That is a bit of a problem as most writers are American and coming with that frame of reference in mind plus the books are starting to show their age in places as things are changing (always lol). I still find it interesting to read all the various things people write, never leave without 'something' even if it is just hmm yep, still disagree. All helps in clarifying my own ideas and ideals. I like people asking questions even when they don't have the answers, I spend a lot of time doing that myself

Free Schools is fairly new, if you google around he has done some radio interviews that will give you the I guess cliff notes of the book if you're interested in listening to things (I listened to one before reading the book but I can't find the exact link for it anymore but there are some others around that I imagine would be similar).

School experience is 10 years behind me now (well 10 if you count the year of primary education I took at university, 9 otherwise) but for us it was at least 90% questions in a book with one answer and one expected way to find that answer. And you lost marks for doing things in a different manner (lots of experience with that delightful concept). The only exception was maths extension which was I guess more philosophical and open ended exploration of problems and numbers and I very much enjoyed that (but this was about 30 students out of 300 so not the norm for students to experience). I do hope that has changed.

I don't want to give the impression that my mind is comparing the two options as opposing ideals, I don't really think of it like that. I don't think unschooling is hands down, no contest, always 'better' either, I think it is an option that works and that has the potential to suit anyone. My posts are more to explain why I think that and not to be read as a commentary on school in the same breathe. Some of the way in which learning is implemented in our home might be how it is in a school so when I describe what we do it isn't to say a school might not do that as well, does that make sense? I don't think a positive about unschooling directly means to suggest a negative about school or any combination of that sort of thinking, they are not polar opposites like that (well outside of the name I suppose lol). I just don't want people to read more into what I'm saying than is intended so hope that makes things more clear.