Very interesting to read - since both my children are unschooled. The concept is fairly new, indeed, and, of course, people tend to have a negative opinion if you deviate from the norm. But, given time, society will change and the focus will shift from having a diploma to having knowledge of something, something you wanted to learn - on your own, online, private classes etc. Obviously, you won't be able to practice medicine without going to the university, but there are lots of other fields where formal education is no longer necessary.
RE: Learning & Ignoring Societal Norms on Exams