I wish someone would listen to me! An exploratory research about unschooling single-mothers families in France
Pages: 1-35
Abstract:
The first part of this exploratory research describes, through the eyes of mothers, the lives of unschooling families in France, before and after the separation of the parental couple. How do they cope with the effects of separation, once they become single-parent families, particularly in relation to education? What place is given to their voice and that of their children? Are they heard and listened to?
Bernadette Nozarian, PhD
Home Education in Soweto: Understanding the Context and Experiences of Parents
Pages: 36-63
Abstract:
Home education is an alternate form of education that takes place outside formal schooling with children of school-going age. Parents take primary responsibility for their child’s education, using an approach that is framed by the family’s life philosophy. In this study, thirty parents from a home education network in a South African township provided insight and information on their context, experience and highlighted the importance of the network in their home education journey. The research, framed by the social capital theory, adopted a mixed methods approach to collate both qualitative and quantitative data via a questionnaire. A convergent design was used in the data analysis of the overall results. The results provide perspective and understanding of home education in this historically marginalised cohort. It demonstrates the social capital inherent in the group in terms of trust, reciprocity, shared norms and values and the importance of identity and community support in the group. The study recommends further research for a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the group as they provide a unique and valuable voice in the realm of home education both nationally and internationally.
Renuka Ramroop
Learning to Read and Write Without School and Teaching: Exploring Emergent Literacy in French Unschooling Families
Pages: 64-104
Abstract:
This research, conducted in France, investigates the informal acquisition of literacy among unschooled children outside formal instruction. Grounded in Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the research examines the interplay between familial, cultural, social, and digital influences on literacy development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven unschooling families, encompassing 24 children and young adults aged 3 to 22 years. The findings reveal that literacy development occurs as a sociocultural process, shaped by the interactions within the child’s ecological environment, including parental attitudes, family dynamics, and community involvement.
The results challenge the traditional notion of critical periods for literacy acquisition, highlighting that children develop literacy at diverse ages and through various pathways. Digital tools, particularly video games and interactive media, emerged as significant facilitators of literacy, providing immersive and context-rich environments that foster reading comprehension, writing skills, and vocabulary. This underscores technology’s evolving role in informal learning.
While the study emphasizes the autonomy of children in unschooling contexts, it also highlights the essential role of parents in shaping environments conducive to learning. The findings underline the need for further longitudinal studies to explore the nuanced interactions between digital tools, informal learning and ecological factors across diverse cultural and family structures.
Rebecchi Kevin
Where Children Lead the Way: A Case Study in Democratic Education
Pages: 105-132
Abstract:
Through interviews with children, educators, and parents, this article provides a picture of a democratic school in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. A rare example in NYC, Pono’s philosophies, practices, and pedagogies provide a model of education that fosters child-centered empowered learning, supports community building and strong relationships, and counter-hegemonic strategies. Not without challenges, Pono, is not a panacea, but rather a case study in what is possible when we approach education from a truly child-honoring lens and a belief that education is a true means of transformation.
Leonisa Ardizzone and Grace Cazzaniga, Vassar College
Book Review: Empowered Kids, Liberated Parents: Why Children Are Healthier, Happier, and Achieve More When in Control of Their Own Lives and Educations
Pages: 133-140
Abstract:
Many books on Self-Directed Education (SDE) are written for scholars and educators. Empowered Kids, Liberated Parents takes a different approach. Written for parents, this book addresses the real questions and worries families have when considering self-directed learning. The authors, Cassi Clausen and Aaron Browder, are founders of The Open School in California, which offers both in-person and online democratic learning programs. Throughout the book, they explore why autonomy is essential for the well-being of young people, while also acknowledging why offering that autonomy can feel challenging for parents. By examining specific fears—such as technology use, personal safety, physical activity, and social connection—the authors offer practical guidance for parents who want to step back and support young people in taking greater ownership of their own lives. Using concrete examples from their work as facilitators, the book reassures parents that environments focused on autonomy and community can help children and young people to thrive.
Marnina Kammersell
Book review: Gakko ni ikanai kodomo no shakaishi: Futoko to free school no genryu [A Social History of Children Not Attending School: The Origins of Non-Attendance and Alternative Schools]
Pages: 141-146
Abstract:
Yuya Tanaka’s A Social History of Children Not Attending School is a thoughtful depiction of the issue of children not attending school in Japan and the changing awareness thereof, as handled largely by private-sector organizations and individuals, from the 1960s through the 1980s. Its focus is on the process through which the phenomenon of children not attending school came to be viewed as a problem and the changing understanding of that problem, as well as on the complex interactions among diverse actors in the process of creating measures and alternatives to address the situation. The author, himself at one time the proprietor of an alternative school, writes with well-informed sympathy and clarity about the issues of the times, detailing the multiple viewpoints and actors involved with thorough reference to contemporary documents, newspapers, magazines, and other materials.
N. M. Kato