To think a lot of children won't be going back to school?

[DearLiza]

Most people I know, with some exceptions, have been saying how much their primary-school aged children are enjoying being off. I gather they're doing a limited amount of academic work though. It got me thinking, if there is at least one SAHP in the household, maybe some people won't send their children back in when the time comes. What do you think?

@verily1 my enduring memory of school is also of bullying. Children should not have to go through that.

And I alos agree that school insitutionalises children. It is not the best way for them.

School in a building with other children should be an option.

Home schooling should be an equal option for the children who want it

DS2 is doing well with his home education - he has some SEN but doesn't have an EHCP or one to one support ( as recommended by the Ed Psych) as he is just about keeping up academically. So he's currently doing well with the one to one I can give him - albeit I don't really necessarily know how to teach him but he's definitely seeing the benefit of having me there supporting him along the way. For instance if he struggles with a certain maths question we can go over it as many times as he needs - at school he struggles to ask for help so would usually just move on the the next question.

Around three quarters of parents work, probably a higher proportion of those with school age children so I don't think there will suddenly be loads of kids staying home

Three quarters of mothers, I should have said

I'm seriously considering it for DS(7).
He has possible ASD and ADD and really struggles to concentrate in class long enough to learn the basics at the pace they need him to.
At the same time he has obsessive interests in history and geography that don't get covered at school.
The lockdown is the best thing that could have happened to him academically.
We've been working one on one, in short bursts on his reading, writing and times tables. And making good progress.
And he's been taking Zoom classes in anything that takes his fancy online.
If I can square home working with my boss, I'd like to make it a permenant arrangement.
At least until I can get him up to a reasonable enough academic standard that he can engage with the school curriculum.

Yes, I think at the very least this is a good opportunity to try HE out, something that might not have been an option prior.

Use of the internet and online learning has been fairly successful and perhaps more people/companies will find that they continue with this as a service/business.

My NDN has struggled with her DD - long term - almost a school refuser but has remained on roll, with expectations of attendance - this child is flourishing.With the stress of 'having to think about going to school' removed her MH improved. She has experienced home learning ( when she refuses to attend) and is at a good standard. Stress and pressure removed at this time has increased her fairly self motivated learning.
I work in education, I will be interested in the figures, once we have them, of any changes to HE numbers or applications for 'flexi-schooling'.

@Annamaria14 - so you support the idea than of having a parent at home during the entire childhood? A primary school child hardly is in the classroom all day long, DD was out in the grounds, in the playground, did activities in the classroom. They interacted to develop their work with supervision of the teacher.

Hardly the classroom teaching I had as a child where we were taught with the teacher at the front and not moving at all.

A child needs to learn, that's their nature. I do know that not all learning is done in the classroom but you need engaged and interested parents to do it full time. How many parents struggle to survive on two incomes, how many are not educated themselves to a higher level, for how many is English a second or third language?

Utopia is unfortunately still exactly that, a wishful thinking.

I would applause a change in the way education is provided, I would love to see a move away from SATS and more towards a constant monitoring with better feedback to the parent and better help and provisions, especially for the forgotten middle children. I would love to have smaller classrooms and more modern buildings and equipment.

DD had tough time in Y5/6, she absolutely loves secondary and the actual more structured learning approach and timetables.

I've been discussing it with DH. He's for sending him back but pushing really hard for a TA.
I agree one is necessary as he simply isn't capable of maintaining attention unless he's continually redirected back onto task.
If we do send him back, at least I'll be armed with a really good idea of where he is academically and what his needs are. So I'll be a better advocate for him.
If he doesn't get what he needs at school: I'll feel empowered by this experience to teach him myself

This isn’t really homeschooling - it’s teacher led and you won’t have that when schools open. So yabu. Most will return to school.

I'm an ex-teacher (both primary and secondary) and have been home-educating for 3 years now. I think that once schools open and the myriad free online resources dry up, people might find that it can be expensive and time-consuming to home-educate properly.

What's going on at the moment does not reflect our normal home-ed life. We're usually out and about much more, doing workshops in museums, visiting different places of interest, going to social groups etc.

Home-education works for our family and we love it, but it's not easy or cheap by any means!

@reluctantbrit I also think that teaching 20+ hildren together in a classroom, is a terrible way for a child to learn.

I remember being in a classroom myself wanting to learn about history, and half of the time in my class was spent my the teacher trying to deal with badly behaved boys and putting them outside the class. We barely learned anything. Everh class the boys would ruin the class

This isn’t really homeschooling - it’s teacher led and you won’t have that when schools open.

Depends what support you're getting from the school. For one of mine it's very much teacher-led and not home-schooling, but for the other, school have very much washed their hands of the non-keyworker kids, provided about a morning's worth of resources for the next fortnight and nothing for Maths and English at all. For that child I'm very much having to plan and resource myself. Thankfully I've got resources and knowledge to be able to do that and do that fairly well all things considered... but the social interaction is what the kids are really missing and something I can't provide. I'm doing a very decent job, but they'll be going back when schools reopen.

@66redballons what do you think homeschooling is? Of course this is homeschooling.

When children homeschool in the United States, the follow a curriculum online from home, with set course work online. The oarents do not have to do the teaching.

I don't know where people got the idea that in homeschooling, the parent is the teacher all day. Why on earth would that be so? There are loads of resources online. Home schooling IS schooling by distance learning

If some families find after a few weeks or months that their children being educated outside of school works well, that is a truly wonderful thing to come out of such an awful situation. Home education, proper home ed, not this isolation schooling is wonderful for so many children. If by stumbling into isolation schooling opens your eyes to the incredible scope and opportunity of home ed, that can only be a good thing

Annamaria14, homeschooling is surely an option already for those who choose it?

I get that some kids don't enjoy school. I can relate to that, as I was very unhappy in the early years of secondary school. I'm so glad that my parents didn't take me out and home school me though - it was much better for me personally to stay in school, learn some better social skills and eventually find my niche.

If we could do what we’re currently doing at home alongside trips to museums, wildlife parks, extra curricular activities etc I think it would be great!

Everyone I know, myself included, will send their children back the second the gates are open.

AnnaMaria parents already have the choice to home school. They can home school for some years and send their children to school for other years if they wish. What you arguing for is already the system?

@Annamaria14 I think confusion arises because, here in the UK, people often use the term homeschooling to refer to home education.

Those of us who home educate prefer the term because homeschooling implies exactly what you describe - replicating school, but at home. That's not how we do it.

Are you kidding me? I can't wait for the schools to re-open and to be able to get back to working properly. I was just thinking this morning, that this lockdown has taught me that I would never ever want to be a SAHM, let alone a home schooler. I don't have the patience for it and I am certainly not qualified to do it. My DS misses school and his friends.

I love my DS and DH to bits, but I am bored with just their company, and I am desperate to get back into the big wide world. Having to continue to be a SAHM and home school would finish me off I think!!

Most people I know have hated home schooling and can't wait till the some of the children go back after half term. I can't wait either.

My DC are thriving, their mental health has improved so much, they're well rested, and have got their creativity back. I didn't realise they were so unhappy.

However, we couldn't afford to carry on with home eding long term. And for me (and it would be me, not DP in any way) to sort out school work and go to work, would be the end of me.

TBH I don't think they are learning a huge amount at home and that bothers me, but now I'm going through things with them at home, I can see how and where they have been left behind by the schooling system with various aspects of the basics.

The school system is not inspiring for children, and neither will it push you forward if your cruising in the middle. I just can't afford to either privately educate them or give up work.

All I’m hearing on mumsnet is that basically everyone is struggling. What I’m hearing in real life is, X finally understands X, X can finally read, X’s handwriting has gone from awful to beautiful in weeks. So and so fourth. Children are getting a better education, and having more time to play.
Yes, I think more will homeschool or flexischool.

Dear god no
Mine will be back at school as soon as it's an option
They are missing their friends, the structure and the extra curricular activities- sport for DD in particular
DS has ADHD and despite our best efforts things are not going well
He is midway through his GCSE courses
This could not have happened at a worse time
Homeschooling want for me before and dear god I hope it never is again

At the moment the great majority are not doing home schooling, they are doing school work at home with the guidance of qualified teachers. There is a huge difference, most parents (myself included) would not be able to teach their children to the same standards that they are expecting of the teachers. If parents think they can home school based on their current experiences then they are mistaken.