What is an alternative learning space?
Parents today have more than one way to educate a child. Each path suits some children and families better than others. This page describes four of them as fairly as we can, and then explains where we stand and what we are not.
Four paths
| Mainstream school | Alternative learning space | Homeschooling | Unschooling | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who decides what is learned | A board syllabus, followed by the school | The educators, from a curriculum they write around each child | The parents | Mostly the child |
| Where | A school, in classes by age | A shared space, in mixed-age groups | At home and in the community | Wherever the child's interests lead |
| The adult's role | Teaching a class through a sequence | Preparing the room, facilitating learning through various means, observing, guiding each child | Parent as teacher and organiser | Parent as companion and resource |
| How progress is seen | Tests, marks and report cards | Observation, records and detailed progress cards | Decided by the family | Seen in daily life, rarely measured |
| Other children | A class of the same age | A small group of mixed ages | Arranged by the family | Arranged by the family |
| What it asks of parents | Support with homework and school routines | Close partnership, and aligning home life with the space | Most of the family's time and planning | Trust, time and a rich environment at home |
Mainstream schools give many children a stable path and a clear sequence, and most of us were educated in one. Homeschooling and unschooling give families full control over how a child learns, and ask a great deal of the parents in return. An alternative learning space sits between these: children learn with others, in a prepared space, while the pace and the method are shaped around each child.
What we are
- A space where children of mixed ages learn at their own pace, guided by trained educators.
- A place with a clear structure: a daily rhythm, a curriculum, records and regular reports to parents.
- Drawing on Montessori, J. Krishnamurti and the Nai Taleem of Gandhiji and Vinoba.
- A partnership with families.
What we are not
- Not unstructured. Children choose their work within a prepared environment, but they do not do only what they feel like. There is a loose structure to every day.
- Not against academics. Children read, write and do mathematics every day. They begin with materials and move to paper when they are ready.
- Not homeschooling in a shared building. Trained educators lead the learning, not parents.
- Not a fix for every difficulty. A child who is struggling elsewhere may do well here, or may not. We talk this through before admission.
- Not only for families who can pay more. Fees are on a sliding scale, so children from different backgrounds learn together.
Questions parents ask
Can my child move to a mainstream school later?
Yes. Some of our children have moved to schools that follow conventional boards. In our experience, they took a few weeks to adjust to desks, timetables and written tests. We are glad to talk through what a move might look like for your child.
Will my child keep up academically?
Children here learn reading, writing and mathematics through materials first, then on paper. The order and pace may differ from a textbook, so a child may be ahead in some areas and still working on others. The progress card shows you where your child is. See a sample progress card
Do children get to do whatever they want?
No. Children choose from work the educator has prepared and presented, within a daily rhythm. Freedom here means freedom within limits. A child may choose what she wishes to work on and how she wishes to learn, from a set of available choices.
How is this different from homeschooling?
In homeschooling, the parent is the teacher. Here, trained educators guide the learning, and your child learns alongside other children every day. Parents are partners, not instructors.
How is this different from unschooling?
Unschooling lets the child's interests lead almost entirely. We follow the child too, but within a prepared environment and a curriculum the educators are responsible for.
Is this only for children who find mainstream school hard?
No. Most children who join us come at two and a half to three years, before they have been to any school. Families choose us for how we work, not as a last resort.
What do you ask of parents?
Keep children away from screens at home, be willing for self-work, work with us on your child's goals, and stay involved in your child's life. You can read more in Choosing a school is also choosing a community.
Want to know more?