To think home schooling should be better monitored?

[Mollymoo78]

One of my FB friends from my toddler group days has announced on FB that she's home schooling her four year old. She was always very very attached to him and never had a moment away from him ie a night out. She breast fed him well into his fourth year and carried him in a sling when he got tired. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm genuinely wondering if her decision to home school has more to do with her being reluctant to let him go.

Her comments on FB are "well I have no precise plans as to what I'm going to do but they learn through play at this age anyway so it doesn't matter". I just felt quite uncomfortable reading that. It all sounds very vague. My dd has started school recently and loves it - the socialisation with her peers and older children, the physical activity, getting independence and rewards for her achievements. She's playing yes but she's also being taught to read and write. But what if this boy isn't given these things - who is going to be checking up on the education he's being given?

I don't mean to put a downer on homeschooling - I've no doubt it's the perfect option for those whose children don't gel with school but shouldn't you at least try school first? Am I wrong to question this in my mind?

The funny thing is nicki I am all for HE if it's done properly

Really? That seems at odds with your earlier statement that you cannot believe people are setting their DC up to be 4 times less likely to be employed by HEing.

But I AM looking at the bigger picture charley, because I have been experiencing it for years for myself and for both of my children, one of whom is in school. To me it's people like you who don't actually know much about it who aren't looking at the bigger picture because you think that trust can be invested in local authorities to make inspections and do The Right Thing. You can't comprehend what people must have gone through to be so resistant.

Don't you think that if the government and local authority really wanted that legislation and responsibility that it would have been dealt with and passed by now? Why is it that this issue is regularly thrown up, discussed for a bit and then subsides but nothing changes?

No education does not need paper and pens. But there is basic education which decent parents should do. Teaching colours, basic numbers, life skills such as how to purchase and pay for goods in shops, handling money, these are all things parents should be teaching their child.
But most parents teach their children these things outside of school.
Education is taking children beyond these very basics.

"Education" as defined by the national curriculum and if it will achieve a GCSE do you mean?

But most parents teach their children these things outside of school.

Yes, if their DC go to school, they will take them shopping outside of school hours. HE children can have their 'school type' education at any time of the day so when you see them in asda at 10.30am and they're learning about weighing bananas that doesn't mean that's all they're being educated in just because it's what is happening when other children are in school looking at the back of their mate's head.

Some people really struggle with their own narrow understanding of what education is and how it happens. It's such a pity.

brasty those things are taught in nursery, child care settings, play groups very few kids don't attend those these days even if HE from the outset. You then go on to describe life skills which I would argue is nothing to do with school anyway and again those who don't know themselves how to handle money are unlikely to teach their children and won't whether they are in school or out

No they don't. Learning how to weigh bananas is education. But the point is that HE has to be much more than simply everyday education that any good parent does.

And for some careers, qualifications are necessary.

You're aware of course that home educated children are able to get qualifications.

But the point is that HE has to be much more than simply everyday education that any good parent does.

You won't have seen me say any different. You don't seem to be understanding what I am saying.

Just because a child is in asda learning how to weigh bananas and the parent says "it's part of their education" doesn't mean that's all they are being educated in. HE happens at all sorts of different times of day,week and year. Just because you see a child doing something "non school like" at a time when other children are in school doesn't meant they aren't being educated at other times. HE parents do have to stick to school hours and days. They get to do their educating at a time and pace that suits the family. And they don't have to be educating all the time. Doing fuck all for a couple of days is fine too.

dont have to stick.

• basic numbers, life skills such as how to purchase and pay for goods in shops, handling money, these are all things parents should be teaching their child. But most parents teach their children these things outside of school.*

It's not that long since the Great Recession which was largely brought about by great swathes of people taking on debt that they could never, ever hope to repay. So I think it's rather obvious that huge amounts of people were most certainly not taught how to handle money at all.

I despair, I really do. You can lead a horse to water..... hmm

Because you are continually re-stating how and why you came to home educated and how you feel let down by school. No one doubts this. But what I fail to see is why and how this means you should be exempted from even the most basic forms of inspection.

So much attribution bias going on in this thread. If a child does well at school it's apparently because of school, if a home ed child thrives it's apparently in spite of home ed. If a child fails at school it's just unfortunate and nothing could have been done, but if a child didn't thrive in home ed it was obviously due to home ed and would not have happened had they gone to school.

Jen exactly. I don't see any parents of children that attend school worrying about their children doing educational activities during the school breaks. Nor do I see school/medical/social authorities checking up on children during those school breaks - especially during the 6 weeks of summer.

We home educate year round, mostly during the mornings and early afternoon, but alter our schedules as needed for various activities, clubs, meetups, and outings.

But what I fail to see is why and how this means you should be exempted from even the most basic forms of inspection.

And as I have repeatedly stated, I am not exempt from this, nor do I expect to be. Please check back on previous posts, as I cannot be arsed to keep typing it up.

So much attribution bias going on in this thread. If a child does well at school it's apparently because of school, if a home ed child thrives it's apparently in spite of home ed. If a child fails at school it's just unfortunate and nothing could have been done, but if a child didn't thrive in home ed it was obviously due to home ed and would not have happened had they gone to school.

Oh dear god, yes. THIS.

There's also a vast amount of time wasted at schools, pe lessons being a great example of this, 15 mins getting dressed, 15 getting undressed 30 mins of PE if you were at home doing 6 hours a day and compared that with 6 hours of schooling I bet you the HE's waste less time

Home educated kids can take qualifications and the vast majority do. They can take GCSEs, A levels and they can go to college or uni just like any other kids can. Not only do most unis accept applications from home educated children, but most positively welcome them. I have a friend who is uni lecturer and says she is always excited when she finds out a home ed kids will be in her class because almost without exception they are self motivated, hard working and take direction well. Some home ed kids take traditional paths into uni, others di equivalent qualifications, some are accepted on the strength of their portfolio and extracurricular achievements. There are home ed kids successfully studying and working in all areas including the more academic fields like law, medicine and veterinary science.

Nor do I see school/medical/social authorities checking up on children during those school breaks - especially during the 6 weeks of summer.

That's only for a few weeks though. Abused HE kids can go years without anyone outside the family laying eyes on them. (And before you say "but that should be a red flag" - a red flag to whom, if there is no monitoring?)

Pisssssedofff, are you seriously saying HE children get changed quicker? Or that they don't get changed?

If you have one child to get changed v's 30 I would bet my bottom dollar that happens a lot quicker yes. My kids went to private school for a while and my goodness did they get more done, more attention, more focus, less kids

Abused HE kids can go years without anyone outside the family laying eyes on them.

And they can go to school 5 days a week, activities and church over the weekend, seen daily, and still be abused.

I would say that the problem isn't home ed. It's a lack of appropriate communication between authorities. A lack of support for parents and children. A lack of funding for those programmes that provide the support and in turn also mean a child is seen more frequently in situations that are less than ideal.

Right now, there is no rhyme or reason to so much. I'm aware of someone who was brought to SS attention because she took her child to the GP "too much." She wanted to home ed her child, as they weren't coping well in school due to SNs. SS said no and is fighting her on it because they're concerned the child won't be seen by the GP frequently enough. That is seriously messed up.

Pisssssedofff, are you seriously saying HE children get changed quicker? Or that they don't get changed?

How long would it take you to get 30 children ready to swim? How long would it take you to get 2 children ready to swim?

And so on.

And they can go to school 5 days a week, activities and church over the weekend, seen daily, and still be abused.

My aunt died of cancer because her chemo failed. By your logic we should close down all cancer wards.

A cancer patient having chemo has at least some hope of recovery. An abused child being monitored has at least some hope of being rescued.

I would say that the problem isn't home ed.
No, the problem is the fact that parents and guardians can legally remove their children from school and from society in general with zero monitoring, and that this is very easy for abusers to exploit.