Unschooled learning

Education and schooling are not the same thing.

In Unschooled (2019), educationist and policy scholar Kerry McDonald made the provocative claim that education is not the same as schooling.

She argued that students learn best when guided by their natural curiosity and interests, something which formal school systems with their rigid curricula and emphasis on standardized testing aren’t designed to support.

She made a compelling case for the deep understanding and creativity that emerge from hands-on learning and projects rooted in a learner’s curiosity and intrinsic motivation.

“If you allow the educational process to self-organise, then learning emerges. It’s not about making learning happen; it’s about letting it happen.”

We wholeheartedly agree.

Tutorfair Foundation began as a search for new ways to spark and sustain a learner’s curiosity. As Peter Kirby, then Director of the Tutorfair Foundation, put it:

“What if we could connect people with deep knowledge, a love of their subject, and a willingness to share it with students who could use that knowledge to grow?”

Tutoring that looks more like mentorship? Absolutely.

Fast-forward several years to a student who is motivated to study law and is being tutored by barrister Daniel Watson. Daniel tells us of his approach to tutoring where he waits for the a-ha moment when a concept lands for a student. “I prefer to talk with my students so that we are looking at the concept in different ways.”

Offering feedback on our approach, a student from one of the many maths circles we run for Axiom Maths says, “I like solving different problems and I want to hear others’ ideas and thoughts about the problems.”

The possibilities are endless.  

In our mission to help learners from all backgrounds succeed in life, we are already connecting the dots between emerging vocations, career education, students who lack networks to leverage, technology and real-world learning. 

 Any ideas that you would like to share? We would love to hear your views. 

Want to read more about our journey of innovations?

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