Yes and no. The "school of hard knocks" or the "school of life" is one that does not have a curriculum. This is perhaps the extreme case of a school that teaches based on the interests and the experiences accumulated by those involved. Often, the only teacher is the student, who must determine the lesson in any situation without any particular guidance.
A formal school of this type is said to have an "emergent curriculum." That is, the lessons are derived from the interests and experience of those attending. In some cases, the schoolmaster arranges for students to encounter particular events or situations; in other cases the schoolmaster takes advantage of teachable moments that develop from the situations the students encounter on their own.
Agencies that accredit schools usually insist on a defined curriculum, demonstrated to be adhered to, and appropriate to the students attending. Thus it is often the case that a school with no particular curriculum will be one that is not accredited--effectively not a school for some legal purposes.
A formal school of this type is said to have an "emergent curriculum." That is, the lessons are derived from the interests and experience of those attending. In some cases, the schoolmaster arranges for students to encounter particular events or situations; in other cases the schoolmaster takes advantage of teachable moments that develop from the situations the students encounter on their own.
Agencies that accredit schools usually insist on a defined curriculum, demonstrated to be adhered to, and appropriate to the students attending. Thus it is often the case that a school with no particular curriculum will be one that is not accredited--effectively not a school for some legal purposes.
