There’s an old saying about people entering our lives for a season, a reason, or a lifetime. When we think about education, the same applies. Education itself has always been a lifetime pursuit—something we continue every day, beyond formal schooling. Schooling, however, was created for a reason—to provide a standardised education that could prepare children for a world that valued uniformity and measurable progress. But as times change, it feels as if the season for traditional schooling has passed. In its place, home education is emerging, offering a flexible, personalised, and enduring approach to learning.
The Reason: Why Schooling Was Created
Historically, the rise of formal schooling was rooted in the Industrial Revolution. As society grew more complex, there was a need for a workforce with basic literacy, numeracy, and compliance—skills that schooling could instil efficiently. Schools standardised knowledge, aiming to teach every child in roughly the same way. This served a clear purpose: it provided a “one-size-fits-all” education that prepared students for an industrial, office-bound future. But with this, education often became more about passing tests than fostering individual curiosity.
The Season: Why Traditional Schooling May Be Passing
In today’s world, standardised education often struggles to meet the unique needs of every child. Families are noticing that schooling, once essential for the majority, may not provide the depth, adaptability, or engagement children need for the modern world. The “season” of traditional schooling may be passing because it’s rooted in a model of education that doesn’t always prepare children for a diverse, rapidly-changing world. Education is shifting from focusing solely on results and grades to valuing curiosity, problem-solving, and lifelong learning.
With home education, parents and guardians now have the freedom to design an education that matches their children’s strengths, interests, and future aspirations. This flexibility marks a major shift from traditional schooling—allowing families to focus on what each child truly needs, rather than what the curriculum prescribes.
The Lifetime: Why Home Education is Here to Stay
Home education has deeper historical roots than modern schooling. Some of the most influential thinkers and scientists—those whose discoveries continue to shape our understanding of the world—were educated outside of standardised classrooms. Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Thomas Edison, for example, were all educated outside of traditional schools, guided by their curiosity and a thirst for knowledge that was unconfined by rigid curricula. They learned in ways that nurtured creativity, allowing them to explore ideas, experiment, and follow their instincts toward discoveries that changed history.
Modern science, technology, and knowledge are all built upon the work of these minds. Our scientists today, in many ways, “stand on the shoulders” of these giants who benefitted from the freedom to explore ideas without the confines of traditional schooling. Home education allowed for flexibility, deep thinking, and the space to nurture unique talents—a freedom that, in many ways, has been lost in the age of standardised tests and rigid curricula.
As the world changes, it feels fitting to return to an approach that values and encourages individual creativity. By embracing home education, we’re revisiting an era where learning was an open journey, directed by curiosity and genuine interest, rather than a narrow path laid out for everyone to follow. This return to a model of creative freedom could spark the next wave of great thinkers and innovators, prepared not just to pass tests but to explore, question, and transform the world.
Home education allows children to grow into lifelong learners, nurturing curiosity and passion that can last well beyond their school years. This approach acknowledges that every child learns differently, adapts to challenges in unique ways, and should be encouraged to develop their individual potential.
By tailoring education to the individual, home education provides an alternative that honours each child’s journey, not only in passing academic milestones but in building a love for learning that spans a lifetime. Families are creating an environment that prioritises both the reason (for meaningful, relevant learning) and the season (embracing each child’s evolving interests and needs).
Conclusion
The shift toward home education reflects a growing understanding that education is not one-size-fits-all and that the season for standardised schooling may be passing. Now, education can be about nurturing each individual for a lifetime of growth and exploration. By understanding that schooling served a necessary purpose and time, we can embrace this new season of learning that encourages flexibility, lifelong curiosity, and a genuine love for learning—values that will surely stand the test of time.
