Maryanne Jacobs believes her children learn "naturally" through every day life, by playing computer games, going for walks and helping her with the shopping.
Speaking to Matt Barbet and Ranvir Singh this morning, the Scottish mum explained that she doesn’t disagree with school but it doesn’t work for her family.
‘It doesn’t work for us, it’s very structured and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it… it works for some people and some kids but not for us as a family… I want them to be free to make their own choices and learn what they want to learn when they want to learn it.’
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The 32-year-old, who is mother to nine-year-old Rio, and 8-year-old Bryden, says that they learned maths and how to read, write by shopping, baking and words through Scrabble and Monopoly.
'Having to go back and forward to nurseries twenty times a week, it was spoiling our days'
Speaking to Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly later on in the show, Maryanne described a typical day for her and her children:
‘There’s a natural flow to our day… we get up, we decide what we want to do when we wake up and carry on our day.
‘I believe in giving children as well as any other human being freedom of choice.’
Her two children did go to nursery but Maryanne admits “having to go back and forward to nurseries twenty times a week, it was spoiling our days.”
And on whether her children are mature enough to make their own decisions, Maryanne, who lives with her registered disabled partner Allan, said:
‘Absolutely, I think they are able to make choices even when they are a lot younger… It’s not for me to decide what she wants to do.’
Eldest daughter Rio, who attended primary school for eight days last year but decided it wasn't for her, revealed:
'It’s not for me to decide what my daughter wants to do.’
‘Most of my friends don't go to school, they are unschooled as well, but at home I don't really have a structure.’
While home-schooling your children is legal, the legality of unschooling is unclear, with the Department for Education (DoE)saying that children of compulsory school-age must receive a suitable full-time education, whether in school or otherwise.
A spokesman for the DoE said: 'Parents in England must ensure that children of compulsory school age receive a full-time education 'suitable' for their age and abilities.
'This can be at home or at school. It is down to local authorities to decide whether the education a child is receiving is suitable.'
Do you think Maryanne is damaging her children’s future by not giving them a structured education? Or do you believe her more ‘natural’ approach to learning could be beneficial?
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