ABSTRACT

Learning outside the formal schooling system has gained wide interest and expansion around world and through Arab states. The popularity and expansion of this trend has been influenced by the growing number of individuals increasingly alienated by the approaches and content of formal education. Similarly, for decades students and parents in formal education system in Egypt have been seeking alternative means to get quality educational services, such as private tutoring. Thus, unschooling has emerged as an innovative method of education, which draws inspiration mainly from the global homeschooling movement. This chapter qualitatively explores the experience of unschooling in Egypt, analyzing the potential impact that unschooling has on norms and practices of citizenship. Specifically, the author examines the motivations of parents to educate their children through unschooling practices, providing insights on social and class-based features influencing the choice of unschooling practices and exploring the structure and technical features of unschooling.