Anyone thinking of switching to home ed after this?

[woollylizard]

Interested to know if this bout of forced homeschooling is inspiring anyone to take their kids out of school after the pandemic has passed?

I imagine for most people it's a 'HELL NO' but I was intrigued as to whether it has inspired anyone and whether the rates of home ed will increase dramatically after this?

No!!!!!

I am living my dream come true at the moment. Home with the kids. But I know school is the right place for them. I am seriously considering registering as a childminder though.

@Paddington68 wish I was

Am I the only one who is absolutely loving this?! I'm loving finding fun unconventional ways to teach my dc, it's refreshing to see him enjoying learning in a practical way!

I'm definitely interested in homeschooling, any advice on how to get started?!

A lot of people saying no because their child needs socialising. Please don’t think that home educators sit at home all day every day seeing nobody. This is lockdown, it’s completely different. We usually have lots of socialising - tutor groups, dance class, horse riding, gymnastics, forest school, park meet-ups, trips to museums/castles/galleries etc. Friends over for tea, sleepovers.. My dc are really sociable and missing their friends like everyone else.

I’ll definitely be sending them back to school. I am actually enjoying some aspects of it that I hadn’t thought I would - they’ve both looked absolutely gobsmacked when we did some birdwatching in the garden and I did a very basic chemistry thing that made a flame change colour and they looked at me like I was God. It would be infinitely more enjoyable if we could go places - they learn a lot from NT and EH visits and we have a zoo pass which they love.

I’m not enjoying trying to get them to do things they don’t want to - handwriting practice is a ball ache. I’m also really struggling to keep them both interested when I have one intelligent, calm, sensitive 7yo and a feral 4yo who is only interested in violence and destruction.

I hope that this awful situation will result in some empathy for parents of SEN DC whose DC have been off rolled, on a part-time timetable or who have been forced out/made extremely unwelcome by other means.

My DS are both autistic and we have been terribly failed by the education system.

Despite having a f/t ECHP, DS1 failed transition to m/s but tribunal hearing for ss placement only happened in the summer term so he was left without education for 8 months. Reintegration then failed at the start of year 9 when he was 14. The LA wrote him off and it took solicitors starting Judicial Review proceedings and 2 whole years without any education to get a personal budget to pay tutors to educate him at home. That was 5 terms education in 5 years.

DS2 is educated at home via internet school because qualified teachers with a f:t EHCP were unable to meet his needs. They said he needed to learn resilience and tried to punish the autism out of him. He also has ADHD and a 5 second attention span. Not an easy combination. After 6 weeks at his new secondary school he was signed off for stress by his GP.

I certainly didn't choose this situation but have been left to pick up the pieces and try to undo the damage and try to be successful where paid, qualified, trained, resourced teachers have failed.

BTW DS1 went from KS3 to 5 GCSEs - including level 8 English lit in under 2 years. DS2 is now thriving and will receive his predicted level 9 for maths this year (he has just turned 14). He'll be taking another 10 iGCSE's at the end of year 11.

I would prefer that all DC receive a personal budget equal to APW (or more with an EHCP) that can be spent in state, private or online. Despite a personal budget to pay internet fees, DS2's EHCP costs £0 in top up fees and annual school fees are less than AWP. I am not paid a penny and have to pay privately for all resources out of DLA and carers allowance.

All the temporary newly forced into HE are due much respect. 💐

No. Wed wondered about home ed before but this has made me realise just how much content they get through at school.

Its all v well mentioning day trips etc in normal time but we do do a lot of that st weekends and in holidays. Im loving having them home but we are def not able to cover as much content. I think home ed families make that choice and prioritise experiences and play over content which is fine but as mine are older I want the content!.

I can still see the appeal for infant age where learning through play should be the focus. You can only use the "look we're cooking, its maths!" Or the "We're doing loom bands its art!" Type reasoning for low level/youbger iids imho.

Just no

Not a chance.

I already home ed younger DC anyway. Older dc used to be home ed but at school now. He will go back to school purely because he won a scholarship that offers specialist opportunities that I simply couldn't afford or access. Overall I think the quality of education (for us) is much better at home though.

DD has been unhappy at school recently (friendship problems) and quite often asks if she can do home ed as a way to escape it. We've always said no because DH and I work full-time and she's in year 10 so GCSEs are on the horizon and she can ditch it in a year anyway.

When the schools closed we talked about what a great opportunity it was to try it out but after a week she's admitted its not working for her because she can't concentrate and keeps getting distracted at home! We'll see if she's more enthusiastic about school when they go back.

I'm definitely interested in homeschooling, any advice on how to get started?!

There's FB groups for the permanent home edders, both locally and nationally. They provide loads of tips and advice. Have a search for your area and take it from there.

Something to consider. My children are already making significant progress with more a more personal approach even with less time spent on it, more time for them to be children as well as doing better academically. I’ve had a look for local groups, there’s apparently one for my county on Facebook but I’m not on Facebook and no desire to join - Is there any other ways to access home Ed groups to avoid my children becoming hermits. Are they any forums popular with home Ed parents? I wouldn’t want to do it if they didn’t have any friends.

we`ve been using an online school since last september, so timetabled livestream classes. works fab!

Is there any other ways to access home Ed groups to avoid my children becoming hermits

Fb is the best way to access these groups. You'll miss out on loads otherwise. Its worth joining FB just for that.

Yes my daughter is thriving looking at her work output. She's happier and healthier. I'm seriously considering it but I doubt she would want it as she has a big friendship group.

Hell no, trying to get my children to do the incredible amount of work set. 5 kids here, all different stages aswell and eldest two don't understand or comprehend their maths work. Not a teacher, and I'm not exactly gifted when it comes to mathematics or anything too up there. And the noise levels of trying to force my kids to do their work, no thanks couldn't stand this forever lol

Absolutely fucking not

I've been contemplating it with dc3 for quite a while, he's 4 and not in school yet, but has asd and the 3 days he goes to nursery are hell. This has shown me that we could do it quite well I think. Ds1 who is 9 often asks to be home-schooled, but I think he has now realised he actually likes school! Could never do it with dd. She is a model student according to her teacher but it's been hell on earth getting her to do any work at home, she thrives in school!

I doubt the lentil weavers would want too many people to home educate.

They wouldn't be able to look down their noses at quite so many people and boast about their "socially adept" children if larger numbers started to do it.

I know two people who were considering HSing before this and are now going to do it. This was a way of testing the waters. There are a few others in their community who will be doing the same (medically vulnerable parent) so they will have an online community for support and can do Skype lessons together etc.

People who home school normally are continuing to do so, but are having to adapt to not going out and about, other parents are not homeschooling - they are just supporting their children to do the work that schools have set, so no planning and preparation involved.

All the HSers I know (I am not one) have their groups and outings and shared learning stuff, and most make use of tutors and external resources. It is actually pretty different from trying to drag your child through a pile of school-assigned worksheets while simultaneously trying to do your own work and the pair of you being stuck indoors all day long driving each other mad.

I'm an ex home edder. So I'm not finding the education side stressful because I know school at home is over rated and I'm not trying to keep mine in a schedule.

I don't think it will increase numbers because it isn't doing anything to correct the misconception that home educators do school at home every day/most days/at all.