"Schools must expand beyond the traditional territorial control over conferring credentials and acknowledge that people can and do learn in unconventional ways." - Judy Arnall, Author Unschooling to University
Do you need a high school diploma?
Many would see this questions and ask, is this even up for debate? If that surprises you, then let us deliver a complete shock: the answer is, "probably not".
Why? Because there are a multitude of avenues and alternatives to a diploma. Avenues that are better, more fun, and more real than a piece of paper that reduces who you are, what you can do, and what you know to a list of grades.
Why? Because there are a multitude of avenues and alternatives to a diploma. Avenues that are better, more fun, and more real than a piece of paper that reduces who you are, what you can do, and what you know to a list of grades.
What is the purpose of a high school diploma?
The reality is that a high school diploma does not necessarily prepare you for, or guarantee you success at, any of these things. What a HS diploma tells the world is that you succeeded at the game of high school, i.e., you passed a lot of courses. If you scored top marks, it also indicates that you have spent a great deal of time studying and conscientiously doing what you were told to get good grades or, that you are academically inclined.
But really, do marks on a piece of paper actually represent you? Do they say that you know who you are; that you know how to be happy; that you know how to think creatively; how to get things done, how to learn, how to collaborate, how to communicate? No, they don’t. And that is the problem because to succeed in all of the ‘next stage’ life items, these are the skills, attitudes, and knowledge that you actually need.
Read about the 10 skills you need to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution.
12 Top Skills For Any Industry: Transferable Skills To Make Your Career A Success
But really, do marks on a piece of paper actually represent you? Do they say that you know who you are; that you know how to be happy; that you know how to think creatively; how to get things done, how to learn, how to collaborate, how to communicate? No, they don’t. And that is the problem because to succeed in all of the ‘next stage’ life items, these are the skills, attitudes, and knowledge that you actually need.
Read about the 10 skills you need to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution.
12 Top Skills For Any Industry: Transferable Skills To Make Your Career A Success
how do you enter post-secondary without a diploma?
As Judy Arnall writes in her book, Unschooling to University, “There are no shortcuts. One must be adequately educated to apply for post-secondary admittance, but school courses are not the only way to demonstrate competencies.”
And we can say the same about life; you must be adequately educated to reach your goals and succeed.
Making the decision to not take the required courses to get a regular diploma is not about avoiding work: it is about choosing the work you want to do instead of letting someone else choose a path for you. Unschooling your school is going to take effort and hard work because you are choosing to engage in real life learning and life is hard. But when you direct your own learning you get to decide how and when and with whom you do that learning and that makes all the difference. Real choice can turn learning from drudgery to excitement.
True education isn't about proving yourself to a system—through grades and courses—it is about proving yourself to yourself. There are few more satisfying feelings in life than self motivated accomplishment.
The five most straightforward ways to hack the system and get into post-secondary without a diploma are:
And we can say the same about life; you must be adequately educated to reach your goals and succeed.
Making the decision to not take the required courses to get a regular diploma is not about avoiding work: it is about choosing the work you want to do instead of letting someone else choose a path for you. Unschooling your school is going to take effort and hard work because you are choosing to engage in real life learning and life is hard. But when you direct your own learning you get to decide how and when and with whom you do that learning and that makes all the difference. Real choice can turn learning from drudgery to excitement.
True education isn't about proving yourself to a system—through grades and courses—it is about proving yourself to yourself. There are few more satisfying feelings in life than self motivated accomplishment.
The five most straightforward ways to hack the system and get into post-secondary without a diploma are:
- Take Open University courses and use the credits to transfer into another institution.
- Use SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or ACT (American College Testing Program) scores.
- Take only the prerequisite courses that university/college deems necessary.
- Do some living, figure out what you really want to study and enter as a mature student.
- Create a stunning portfolio and market it, along with your FL Diploma, like crazy!
- University Admissions (Canada) University Admission (US) - Read the overview and explore the site in detail.
- Unschooling to University - Delve deeply into the rich content on this site and READ THE BOOK.
- Professor Carlos Ricci - Read his paper and explore the Nipissing University site, Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning.
- Jim Flannery - Get to know Jim, download his audio/app book Leave School and connect with others on Peer Unschooling Network
- Blake Boles - Study his site and READ ALL HIS BOOKS
- FL-Diploma - A school leaving readiness program. Your culminating project. Your “I am ready for life” thesis. Your way you prove yourself to yourself.
Is being a life-long learner more important than a diploma?
Absolutely!
Life provides a constant stream of issues that need solutions—what better way to handle life than by being a person who loves to learn, knows how to do it and adapts. Being a Free Learner gives you a myriad of opportunities to practice, practice, practice. It is estimated that 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately work in completely new job types that don’t currently exist. So, how can an outdated system come anywhere close to preparing tomorrow’s adults for the world in which they are expected to thrive? A world that, as of today, hasn’t even been imagined. Do we really trust the high school curriculum to have, encourage, and develop that imagination when it has a strong history of doing the opposite?
The adaptability that comes with being a life-long learner allows you to future-proof your life, no matter what it looks like.
Life provides a constant stream of issues that need solutions—what better way to handle life than by being a person who loves to learn, knows how to do it and adapts. Being a Free Learner gives you a myriad of opportunities to practice, practice, practice. It is estimated that 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately work in completely new job types that don’t currently exist. So, how can an outdated system come anywhere close to preparing tomorrow’s adults for the world in which they are expected to thrive? A world that, as of today, hasn’t even been imagined. Do we really trust the high school curriculum to have, encourage, and develop that imagination when it has a strong history of doing the opposite?
The adaptability that comes with being a life-long learner allows you to future-proof your life, no matter what it looks like.
Why are the 6Cs the new standarD
There is an increased understanding of the vital importance of the 6Cs: Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Critical thinking, Compassion and Community. And although school boards are slowly increasing their focus on the 6Cs, efforts to teach “about them” is not the solution. Focusing on your own interests and passions will naturally and seamlessly provide a multitude of opportunities for honing these skills through authentic, meaningful activity. In other words, if you are a FL you will inevitably rock at the 6Cs.
What does self-knowledge and well-being have to do with it?
Everything. If you don’t know yourself, what makes you happy, what you enjoy, how to sustain your mental and emotional health, all the diplomas and degrees in the world cannot bring you a meaningful life. Play, exploration, experimentation, getting bored or frustrated, tying something else; these are the things that build self-knowledge. When you deepen your understanding of who you are, you learn what you need and how to take care of yourself—you learn how to maintain your well-being. And after all, what’s your life about if it’s not about you?
“We call on Canada’s governments and post secondary institutions to prioritize mental health and wellbeing for students, teachers and teacher candidates.”
-Association of Canadian Deans of Education, Teaching and Teacher Education for Post-Pandemic Canada, August 2020
don't forget about social capital!
Social capital is the value that comes from social networks, or groupings of people, which allow individuals to achieve things they couldn't on their own. When we pay attention to social capital, and how to build it, we help make the world a better place to live, one neighborhood, one school, one city at a time.
Do a Google search for ideas on building social capital or check out these simple examples from the University of Minnesota.
Do a Google search for ideas on building social capital or check out these simple examples from the University of Minnesota.
SummarY: Here is what is important
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Conclusion
Being a FL and taking complete responsibility for your education is the process that will grant you all of the above. It is the process that counts. Being handed information to memorize will not turn you into the kind of adult you want to be. YOU have to do the work and if you do, you will love learning, know yourself, build adaptability, master the 4Cs, understand how to take care of your well-being and become a life-long learner.
Read more about people who have done just that: The Pursuit of Happiness and Life After Graduation: A Free Schoolers Perspective
Read more about people who have done just that: The Pursuit of Happiness and Life After Graduation: A Free Schoolers Perspective
OK THAT’S ALL VERY NICE, BUT I AM NOT SURE I WANT TO DO POST-SECONDARY, SO HOW DO I PROVE MYSELF READY FOR WORK WITHOUT A REGULAR HS DIPLOMA?
The process of acquiring the FL Diploma is your answer. The process is designed to help you create a personal plan for getting where you want to go. In that process you might discover that you want to:
The possibilities are endless. But the point is that it is personal, it is not simply marks on a paper. It requires you to decide what is next and then do the research to determine your best route.
Take a look at the Quick Guide to Employability.
Here is a great video from a Sudbury Valley School (an unschooling school in action!) that highlights how people have gone onto successful lives without a standard diploma.
The process of acquiring the FL Diploma is your answer. The process is designed to help you create a personal plan for getting where you want to go. In that process you might discover that you want to:
- complete the required grade 12 credits and get a diploma, or
- take a few Open University courses and use them to prove your education level, or
- start work as an unpaid intern and demonstrate why you should be hired, or
- get involved in community work and make a difference and gain work experience, or
- take an entry level job and earn money for an extended travel experience
The possibilities are endless. But the point is that it is personal, it is not simply marks on a paper. It requires you to decide what is next and then do the research to determine your best route.
Take a look at the Quick Guide to Employability.
Here is a great video from a Sudbury Valley School (an unschooling school in action!) that highlights how people have gone onto successful lives without a standard diploma.