#4 Unschooling – More Questions
Categories: Unschooling, Léo’s Insights 2025-2026
Pontius Pilot is famous for having asked a question likely everyone has asked at some time in their life: “What is Truth?” Avoiding a long dissertation on what truth is, we need only point out two things. While the word truth is most often used in a singular context, the opposite can be said of untruths commonly known as lies. The other thing of note is that truth is the only way that lies can be exposed as such. Also know that what we believe, whether true of false, will ultimately default as truth in our minds.
We are who we are and believe what we believe as a consequence of everything we have experienced in life. We are given the choice between freely acknowledging God or willingly succumbing to a particular narrative leading us away from Him. Because most individuals have experienced some form of school, we naturally accept, normalize and even Christianize its tenets. However, if school-based approaches to education are based on a secular, humanistic premise, does employing school methodologies in alternate, Christian or home schools really change anything? To illustrate, if your van is broken, is it less broken if dragged to a service station, church parking lot, or home? Of course not, but this is precisely what happens with education.
While the school system is becoming increasingly famous for its dysfunctions, many folks think employing it in a different place or in a different way will make it better; but as previously mentioned, is it really an improvement or simply a better place to continue with bad pedagogy? Moving venues does not change anything. The van is still broken.
More questions:
- Who invented grades? Are they an accurate reflection of reality?
- Who has determined that children can only learn by being at a desk?
- Can a surrogate parent or teacher have a greater influence in a child’s life than a parent? If so, is this an improvement or a liability?
- Schools are often presented as being religiously neutral. Is this possible?
- Can curricular programs be neutral? Is a Christianized version of school programming actually Christian?
- Are there indications of schools taking authority and/or undermining parental responsibilities?
- Are schools mostly seen as bastions of knowledge or babysitting services?
The biggest question is, who is ultimately responsible for a child’s well-being, and should this responsibility be abdicated to another?
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