Defending Unschooling: 'It's Not Anything Goes'

Defending Unschooling: Its Not Anything GoesABC News
Christine Yablonski and Phil Biegler appeared live on "Good Morning America" to defend their controversial education method of ?radical unschooling,? which prompted an overwhelming response from viewers.




VIDEO: The Biegler family explains its decision to let their kids educate themselves.Play
Parents Defend Unschooling









Children as the 'Center of the Universe'







"They might read," her husband added.


Kimberly in Ohio wondered, "How are these children expected to function in society as adults? They don't seem to have any structure or discipline."

Yablonski said, "There's an intrinsic structure" to their lives.

"If you look at a week or a month, there's absolutely a structure to what they're accomplishing," she said.



Dr. Reef Karim, a psychiatrist, agrees.


Unschooling Father: 'They Will Do What They Need to Do'

This parenting style might raise some eyebrows, but in Massachusetts, it's legal. Unschooling parents in that state are required to report to local school authorities once a year. The Massachusetts Department of Education did not respond to calls and e-mails from ABC News seeking comment.




But what happens when the kids get older? Shaun Biegler, 13, last went to school when he was in the first grade.

He doesn't regret not attending anymore, but said, "I wonder what my life would be if I continued going to school. I was never really into some of the stuff that I had to learn in school."

He added that sports "haven't really been an interest of mine," but he also hasn't been exposed to many sports because he doesn't participate in a physical education class.

Shaun's sister, 15-year-old Kimi, doesn't even know what grade she'd have been in if she had remained in school, and doesn't feel prepared for college.

"I haven't done the traditional look at a textbook and learn about such-and-such," she said. "If I wanted to go to college, then I would pick up a textbook and learn."

Neither child has any plans for college, according to their father. When asked if he felt it was his responsibility to teach his children to do things that they don't want to do, he said, "they will do what they need to do, whether or not they enjoy it, because they see the purpose in it."

Though the children's father acknowledged they were growing up in a unique way, he said that "in all other aspects, they're … living in the mainstream."

"They have experiences and knowledge that other people don't," Yablonski said.
