Unschooling in Italy: Navigating Idealisations, Constraints, and De-Colonising Promises

Unschooling represents a philosophy of education that challenges con-ventional paradigms, advocating for learner autonomy and a departure from institutionalised schooling. This paper offers reflections informed by research insights and framed within an anthropological perspective, fo-cusing on the unschooling experience in Italy. It explores the tensions be-tween the idealised principles of unschooling and the realities of their im-plementation. Drawing on mixed-methods research, the study highlights how home-educating families navigate “pedagogic compromises” as they reconcile their aspirational visions with sociocultural and institutional constraints. Key challenges identified include the deschooling of en-trenched behavioural patterns, negotiating societal integration, and meet-ing formal assessment requirements. Rather than interpreting these com-promises as shortcomings, the paper reframes them as dynamic and gen-erative spaces for educational transformation. The findings suggest that the potential of unschooling lies not in rigid ideological adherence, but in creative adaptations that foster personalised learning, challenge domi-nant epistemic frameworks, and advance more equitable educational possibilities.