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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to get annoyed when a home schooling parent...

278 replies

00100001 · 29/09/2016 10:13

... can't spell?

My SIL home schools her daughter.

But all the time, she is posting "I just thort of a new idea..." or "We just need to get threw this..." or ^"I love home schoolling" etc.

Just makes me twitch.

OP posts:
NovemberInDailyFailLand · 29/09/2016 11:46

I'm inclined to agree, Imperial. While I am sure I could home-school, and have been tempted to, I worry about the social side of things.

trafalgargal · 29/09/2016 11:47

My son's year 2 teacher sent spelling homework that included "fourty" as a spelling. Not only was she surprised when I pointed out it wasn't spelt that way but none of the other parents picked up on it (naice middle class area CoE primary) Not sure how they marked the spelling test that week .

She wasn't a young teacher either.

Optimist3 · 29/09/2016 11:48

All the home educators I know are very bright and educated to degree level at least.

Optimist3 · 29/09/2016 11:49

The social side of home educating is fine ive heard. It's super social. Tons going on.

NovemberInDailyFailLand · 29/09/2016 11:50

Indeed, weegiemum. I feel that's a huge pitfall of home education - it can be used to sequester and indoctrinate a child, which will, long-term, be a terrible disservice to them.

JenLindleyShitMom · 29/09/2016 11:52

This thread happened a few weeks ago. It got quite heated so may have been deleted but basically it covered all this thread has said and is likely to say.

Eeeek686 · 29/09/2016 11:54

I really think it depends on the Ages of the children.... We definitely school our children way too early in this country - 4-6yr olds do Not need to be learning spelling/reading/writing much beyond a basic grasp if interested, IMO; I would give school my own if I could and I definitely don't have a degree!

paxillin · 29/09/2016 11:55

I've only met a handful of home educators, mostly deeply religious people worried about the worldly evils in school. One didn't think school adapted their routines enough to fit her child exactly. She went back to school within a term.

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 29/09/2016 11:55

You misunderstand my point seek. I was showing where OP's friend's confusion could be coming from

Sorry, you think this woman read the MN thread or a similar debate, and amended her previous understanding that the word was 'thought' to 'thort'?

I suppose it's possible, but the other mistakes and general probability make me think she is just not very good at spelling.

paxillin · 29/09/2016 11:56

True, JenLindleyShitMom. But almost every conversation will have been had before.

NovemberInDailyFailLand · 29/09/2016 11:57

That's interesting, Optimist. Will have to look into that further.

RedOrangeGoldLeaf · 29/09/2016 12:00

Any other home edders playing Uninformed Opinions bingo?

We've had...
There should be more monitoring (because all that monitoring really improved schools, yes?).
Anything parents don't know their children will never learn (because the child will never access other sources of info ever, and even though studies show children of less educated parents do better HEd than in school on the whole).
Schooling is the real world (lol).
0.4% of children are HEd (I know a LOT of HEdders who would not show up on any official count, my DS included).
That old socialisation chestnut (we could do a different social activity every day of the week including Saturday if we wanted).

What else are we missing for a full house? Wink

NerrSnerr · 29/09/2016 12:01

I made two friends at university who were both home schooled. One was because her parents were very religious. She now has limited contact with them, is not religious and hates that they didn't let her go to school.

The other was like the home schooling you see on Mumsnet and blogs, she spent a lot of time outside doing fun things and let her lead what GCSES etc she did. She didn't go to uni until she was 21 as she had to go back to college to get the GCSEs/ A levels she needed to get to uni. She gets on with her parents but wishes they made her get her qualifications at the same time as everyone else or let her do them at school.

I know that's a small sample but listening to their stories really opened my eyes. I think both these families home schooled for the parents' benefit.

NovemberInDailyFailLand · 29/09/2016 12:04

No need to take umbrage, Red! This thread is useful; the discussion is certainly helping to inform me, and it's interesting to hear a range of thoughts on the matter. Definitely would be great to hear your experiences as well :)

BrianCoxWithBellsOn · 29/09/2016 12:04

I had a glimpse into the HE lifestyle after my daughter had a breakdown and become very unwell, as a direct result of the pressure put on her over her Y6 SATs (and I did everything I should have done/could have done to try and get her to not take them so seriously)

The HE community seem thoughtful, liberal, able to think out of the box and willing to embrace (and allow their children to embrace) a much wider world view, than that of those of us who follow school procedure and are indoctrinated into the school system.

As it is, my daughter is returning to school (next week in fact!) for various reasons, non if which are anti-HE.

A lot of the HE people I spoke to had children who were struggling with autism or mental health problems, and the school system (no matter how much they say they understand and can help pastoral care, my arse) is woefully lacking in mental health and additional needs understanding. This leaves some parents with no choice but to deregister their child and just get on with it.

JenLindleyShitMom · 29/09/2016 12:05

Sorry, you think this woman read the MN thread or a similar debate, and amended her previous understanding that the word was 'thought' to 'thort'?

Yes, you should be sorry for that comment.

JenLindleyShitMom · 29/09/2016 12:06

What else are we missing for a full house?

We haven't had "HE is a cover for abuse" yet.

Ego147 · 29/09/2016 12:06

Any other home edders playing Uninformed Opinions bingo

I play Bingo on a lot of threads Grin

I couldn't home ed DS. Just because he respects his teachers far more than he does me when it comes to learning things Grin

HateSummer · 29/09/2016 12:09

I think home educators must be superpeople. I don't have the patience or inclination to ever homeschool my children. I do discuss things with dd for homework and I teach them all to write their names and numbers before they start school. But teaching? Everyday for a primary school aged child? Erm, no thanks! I fist punch the air the day they're all at school and nursery.

BrianCoxWithBellsOn · 29/09/2016 12:10

Oh and OP. You've been here long enough to know exactly how this thread would play out. Goading is against Talk Guidelines.

nolongersurprised · 29/09/2016 12:10

I could do a fairly awesome job of primary school and secondary biology and English. I've done a whole heap of science as part of my degree but I very nearly did an English lit degree instead. I was also top of my school at chemistry but it wouldn't be fun without a lab. But I'd be crap for my DC at maths/physics. I was good at them on paper - 2nd in my year at High School - but I am not inherently mathy and I only did well because I was generally diligent and memorised the formulae. I would have struggled immensely with a maths degree. One of my DC is intrinsically mathy and is already faster and more number savvy than I am. She deserves someone with a maths degree when she is at high school level.

As I said on the previous thread, I think some home educators overestimate their abilities. However, school can be an awful place for some children and I understand that some parents have few choices.

BantyCustards · 29/09/2016 12:14

Unless you have experience of home ed and the various ways that home ed families operate a doubt you have the knowledge needed to critique the choice to HE.

YABU

Eeeek686 · 29/09/2016 12:14

Just to add, I would Definitely home school my children in an ideal world, but only up to age 6/7.... Beyond that they do need more structured and purposeful teaching past my personal capabilities (& patience!)? Having 1-2 people in charge of around 30 tiny people who until that time have had much closer supervision and attention is just not going to benefit anyone bar the parents getting free childcare, IMO, and the situation is almost certainly not improved by Offsteds insistence on continuously moving the goal posts and pushing the boundaries for both children and Teachers. Something needs to be done about our early years system and until then home Ed for this age group will always be a better option for those who can and want to.

CodyKing · 29/09/2016 12:14

A lot of the HE people I spoke to had children who were struggling with autism or mental health problems, and the school system (no matter how much they say they understand and can help pastoral care, my arse) is woefully lacking in mental health and additional needs understanding. This leaves some parents with no choice but to deregister their child and just get on with it.

Can I ask you something? In the 80's parent fought the system to include all children in mainstream - fair enough - and all the additional needs schools closed - not good - they then employed TA to help in the class - with children who found school a challenge

So what your saying is that it isn't working?

I seriously believe that we can not continue with one school - on curriculum fits all and that some children are better suited to non academic study

Yes include maths and English - but move on to other areas

Art is seriously lacking as is music (expensive extra) languages and sports, science etc in junior schools -

AgitatedGuava · 29/09/2016 12:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.