An increasing numbers of families in the Republic of Ireland are opting to ‘unschool’ their children by teaching them at home with no set curriculum.
The ‘unschooling’ method is growing in popularity in the country, according to the organiser of a new conference Pauline O'Reilly, who is unschooling both her children.
The first Irish Unschooling Conference, which takes place this Saturday, 27th March in NUI Galway, is designed for parents and all those who are exploring or following the approach to Home Education.
The method allows children to choose what they are interested in, with the philosophy behind it stating, 'Offer and respond but never insist.'
The method of educating children at home using no set curriculum is legal as long as the children are registered.
Dr Alan Thomas, a developmental psychologist at the University of London, will address the conference with a talk on how children learn at home.
He explained how the focus in this method is allowing children to learn from the environment around them, similar to children learning to speak. He said parental interaction was crucial.
"This method used uncontrolled learning without any planned curriculum at all. The parents simply get up, get on with their lives and the children follow. It's like a baby learning to talk. You can't teach them to talk, they have to learn themselves. The philosophy is they will want to learn," he said.
For more information on the conference and unschooling, visit www.irishunschoolingconference.com.
