As we learn how to 'do school', do we forget how to learn?
School isn't the only way to get an education, and the school way isn't the only way to learn. In fact, some of the skills we need at school are quite different to the skills we need in order to direct our own learning.
As September rolls around, the familiar hum of the "back-to-school" season fills the air. Shops brim with school supplies, uniforms, and lunchboxes, while families gear up for the whirlwind of early mornings and jam-packed schedules. But for a growing number of families, this September signifies a shift away from convention. Instead of rushing back to classrooms, they’re embracing the freedom and...
The UK education system could learn a lot from countries like Finland where children learn through play, and 'formal' schooling doesn't begin until the age of 7 (unlike the UK, where they can start school at barely 4, even though the actual CSA (compulsory school age) is 5). The English CSA system was introduced in 1870 to get women back into work quicker (rather than based on any educational...
Did you know that autistic pupils are facing barriers to their fundamental right to education? A leading charity has sounded the alarm, revealing a shocking 166% increase in the number of autistic children persistently absent from school over the past four years.
Let’s delve into the numbers. In England alone, over a quarter of autistic children – that's roughly 51,000 out of...
What is a childhood like, when it's not defined by school?
When my children first didn’t start school, I saw a hole where school would have been. The absence loomed large. I saw empty years ahead with no Back to School Septembers, and no Sports Day in July. No school plays and no class assemblies. No chatting with other mums at the...
How Do Children Learn When They Don't Go to School? Won't they end up behind?
Most people have no idea what child development and education looks like outside school when young people have autonomy. I've been told that children will endlessly move from whim to whim, or that they'll never learn to set goals or work hard. Here's what...
