How can teens learn when they don't go to school?

Last summer, I talked to seventeen inspiring teenagers. They were all individuals whose education had been unconventional. Some of them had never been to school, others had been to school and had found it didn’t work for them. Some had stopped at primary school, others made it to secondary school before it all went wrong. Some were attending college while others were finding different paths into adulthood. Some were at highly alternative schools where lessons are optional.

I asked them how they learn, what they learn about and how they motivate themselves. I asked them for their reflections on education, on school and where they see themselves in the future. They were all so different – some loved taking exams and studied languages for fun, while others found academia tedious and just wanted to follow their interests.

I wanted to know what education looks like, when the adults don’t decide. What do teenagers do, when it really is up to them? Do they ‘do nothing’ as I’m often told they will? Do they have plans for themselves and their futures?

I wanted to do this to write a book for other teens. Because I’m often told by parents that their teen thinks that they are the only person for whom school doesn’t work. They think that their future is blighted, that they will never amount to anything. I wanted to show them that this isn’t the case. There’s a future out there, whether or not you attend school.

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I know this is important because I myself was called a ‘school refuser’ when I was thirteen and fourteen. I knew that school wasn’t the best place for me to learn, and that I could learn better in other ways. But I didn’t know anyone else like myself. I thought that I was the only one.

Now I do. I know that there are thousands of teens like me, and I want them to know that they aren’t alone. There is no need to despair. Learning is everywhere, and you don’t have to go to school to learn. There are other ways to get an education.

My book with Eliza Fricker is available for pre-order now. Highly illustrated and easy to digest, it helps teens see that there is a future beyond school. Please order a copy in advance if you can - it helps to show the publishers that there is a demand for this type of book.

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