I home educate my 3 children

[LilyTuesday]

As the subject title says! I have found myself answering lots of questions over the years, once people find out we home Ed our children… but they are probably being polite and not saying how they really feel about the idea of choosing to never send a child to school…. So AMA if you’ve ever been curious!

It limits their options at university and means it all takes longer. You can not usually get on a university access course until you are 19, which means the earliest you can go to university is 20.

So what though?

And it means their home education has not taught them what is necessary and the state sector us having to make up the gap.

I don't really know why exactly you mean here

The state sector is having to make up the education gap through an access course.
Lots of people who do access courses have had family issues that mean they did not reach their full potential at school. But a child with supportive and involved children who have experienced no trauma should not require an access course.
And going to university at 18 with a load of other 18 year olds is easier.

The state sector is having to make up the education gap through an access course.

Do you mean financially?

I used an access course. Mainly because I bogged off during my a levels to get a job and earn some real money in my late teens...

Became a pretty successful teacher. Was that wrong? 😂

What a pile of anti home ed crap being spouted. Lots of arguments for and against. No logical ones against being given on this thread.

Absolute batshittery. I'm ahog what crap will be said next! Maybe a couple of posters should've been home schooled...😉

This is such an odd and petty hill to die on

If you think about all the money a home ed family has saved the state sector by providing an education and SEN support, then I think the state sector providing an access course probably balances out!

I disagree about it being better to go to university at 18 though - better to take a year or two to mature and explore life being making such a huge financial commitment.

Has it occurred to you that many home educated children have been scandalously failed by their LEA with their dedicated parents often going to hell and back to make up the shortfall? What do you think happens to all those children who have to leave school because their LEA would rather go to court than meet their learning needs effectively? All the children who cracked before their statement was finally approved? Or who left rather than live in fear of bullying that their school didn't give a toss about stopping? You think it doesn't hold up their learning? What do you think happens to those children?

An access to education course, if they do happen to be doing it, is the least owed to these children. You may like to see privileged children climbing trees and having too much fun but you're naive and frankly toxic if you don't realise that many apparently well adjusted home ed kids are survivors and have got to where they are after a great deal of suffering.

A bit of humility and kindness would not be out of place. But then if more main stream educators offered that these children might be in school in the first place.

@Cloudhoppingdancer

Absolutely bang on.

Who says all home ed children haven’t experienced trauma? In fact many have experienced trauma within the school system which is why they end up being home educated instead,
I went to uni at 20, it was great, the majority of us in my halls and course were aged between 19 and 20 due to many taking gap years or working for a while before going. I’m not sure what the issue is here?

I don’t think you have a valid point.

Some people are so narrow minded!

I was probably prejudiced against home Ed 20 years ago and a family member who kept her kids at home and was quite reclusive didn’t help my view. Her oldest child has struggled - but also clearly is autistic so who knows how they would have got on in school?

Subsequently I met a couple of conscientious home edding families and when my ds was in year 4 he was being bullied and so we ended up taking him out of school and home edding until secondary.

If I’d been able to stay at home (it was mainly dh who was less keen on running ds to social events) I think we’d have continued beyond year 6 but ds was a bit lonely. He did go to several activities a week and usually had a friend round at least twice a week too but he needed more

Educationally, he was meeting expectations at end of year 2 (level 2 SATs) but he made huge progress at home and got into a super selective grammar despite only doing a couple of hours work at most per day. He still (year 12) moans that school is inefficient with so much time wasted!

The families we got to know send their kids to college at either 14 or 16, except for one who’ve done A Levels at home too. Lots go to university, and they’re well prepared for work as they’ve had time in the week to do work experience and get jobs.

I’m very happy with the school education my two have received but I also have great respect for home educators.

Hello there hospital help. Is there a way to
private message you on here. I am so desperayely wanting to home educate my four daughters but would not know where to start?

I suggest you join one of the many UK based home education groups on Facebook; you'll find all the help and support you need on there.