Free Schooling is a learner-centred approach to education where students shape their own learning paths. Instead of following a fixed curriculum or relying on grades and tests, students explore what matters to them—at their own pace—with the support of a community that values equity, freedom, and shared decision-making.
This type of learning and pedagogy have been around for a very long time. In North America, Free Schooling became popular in the 1960s largely due to A.S. Neill's Summerhill School (which itself was founded back in 1921!). Unschooling, a term coined by John Holt in the 70s, is equally influential on our foundational principles, as are other non-coercive and self-directed education paradigms found in indigenous and non-Western pedagogies.
Alpha II's philosophy of unschooling is a living entity that grows with every person who enters the space and adapts to the ever-changing body of educational research that surrounds it. In 2014, researcher Peter Gray completed this study identifying the benefits of the unschooling approach to education. Other important thinkers who have supported this style of learning in their writing and practice include Ivan Illich, Paulo Freire and John Taylor Gatto.
It’s not just school:
It’s community-based, freedom-driven learning.
At Alpha II, Free Schooling means:
No mandatory curriculum or classes
No grades or standardized tests (and no OSSD granted)
Students create learning portfolios of their work
All decisions made by consensus—students, staff, and families together
*For more information on free schooling, check out our educational resources.*
Students decide what, when, and how they learn, guided by their interests and supported by mentors.
All members of the community—students, staff, and families—make decisions together. Every voice counts.
Growth is measured through personalized learning portfolios that showcase a student’s unique journey, rather than through grades or tests.
We prioritize curiosity, well-being, and personal development over comparison or competition.
Free Schooling attracts those who believe education should be a process of discovery, not conformity. It's chosen by families who value mental health and well-being as much as academic growth. It’s embraced by students who feel stifled by conventional structures—and want to shape their own story.
Here, learning isn’t preparation for life—it is life. Projects emerge from real passions, conversations spark change, and students develop not only knowledge, but confidence, voice, and purpose. In learning to self-direct, students gain vital executive functioning skills (self-motivation, perseverance, self-confidence, etc.) needed to be super-learners (people capable of learning any subject they put their mind to).
People choose Free Schooling because they want more than just school.
They want agency.
They want meaning.
They want community.