Does anyone home ed overseas?

[sayatidaknama]

My 14 year old is having a hard time and I'm at a complete loss as to what to do. I had a look at interhigh which seems the only viable way he could be home educated as it would not work with me "teaching" him.

Anyone got any experience of this or other home ed abroad ideas or just a solution

[hongkongbound]

no experience of this myself but have just posted a thread asking a similar thing because we're moving to HK in the middle of the school year and I'm not sure we will get a school place. Watching with interest…

[KeyserSophie]

Home educating past age of 6 in Hong Kong is actually illegal, or rather school registration/attendance is mandatory . However, the legislation is not designed to catch westerners (temporary residents) home educating but to help them enforce truancy laws for locals (because low income families would say they were home educating when in fact the 10 yr old was looking after Granny and a 2 yr old while parents at work). I'm just mentioning this as if you ask for advice you'll get told it's illegal, and in theory it is, but as a temporary resident, they won't care.

[Isthiscorrect]

It's quite common in Dubai. It use to be illegal, quite possibly for e reasons mention by a pp. Now there are quite a few FB groups so it's apparently very popular. Maybe you could be more specific about the location you are enquiringly about?

[SantanaBinLorry]

I home/unschooled two til age six, then they joined the state system as it was the best way for them to become fluent, and its illegal after that here. Although there is a small community here that do, under the radar and working on changing legislation.
Check the legality of where you are first,.then find an existing network who will know if the laws are there to stop it all together or to deter families abusing it.

[sayatidaknama]

I'm in Europe and yes home ed is allowed here though not as popular as in the UK, and I believe it is frowned upon. Not that I care as we are already forriners!

I just wondered if anyone had done/is doing it, particularly for older DC and if they use any online resources/schools such as interhigh. Thanks.

[TheFirie]

Even in Europe you might find it difficult. In Italy for example it is illegal

[jomidmum]

We are long-term home educators, currently in the Middle East. We mostly "unschool", so very little structured learning. Our children are 12 and 13.
We haven't used online school like Interhigh, although I know families in the UK who use it and are very happy with it.
My son has started studying for IGCSEs (his choice) and is using various resources such as Conquer Maths, Catherine Mooney English, Diane May Law, Echo Education for sciences.
My daughter unschools and follows her own interests. We provide opportunities and encouragement.
It works well for us, although we have a huge lack of home ed support and community where we are.

[sayatidaknama]

jomidmum, that's really interesting thanks. Can I ask how motivated your DC are especially your DS? Do you have to cajole them along? My DS is not motivated and one of the reasons I'm reluctant scared to home ed him is the daily fights it will probably cause. That's why I thought interhigh might be good. Also I work/study and don't have much time energy to get involved. I don't think there are home ed groups here either so worry about him being even more isolated.

[jomidmum]

sayatidaknama
My DD is very motivated! She's just Miss Enthusistic in most areas of life! DS less so at times. If it something I have selected then he can get unmotivated but generally he is very focused on what he wants to achieve. He has chosen to start IGCSEs and which ones to do. He wants to go to Uni and study law or politics, so he majors on studies which will help him go in that direction. I have "imposed" 20th century history on them both, as parents we fell it is important for them to understand historical sequence of events and the consequences this can lead to. He's been pretty unmotivated at times but now we are up to the 1960's he is really getting into it!
We don't have fights over it though......some days are better than others but generally we all love it. I think children and teens are incredibly self-motivated if given loads of time and space to explore things themselves.
I've heard good things from Interhigh, although we wouldn't opt for it ourselves.
DS only has a couple of friends here but he chats and online games every day with UK friends. DD has lots of friends on the compound we live on. I'm glad they don't have to travel 90 mins each way minimum every school day!

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

I looked into it, decided against it in the end but there are some networks here in Switzerland and I have also met some Home EDers from Spain, Germany and France who tap into the UK HE networks.

[sayatidaknama]

Thanks for the advice. jomidmum in particular, your experience is really relevant thank you. "I think children and teens are incredibly self-motivated if given loads of time and space to explore things themselves." I agree and this certainly applies to my other DC but it feels like a gamble re my DS. If I give him time and space I'm inclined to think he'll do nothing with it! He was interested in the gaming/programming course available on interhigh though, surprise surprise. Food for thought. I shall keep ruminating.

[Schwabischeweihnachtskanne]

anotherdayanothersquabble how are your friends in Germany managing that? It is most definitely illegal once of compulsory school age and for a minimum of 9 years from that point (though in our part of Germany you can keep kids out of school until the September after their 7th birthday or from age 14 or 15 if they have done 9 years of schooling by then). There are some little parent initiative schools which try to provide an atmosphere more like home ed or even unschooling in some places, though they have to meet certain standards and have a minimum of 14 pupils and employ at least one qualified teacher.