It seems like an increasing number of people – like me – are taking an alternative approach to their kids’ education. My son was so unhappy in regular school that I pulled him out in Grade 3 and started in the SelfDesign program.
Other families start off right away with home schooling or “unschooling” – defined in Wikipedia as: “…a range of educational philosophies and practices centered on allowing children to learn through their natural life experiences, including child directed play, game play, household responsibilities, and social interaction, rather than through the confines of a conventional school.”
If I had to define our approach, I’d say it’s mostly unschooling but we also have a portion of each morning devoted to what I call “old school academic stuff” (spelling, writing, math, and silent reading). My instincts tell me this is the way to go – but I sometimes wonder if I am doing the right thing. How will this home school experience affect him as an adult?
Because that question is so big in my mind, I’m always glad to hear stories from adults who grew up with untraditional schooling experiences – people like Astra Taylor, a documentary filmmaker who is speaking at East Vancouver’s Purple Thistle Centre on Tuesday, March 30 from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Helen Hughes, founder of Windsor House Learning Community in North Vancouver, announced this opportunity via email: “… we will be inviting the local community to come hear Astra talk about her story, how it was for her going to high school, what she thinks about un/homeschooling, what her childhood was like, etc. and more importantly to have a group dialogue about unschooling and alternative education in general.”
The event is free, but donations are welcomed and will be used by the Thistle’s unschooling youth program, Youngunz.




