rule/obligation kids yearn to learn new things. I speak from experience. I had no formal education until I was 16 and yet I was constantly exploring new things. Everything from science experiments to construction to art. When I chose to attend school at 16 it was because of that same desire to learn. It was strictly my choice and I did it in order to broaden my view and experiences. I also attended college strictly because I wanted to and I chose to. I didn't do because I felt obligated to or because it was required to be successful.
When looking at the big picture, one of the biggest advantages unschooling offers kids is time. It gives them the time to explore their passions, to develop those passions and to find themselves for who they are.
To those of you still questioning and nay-saying it, take me as example (no egotism intended.) I was unschooled until I was 16, entered highschool with no previous formal education, was in the top of my class, went to college by choice for two years for the experience and am now working as a full-time freelance 3D animation artist and teacher. I am the co-founder of a very successful site, http://blendercookie.com, am authoring a technical book on using 3D animation software, and have been published in two animation books thus far. Oh and I have been freelancing professionally since I was 16.
None of this would have been possible if I had been through a molded schooling system.
As a young man that was unschooled until I was 16 (at which point I, myself made the choice to attend high school) I am a bit aghast at the number uneducated (ironic eh?) comments here. Many of you have repeatedly said things like "parenting failure," "laziness," "uneducated," etc. But this is not even close to the truth. What many of you are missing is the fact that most kids have "education" shoved down their throats since the time they can speak and so have no desire the pursue things on their own.
Like unschooling_dad said, humans have an inherent desire to learn. When you treat education as an opportunity rather than a rule/obligation kids yearn to learn new things. I speak from experience. I had no formal education until I was 16 and yet I was constantly exploring new things. Everything from science experiments to construction to art. When I chose to attend school at 16 it was because of that same desire to learn. It was strictly my choice and I did it in order to broaden my view and experiences. I also attended college strictly because I wanted to and I chose to. I didn't do because I felt obligated to or because it was required to be successful.
When looking at the big picture, one of the biggest advantages unschooling offers kids is time. It gives them the time to explore their passions, to develop those passions and to find themselves for who they are.
To those of you still questioning and nay-saying it, take me as example (no egotism intended.) I was unschooled until I was 16, entered highschool with no previous formal education, was in the top of my class, went to college by choice for two years for the experience and am now working as a full-time freelance 3D animation artist and teacher. I am the co-founder of a very successful site, http://blendercookie.com, am authoring a technical book on using 3D animation software, and have been published in two animation books thus far. Oh and I have been freelancing professionally since I was 16.
None of this would have been possible if I had been through a molded schooling system.