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 ?

Plus...all the things the lad describes he did, could easily have been achieved outside of school hours. He's a clever rich kid, with involved parents who have the financial means to indulge and elaborate on his hobbies and interests.

I do not think he is an inspiration to HE at all. Most people cannot facilitate what his parents have.

Well that's what I said, when the children I knew did it you did. It's probably all changed now, which makes it pretty useless if there are no rules to follow.

Pigs - that is totally untrue. No curriculum, no need for the LEA to be involved at all.

And school is not compulsory so you can't be forced by the LEA to stop home ed.

You're missing the point though pictish. Don't focus on him as an individual, listen to what he's saying.

The LA should be monitoring all HE children for safeguarding purposes if nothing else.

School might not be compulsory as such loopylouu but the law requires that all children must be educated.

Obviously, as I said, it's changed since the children I knew were HE.

pigs

Do you see how you sound? pointless if there are no rules to follow

Typical 'sheep' mentality/attitude

Sorry *useless, not pointless.

OP, your idea that you were "shit at school". That's what makes home ed appeal. No child should be left feeling like they were "shit" at education, that's not how learning or education should work. Unfortunately in the school system there's not a lot of scope for students not to compare themselves to each other, which is a massive shame.

Unfortunately also I am too lazy and impatient to HE although I love the idea of autonomous education. I also fear DS would go stark raving mad because he is a child who thrives on the input of other children and he is an only child. Happily, we live in Germany and HE is illegal here so the decision is out of my hands and hence I don't have to feel guilty about it.

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. Fine if you have the time, money and resources to opt out of formal schooling but I think you should have to evidence what you're providing as an alternative.

Iamavapernow I'm talking about educational rules. Some parents might claim they are HE but can't be bothered to educate their children and just keep them at home. If no-one is ensuring they get at least the basics of an education, what future do those children have.

At least at school they have a chance of learning to read and write.

It appeals to me because schools and teaching are becoming more and more about passing exams. I don't want my children to learn how to do just enough to get the grades, learning is about so much more tHan that.

I think school works very well for some people, and fails other children. How many people were put off education because they believed they weren't clever enough when really, a different approach may have helped.

I think teachers do a wonderful job, but I do wonder how much of what they have to do is crowd control.

As for the social aspect, it seems to be only at school that you are expected to socialise primarily with people the same age as you. I don't think that's very indicative of society as a whole.

pigs - but that education, whatever it is up to he parents.

In a roundabout way, it's why you couldn't sue a school if your child left unable to read and write. The responsibility of education lays with parents, home ed or schooled.

Excuse typos, my phone hates me today.

The only HE DCs I know were the nicest most sociable well balanced DCs you could ever wish to meet, but then, despite being a evangelical Christian, so is their mum! I'm an athiest I ought to disapprove, to feel she's only HE to brain wash the DCs, but it absolutely isn't like that.

She says she fell into HE because the boy up the road was and she realised it was allowed here. I believe it's quite common back in Canada.

She's one of those people with lots of energy both for teaching and running her household on a shoestring (she doesn't have a high earning DH). Her sister back home is a teacher, she picks her brain and gets sent books. Somehow she finds the money for riding lessons, dance, music and swimming (which is where we met). Her DCs have just as many friends as if they went to school (far more than my DD1). Somehow it just seems to work.

Her DCs are now at senior school and doing very well as far as I can see. (She's quite happy to admit her oldest DC is way better at maths than she is and Y7 was the right time to stop).

pigsDOfly honestly, nothing's changed legally in the last 15 years - the kids you knew probably just had an over zealous LEA, and their parents didn't know that they didn't have to go along with it.

Actually I guess what has changed in 15 years had been the internet. It's become so easy now to meet other HEors, share LA experiences, and find out what the law actually says.

The appeal of HER for me was my kids getting to learn about whatever they were interested in, not just being taught whatever was on this week's schedule. That and not getting up in the morning

Children aren't standardised, why should education be?

loopylouu not entirely surely. The law of the land is that all children must be educated. The parents have to keep that law and ensure their children are educated, whether that's at home or in school.

If there's no supervision or rules, who is ensuring that children are actually being educated.

Iamavapernow - I think what the lad says has some credibility, of course.

I'm quite alternative myself, and have lots of friends now and in the past who look beyond convention themselves...so it is fair to say I have met a fair few of HE families.

I have not met one yet, who has convinced me that their choice is for the benefit of the child, rather than the vanity and self indulgence of the parents though.

pigs parents can educate thier children in what ever they wish.

I was more formal with ds, maths, English, history etc etc. He was only further ahead when he started school that his peers as you can do so much more in one hour one on one than you can do in an entire day at school with 30 kids.

But some people educate thier children differently. I knew families who did no formal work at all really. But somehow thier kids knew the basics, on has just got 5 A grade igces and is off to agricultural college.

There are many ways to teach a child, not all pen and paper curriculum based. I was constantly amazed by how children learn.

I also knew children who were taken out of school at 7 as they had learned nothing (admittedly these were failing inner city schools) the parents were fed up of teaching them in the evenings, couldn't see the point in trying to teach tired kids when they could teach them at home instead.

I home schooled my eldest for year 1 - the only reason I did was because we went travelling for a year.
It was very simple process - we wrote to the school saying our plans to take her off role.
As we intended for her to return to main-stream school we followed the national curriculum. For me it was easier to do year 1 than reception as she already had the basics to build on.
It allowed us a more flexible lifestyle, her education was tailored completely to her for 13m with undivided attention for her "lessons", we sat down formally every day (except Christmas Day). If when we returned to the UK we couldn't get a school place I would have continued HE until we could.
It wasn't a protest against the man, it was a means to an end.
Although we stopped travelling after 13m as she wanted to go home, and go back to school - we might have travelled longer but it seemed the right time to go home.

I would like to know where all these failing HE children are that people keep talking about, who are not receiving a decent education. Do any of you personally know any? Especially those with a very negative view of HE. Is there somewhere we can read about them?

I home educate my ds and he has gone from being practically catatonic at the end of the school day, usually covered in bruises and abrasions from being restrained (he has ASD) to being a totally engaged, happy and confident child. There are children who thrive in formal education and there are children who do not and that is why I am thankful every single day that I live in a country that recognises that (to a certain extent).

If children are doing no formal education at home and the activity is not checked it leaves them open to abuse and neglect.Not everyone is from a caring involved family where the education gets picked up by osmosis. That's why I think some form of monitoring and inspection is necessary.

I know of a family who home educate "autonomously" ie they don't steer their children or sit down and formally teach them. Both eldest children taught themselves to read and write at about the age of 6/7 which, although later than standard schooling in the UK, is consistent with the age that reading and writing is taught in many school systems across Europe.

I like the autonomous route because it does not impose guidelines or a sense of failing if something doesn't happen by a prescribed time. Other things are happening!

ilovesooty as we have seen many, many times even children with extensive SS and external involvement can not be protected either, if parents are that way inclined there's not much anytime can do sadly.