Why does home schooling appeal ?

[SeptemberFlowers]

I myself would be far to scared to do it with my dc's as I'd be needing to reach for the most weekends of having to teach them curricular that I was shit at at school.

Why does it appeal to so many people ? There are a few children in the next village (live in a rural location) who are HE but only because their mother doesn't trust other adults with her children. I know this an extreme case but the only one I know personally.

How would you know your child is learning all the correct syllabus for different subjects ?

I think there should be minimum standards for HE and those should be monitored. Otherwise there could be children who are not receiving acceptable education.

What, like the one in five children who leave primary school unable to read or write? Perhaps the government should sort them out before chasing home-ed parents.

I'm talking about checking that children who've reached the age where receiving an education is a requirement are accessing acceptable educational opportunities. I don't think it's at all unreasonable to suggest that parents should have to evidence what is being provided at home to fulfil this requirement.

What we feed our children is even more important than how we educate them - and if we starve them we're clearly breaking the law. Perhaps all parents should be routinely monitored to ensure that they're feeding their children a healthy diet. And they should submit a diet plan each month and be inspected regularly. Perhaps you'd like to volunteer to be the first?

Or perhaps we could assume that people are not breaking the law unless there's clear evidence to the contrary - just like we do for everything else.

Maybe I was just lucky then,but he got excellent help all through school and I couldn't have replicated it.

I do think that SN is a different case. And very individual to each family. And schools in the area. And the LEA provision.

So yes, there may well be cases where a child with SN is better of educationally taught at home?

Also, for me, would depend on the social aspects. Though I suspect this could quite easily be got around. Particularly if the parent has access to good transport.

latebreakfast- education is different. The law is already in place to say that they have to be educated. If the parent is doing it then someone needs to check and not just take their word for it. The child must come first.

"education is different. The law is already in place to say that they have to be educated. If the parent is doing it then someone needs to check and not just take their word for it. The child must come first."

Why is it different to (say) shoplifting? We don't go around checking people's houses just in case they've swiped a TV from Currys. We assume that people follow the law. Why should education be any different?

Gamers how do you know you couldn't have replicated it? You are making the same assumptions about your husband and homework - he does not in general use traditional methods and engages a child in totally different ways . My ds 15 is as dyslexic as they come has had intensive and very good interventions through school . It was only at 13 when he wanted to be able to read antique guides that he taught himself to read using the whole word method that is very frowned up on in schools. He can't blend new words as he has a sort of Phonic deafness and was convinced he was thick as school could not teach him to read despite a tested iq of 140+, he found his own way because he wanted to and because he had time and space to figure it out. He also wrote a book last year .

Well in that case perhaps we should assume that parents who've sent their children to school, thus complying with the law, are ensuring that their children are accessing acceptable education. We could simply stop inspecting schools.

And with reference to the query about mature students, university and qualifications upthread, I'm currently supporting a colleague who wants to apply to university. He self studied to a Level 5 diploma in Chartered Management but the university won't accept an application from him unless he completes their Access course first, and secures a Merit or Distinction.

If you check out the news that's pretty much what a lot of people in education think that instead is pretty much unfit for purpose.

Sorry ofstead the kindle hates me:)

Ofsted.

And as a former teacher I'm well aware of that.

And so ? That's one case in your personal experience when in the wider world people he and mature students are getting in to uni with non standard route. Plus lots of he kids do take exams :) I only cited it to show many unis value the skills many he kids have. Mine are actually taking exams though mostly a year or two early :)

I know me, I know my son and I know my husband- they couldn't have replicated it.
I agree with ilovesooty, if you comply with the law why inspect schools? Why are parents different?

"Well in that case perhaps we should assume that parents who've sent their children to school, thus complying with the law, are ensuring that their children are accessing acceptable education. We could simply stop inspecting schools."

Completely unrelated argument.

So can you provide me with evidence of universities accepting mature students without Access courses? I'd be very interested as I'd like to know how widespread it is.

And if HE kids are taking exams they have the qualifications for entry - and I agree that in terms of study skills many will be better equipped than those educated in mainstream schools.

I don't think it is unrelated. If education has to be inspected why are schools and parents different?

Because most people in education think the imspectorate are a bit shit anyway - so why roll out something inadequate and expensive to something that is in the majority more successfull than the system that is already being inspected? Hardly seams a logical use of resources when education and lea budgets are already being cut to the bone? What exact outcomes do you think it will achieve?

"I agree with ilovesooty, if you comply with the law why inspect schools? Why are parents different?"

Again it's not related in any way. One is about going into the houses of the general population to ensure that they are complying with the law. As we're not a police state, we don't do that. And if we did, why pick education to start?

The other is about the government ensuring that the services it provides to the population are of a good standard. Most people would agree that this is probably a good thing.

And you may know yourself and your she and your son but you don't know and have not tried he in any shape or form. How you can know the long term outcome of a totally different way of life and educating is beyond me :)Hell I'm fascinated by the changes in my kids in a few days when we explore something new or read a new book or have a new idea how to learn or how quickly a bit of success in something can trigger major new interests and obsessions.

Can't link on the kindle but ucas site specifically states mature students do not necessarily have to have traditional qualifications and to refer to individual university's. I have been offered 5 masters courses with no main degree just 15 years business experience

I do know- my son loved school, he would have hated to be stuck at home with me. I wasn't even good at helping him - my husband had much more success. My husband certainly wouldn't have done it alone- he floundered and his parents couldn't help.

Late breakfast,

The Mirror report is misleading. The actual report says that while 4/5 of children leave primary at or above the expected level for English, 1/5 do not.

However, the expected level is a NC 4b - for which a child would be capable of reading, discussing and analysing a good children's chapter book (my 4cs, so a little lower, are currently reading and analysing Kensuke's Kingdom by Morpurgo, for example), and be capable of writing at least a couple of pages in a variety of genres, using techniques such as complex sentences, structured paragraphs, apt and original vocabulary, varying their writing to meet the needs of different audiences etc.

Not to reach a 4b is not the same as saying 'unable to read and write'. Ironically, I remember reading somewhere that to read a newspaper such as the Mirror, a reading level of around level 3 (so a full NC level, equal to around 2 years of normal schooling) is entirely adequate.

Mine would not have wanted to be mature students before they could access uni.

I don't see why there is an argument about H.ed parents being inspected. It doesn't happen so no argument.
If you don't respond to contact and supply the information asked for then you may be in trouble, so it is wise to respond.
Most people respond with the info requested and if the LA have grounds to believe the dc isn't receiving a suitable education they will step in.
I really don't see a problem with this.

Having taught the children of functionally illiterate parents, I would say that the point at which such children begin to help their parents to make sense of the written world around them - ie a basicv level of functional literacy - is around level 2, even lower if a child is taught phonics well so can tackle unfamiliar words confidently even if they do not necessarily know their meanings. A very, very small minority of children leave mainstream schooling at or below level 2, and those who do have significant SEN.