Criticisms

Some common arguments against unschooling are given below.

Some children lack the foresight to learn the things they will need to know in their adult lives.

There may be gaps in a child's education unless an educational professional controls what material is covered.

Because schools provide a ready-made source of peers, it may be more difficult for children who are not in school to make friends and develop social skills than it is for their schooled peers.

Children have a vast capacity for learning new things, so it is the responsibility of adults to ensure that they learn a number of essential things, as it could be more difficult to learn those things as an adult (what these essential things are varies from critic to critic).

Some children are not motivated to learn anything, and will spend all of their time in un-educational endeavors if not coerced into doing otherwise.

Not all parents may be able to provide the stimulating environment or have the skills and patience required to encourage the student's curiosity.

Because they often lack a diploma from an accredited school, it may be more difficult for unschooled students to get into college or get a job.

If they are not made to do arbitrary and tedious schoolwork, children might not learn how to do difficult, uninteresting, and unpleasant work.