Homeschool and Unschool: Difference

It’s only right that the institution of education changes with time to adapt to the present. As such, over the years a lot of different, ‘radical’ ideas have emerged when it comes to the life and teaching of the younger generation. Two such ideas are of Homeschool and Unschool. So what are these and how are they different is what we are going to have a look at in this write-up. Ready? Let’s go –

WHAT?

Homeschool is a relatively well-known term and refers to when a kid’s education is home-based and is overlooked by either parents or tutors and maybe even online classes.
Unschool, on the other hand, is the trend that has seen rising popularity in the past couple of decades. In this education method, the kid doesn’t go to school and neither is overlooked by parents or tutors. They simple do what they want to and learn what they wish to. There are no restrictions and no set guidelines.

DIFFERENCE

So both are informal education methods and not mainstream but what differentiates Homeschooling from Unschooling? It’s the amount of freedom given to a child.
While Homeschool does allow the child to learn at home, the method follows strict rules and guidelines. There are still fixed study hours with assignments and regular exams to follow. Homeschoolers do give exams like other kids and follow the same curriculum albeit from home.
Unschooling, in contrast, gives complete freedom to the child. No curriculum to follow, no schedule or fixed hours or mandatory subjects. The kids learn what they want to and how they want to- in their own pace, in their own way. The child can choose to give exam or give it a miss, it’s completely their choice.
In Homeschool, parents or tutors or online instructors provide guidance to kids on the fixed curriculum but in Unschool, parents just provide materials and resources of learning to kids, rest is up to them alone. Actually the entire idea of Unschool is based on the thinking that ‘Kids learn what they want to learn’. It encourages natural learning by giving children freedom to experience and make their own decisions.

Also in Homeschool, its always the mainstream subjects and exams that are the focus but in Unschool, the sky is the limit. Paint, craft, music, gaming, pottery, science, cooking, poetry, writing, design, computers and any subjects you can think of can be the focus if the kid is interested in it. That’s what sets unschooling apart from other education methodologies.