What "unschooling" actually means (it's not what social media says)

If you have been researching home education and come across the word "unschooling," you may have formed one of two impressions: either it sounds like children doing whatever they want all day, or it sounds like an ideological movement. Social media tends toward both extremes. The reality is considerably more nuanced, and considerably more practical.

This post explains what unschooling actually is, what it is not, how it sits within New Zealand law, and how to write a credible MoE application if your approach to home education is child-led or falls anywhere on the unschooling spectrum.

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Where the word comes from

The term was coined by American educator John Holt in the 1970s. Holt argued that children are natural learners and that formal schooling, with its rigid schedules, standardised tests, and external rewards, often works against that natural curiosity rather than with it. His books "How Children Fail" and "How Children Learn" were based on classroom observations and were influential well beyond alternative education circles.

The word "unschooling" was meant to describe an approach, not an ideology. It describes education that is not structured like school, rather than education that is absent.

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What unschooling actually is

At its core, unschooling is child-led learning. The child's interests, questions, and natural development drive the educational experience rather than a pre-set curriculum or timetable. A parent or caregiver is involved, typically quite actively, but as a facilitator and resource rather than a teacher delivering lessons.

In practice, this looks very different across families:

• A child who is obsessed with trains might spend months reading about railway history, building models, visiting heritage rail sites, and writing stories about trains. A parent might introduce maths through timetables and distances, and language through reading manuals or writing letters to enthusiasts.
• An older child might spend significant time on a creative project, coding, music, or working with animals, with the parent weaving in broader skills and concepts where they naturally fit.
• Some families keep loose weekly rhythms. Others are entirely responsive to what the child initiates each day.

What unites these approaches is the belief that deep engagement with something the child genuinely cares about produces real learning, and that forcing a child through material they are not ready for or interested in often produces the opposite.

Unschooling is not the absence of parental involvement. It is not neglect. It is not an excuse to leave children in front of screens all day. Done well, it is actively demanding for the adult, who needs to observe, facilitate, connect the dots, and ensure the child is genuinely developing over time.

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What it is not

It is not the same as radical unschooling. Radical unschooling extends child-led philosophy into all areas of family life, including food, bedtimes, and household rules. This is a distinct position held by a small subset of unschooling families. Most unschoolers have a normal family structure and simply apply a child-led approach to education.

It is not the absence of learning. Critics often assume that without a curriculum, nothing gets learned. The evidence from families who document their children's progress over years tells a different story. Children who are deeply engaged in things they care about typically develop strong literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and self-direction.

It is not static. Many families who start with a structured curriculum move toward unschooling over time. Others start unschooling and introduce more structure as children get older and develop specific goals. It is a spectrum, not a fixed position.

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How unschooling sits in NZ law

In New Zealand, all children between the ages of 6 and 16 are legally required to be enrolled at a registered school or hold a Certificate of Exemption under section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

This applies equally to unschooling families. There is no legal category for unschooling, and no exemption from the exemption process. If you are home educating your child using an unschooling approach, you still need to apply to the Ministry of Education and have your application approved.

The legal test the Ministry applies is whether they are satisfied you will "teach the child at least as regularly and well as in a registered school." The word "teach" does not require a classroom or a curriculum. The Ministry has approved unschooling-based applications. But the application needs to give the reviewer enough to understand your approach and trust that genuine learning will happen.

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How to write an unschooling-based MoE application

This is where many unschooling families hit trouble. The application asks you to describe your curriculum, your teaching methods, and your daily or weekly routine. Those questions are framed with school-based assumptions built in. An unschooling family that answers literally ("we don't have a curriculum, we follow the child's interests") without further explanation is likely to get questions back from the Ministry, or worse, a declined application.

The solution is not to misrepresent your approach. It is to translate it.

Here is what reviewers actually need to understand:

That your child will cover the essential learning areas over time. The New Zealand Curriculum identifies key learning areas: English, Maths, Science, Social Sciences, the Arts, Health and Physical Education, and Technology. You do not need to address each one in a lesson plan. But you need to show how your child will encounter and develop in these areas through their learning.

That you are actively involved. The application should make clear that you are not simply leaving your child to their own devices. Describe your role: how you observe, respond, facilitate, introduce new resources, and support your child's development.

That you have a way of seeing progress. Even in an unschooling context, you should be able to describe how you notice your child is growing. This might be through documentation, conversations, projects completed, or skills developed over time.

Practical tip: describe one or two examples of how learning has happened or might happen in your household. Concrete examples are far more persuasive than abstract descriptions of philosophy.

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FAQ

Q: Is unschooling legal in New Zealand? A: Yes, provided you hold a Certificate of Exemption under section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020. You still need to apply to the Ministry of Education and have your approach approved. The legal test is the same as for any home education approach.

Q: Will the MoE reject my application if I say I'm unschooling? A: Not automatically. The Ministry has approved child-led and unschooling-based applications. The key is explaining your approach clearly and showing that genuine learning will happen. Vague or incomplete applications are more likely to receive questions or be declined.

Q: Do I need to follow the NZ Curriculum if I'm unschooling? A: You are not required to follow it lesson by lesson, but the Ministry does expect that children will develop broadly across the essential learning areas over time. Your application should show how your approach will cover these areas, even if the route is non-linear and child-led.

Q: What if my child is not interested in maths or writing? A: Most children develop literacy and numeracy naturally when they are engaged in real activities that require them. Your application should explain how you will ensure your child develops core skills even within a child-led framework, including what you would do if you noticed a significant gap.

Q: Can I switch from a structured curriculum to unschooling later? A: Yes. If you significantly change your approach, you should notify the Ministry. Your Certificate of Exemption is based on the approach you described, so a major shift warrants an update.

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If you're navigating the home education exemption process, especially in a complex situation, Pulled can help you put together an application that reflects your family's real circumstances. See how →