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!

Some more points on x posts:
My dc have learnt languages that I can’t speak. They go to a tutor (their language tutors haven’t been people with teaching degrees btw).
You don’t need a scheme of work or curriculum unless you’re teaching for exams and like I’ve already said we will use the resources from whichever exam board we’re using.
I don’t see that it matters that your child does the same hobbies as a child who’s home educated @shortandpaleandoldandugly , it’s completely irrelevant.

Have you been anywhere near a school recently?

Only every day of my working life. Have you?

That’s quite an assumption. Universities often look favourably on home educated students who tend to be self motivated learners, according to dh who was a uni lecturer and admissions tutor for years. Taking GCSE’s in a staggered way from age 11-16 didn’t harm my friend who was home educated and is a barrister.

My eldest dd has passed all gcses with 8s and 9s and is now in sixth form college so I don’t think you need to worry about how much we used bbc bitesize thanks.

@HospitalHelp it's not at all irrelevant. My children get all yours do PLUS a broad education taught to them by subject specialists.

And mine get to do all that WITHOUT a narrow, negative school experience in a crumbling education system.

If my child wants to learn a language (or an instrument or horse riding) then they'd need to do a class or have a tutor

In short, they'd need a professional for any subject that their parent could not teach which, for the vast majority, would mean either lots and lots of tutors or a very narrow curriculum.

@HospitalHelp How many hours in classes a week do your children attend with someone teaching them?

No, for the vast majority it would mean some classes for particular things like languages or instruments

Lots of home ed children do online classes in various things unavailable at school though - astronomy, fashion design, sign language, Pokemon.

I think maybe you're imagining home ed to be like school teaching on a smaller scale - the 'expert' stands at the front and instructs the child.
For most it isn't - parents can be facilitators or learn alongside their children rather than just transmitting knowledge. Children are actually self- motivated and active learners.

Interestingly my DD (aged 8) learns sign language at school- in fact the whole school use it constantly. Astronomy is taught at my own (secondary) school. Fashion design is covered in Art and Textiles classes. No one teaches Pokémon in school though I'll grant you that. Can't imagine why...

@ChildminderMum The standing at the front and imparting knowledge is viewed in schools as very old fashioned.

I can guarantee you that not all subjects will be taught by specialists. Supply teachers without degrees teaching for months on end because a position is unable to be filled, English teachers teaching science… things like this happened often in my school.
Also, who are you to say that my dc don’t have a broad curriculum? I can guarantee that your dd won’t have studied astronomy for gcse, been part of a touring theatre play, exhibited art work in a local gallery, is able to speak Chinese? I could go on. Our children are educated differently but it’s very ignorant to assume that your way is better when you nothing about my way.

parents can be facilitators or learn alongside their children rather than just transmitting knowledge

I can hand on heart say that the worst teachers I've ever known were those who were on page ahead in the text book. Good teaching needs teachers that can be flexible, who can explain things in different ways to make it clearer. You can't do that if you're only learning it at the same time as the student.

@HospitalHelp I have twice asked how many hours a week your children are taught in a class situation as you have described. So I will ask again. Two hours a week? Three hours a week? Or is it an hour a week with the professor, swimming lessons, and a riding lesson?

That is so different from EHE though. I have done both. Remote learning is boring and not conducive to engaging children, for the majority. Motivating children to do someone else’s set work in a prescribed format is a world away from a tailored learning journey that evolves and is adapted to your own child’s interests.

I can guarantee that your dd won’t have studied astronomy for gcse, been part of a touring theatre play, exhibited art work in a local gallery, is able to speak Chinese?

Can you? My child doesn't do astronomy for GCSE but she could- some at her school do. She hasn't been part of a touring play but some I have taught have- they had permission for time of school for it. She has had work exhibited in the local gallery though as do many students I have taught- every year in fact in a school exhibition. She doesn't speak Chinese but as previously stated is on track for 9s in two languages and is learning a third.

Remote learning is boring and not conducive to engaging children

That depends on the remote learning. I'm not sure what you think Oak or YouTube or Bitesize are if not remote learning...

I’ve literally just read your question, I can’t see it twice? Unless I missed it, if so apologies. Have you muddled me up with someone else as we haven’t conversed yet and I haven’t mentioned swimming, horse riding, professors or my children being taught in a class? I said that my dd was taught languages by a tutor. She did x2 hours per week per language. She’s at sixth form college now.

I don’t use them. Never said I did.
They aren’t remote learning though, they are a resource you can dip in and out of.

That’s my point though which again you’ve proved, my dd and yours do completely different things and neither is better nor worse, just different. You’ve accused my dd of not having a broad curriculum and I’m demonstrating that she absolutely has.

@HospitalHelp your child is now post 16. How many GCSEs did she get at 5+ in addition to the list of extra curricular activities we have compared notes on?

Oldandpaleandugly not very good at learning, are you? That's the problem with being institutionalised, you think you know it all when you have no idea what's outside the box. Thinking you know it all, and thinking your job is to impart that information creates a very passive learning environment. That's a real problem when young people leave school and enter the real world.

In home education, on the other hand, child and parent often learn together, languages, sciences - the world is our oyster; the learning atmosphere is collaborative and could not be more different from school.

@HospitalHelp Apologies I must have got you mixed up with another poster

Is there a way the people bickering on the thread could just... stop? You've all made your positions perfectly clear, I'm not sure what more is to be gained. It's not AIBU and it was quite an interesting thread at one point.

not very good at learning, are you?

Well I've got a masters degree plus a number of other post graduate qualifications so I've not done so bad.