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?

@DandelionsAndDaisies1 I am sure if teachers had just one or two in their classes they would also pick things up faster. There has been nothing to stop parents help with handwriting etc after school before all of this, I think this is largely the crux; some parents assume that everything to do with their childs education is up to the school and their teacher, and nothing to also do with them. It's sad really, and an unrealistic pressure for teachers.

@Bounceyflouncey when children return from school, they’re tired, often have homework to do too. The weekend, they just want to be children and play.

Surely their homework involves handwriting, reading, understanding x, y or z- are they having input and offering support on that? School holidays also make up a fair chunk of the year, and I bet a school day covers far more than people are covering at home. People who think they are far superior should probably do the teachers a favour and teach at home, they will obviously achieve far more.

I've been contemplating homeschooling for a while now, my issue is the cost and also the social aspect. I think if the economy goes downhill then a lot of households will be struggling financially and wont be able to afford to homeschool - they would have to provide all of the learning materials, day trips and clubs themselves and unlike a school these wont be subsidized. If social distancing is to be the new way of life and I believe it will to a certain extent, then that means it will be harder to provide the social aspect for the children than it would be in a school as well.

There are lots of things that I dont like about schools, from my own experience and from talking to the teachers in my family - but there are definitely pros and cons to both and these would need to be seriously weighed up before a parent decided to home educate, as others have pointed out there would be no input from teachers if they made that choice they would be on their own.

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.

I've had that from a few people. Then when you actually talk to them they go on to say that X may finally understand but it took them 6 days to get there and they're not going to do any more maths with them because they ended up shouting at each other, and they can't face that again.
X can finally read if Mum is sitting next to X and reminding them to get on with the reading on every single word and the reading book yesterday was thrown out of the window in frustration.
X's handwriting has gone from scruffy to beautiful but it took all day for them to copy "I like cats" because they'd been bribed with a chocolate to finish it, and every time parent appears with the work book they burst into tears and hide under the bed.

Thing is people are admitting on here that it's not going to plan. But when they're faced with others saying "oh my child is doing so well" people don't want to admit they're failing at it.
The people who in RL are being so "this is so amazing" going past their house with windows open sometimes tell a very different tale.

I do think we are covering more at home than they do at school in a normal day, but that’s not a criticism of schools/teachers at all. At the moment it’s 1:2, not 2:30, so I’m bound to be able to cover more with them that they can do at school. My 4 year old, away from the constraints of book bands etc, is choosing reading materials that genuinely interest her and her reading ability has soared.
I’ll still be sending mine back as soon as we are able because they love school, they love their teachers, they love the routine of it, they love playing with their friends... I think school offers them a lot more than just learning to hand write nearly (for example).
Equally I can see why for other children, home education might be better. Luckily we have the choice to do either here in the UK.

I have no issue with homeschooling. I think there’s pros and cons like there is with schools, and even within schools - be it private, state, grammar schools, specialist schools (I was about to say Einstein schools - Steiner schools there we go!) etc

I don’t really think there’ll be a significant homeschooling rise. I can see many parents finding it appealing - the freedom that it brings (the only homeschooling mum I know has a child who would now be in reception, and chose to largely because of the freedom to have holidays, day trips etc when they wanted and not be tied down. Not the only reason she has but one of them). But I think in reality, the amount of work it takes to to it properly and give a child a fair chance in life with a decent education, most wont deem it doable! The work is currently being set and sent by teachers and marked by them - the parents have to help and make sure it’s done. That’s very different.

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.

What I'm personally hearing in rl is that mum's are spending for frigging ever trying to organise the work set by schools, printers, internet connections, not enough screens per household, trying to take photos of work to email back.... but the children themselves are doing ok.

I work with a little boy who struggles at school he is thriving at home I hope she keeps him there

No I think it will be a tiny minority. Those SAHP who could possibly do it have nowhere else to be at the moment and often have their partner at home to so one shopping trip a week is manageable. Once people go back to work and gyms reopen and the SAHP has to take the kids to do the shopping and on every errand homeschooling will be more difficult.

No, I never be able to home school children. What we do now is not proper home education, but we need to do it, and it's short time(hopefully), so it's fine. But real one needs a lot of planning and effort put into it, not just supervising and occasional help like I do now, so I don't think I can do it.

I'm loving homeschooling my children. I have three, two with special needs. They are getting a full education as I'm a teacher. I'm not using anything the school sends through as my resources and planning is far more suited to my children. Will keep them at home long term I think

This is totally different to true home ed. Easier for some, harder for others.

Mine can’t wait to be back (primary school). They miss their friends.
Their learning is fine (full zoom timetable), but its all the rest they miss

I would expect that some if these parents who will continue to “homeschool” will have a rude awakening in a couple of months/years. Its all fine for some of weeks, but in the long run its a decision that has to be considered carefully, or it can end in disaster.

Annamaria14

"School" is not normal - making children sitting in a classroom all day. Children should have course not be spending all day learning, they are children!

I completely agree that formal schooling starts way too early in the UK. However, even in a state school, my primary school kids don't spend all day sitting down in a classroom or stuck indoors. They are treated like children, they are learning a lot and having a great time.

We had a student who was taken out of school to be 'home schooled'
He was taken off roll. (Secondary)
The parents e-mailed individual class teachers several times requesting schemes of work and resources.

Many home schooled children attend a virtual school and the majority of parents rely on home schooling on-line lessons/resources.

I had never heard of anyone asking the actual school they were leaving to provide this before!

I live overseas (Africa) and have been homeschooling my eldest since September as we were planning to return to the UK in the summer. I wanted to work through the UK curriculum with him as he is 12. My youngest is 8 and was going to school until they shut and I was supplementing with teaching at home.

Now they are both at home and I have to Homeschool them with no support from anyone. It can be very hard going.
For example, this week we've been doing KS3 Science; Bioaccumulation, History; Oliver Cromwell and the Interregnum, Geography; Coastlines and in English Essay planning and study of the text Skellig. I've got an online programme for Maths. This is just for my eldest. I've had to source all the resources myself and also read up on the topics as well so I know what am talking about. This is besides what I have to do with my 8-year-old is home.
I was so looking forward to returning to the UK and no longer having to homeschool. I was so looking forward to them enrolling in schools and joining clubs etc. Who knows when this will happen now? We are well and truly in limbo and who knows which country we'll be in 6th months time. If we could to the UK, schools will potentially be very different from my expectations with social distancing and probably no extracurricular activities.
It is very different if you homeschool as you really truly believe in its benefits and are prepared for it as a parent. It is very different when you end up doing it due to circumstances such as bullying, special needs not being met, inadequate schools in the area etc.

I think it can be very rewarding but it is very different from what parents are experiencing now. It is also stressful with the weight of responsibility.

7yo DD will be waiting by the school gates before they open that first day. She is a lot better suited to group teaching.

8yo DD... She's thriving at home. She is really self motivated, but needs to go at her own pace. Before all this we were having school refusal and anxiety problems. I think she could benefit from completing Primary years at home, then trying Secondary School.

It's interesting to hear full time home school parents saying 'this is not real homeschooling though'.
It is in many homes. Just because they have their resources provided by their regular teachers rather than some on-line educator doesn't make it any less 'real'.

A lot of people who are enjoying doing work at home with their children are still getting work and ideas sent home from school and using resources provided/suggested by school, that is very different to actual home schooling where you have to do all the planning and sourcing resources yourself.

I am loving having DD at home, as part of transition her new secondary have set a load of challenges, year 6 teachers have set her some work and DD has produced some of the best work I've ever seen from her. I am really glad we've had this time to work on filling gaps and handwriting (which is her biggest weakness) but that is with input from teachers with experience teaching her age, and subject teachers. At the minute she's making massive progress because I'm a TA and interventions and filling gaps is what I am good at but come September she's much better off having dedicated science teachers who don't have to say "why don't we look that up together?" and art and technology teachers who haven't spent the whole of the previous evening watching you tube how to videos, its why a lot of home educators are parts of home ed groups and share skills.

Home education is hard, it is nowhere near what we are doing at the moment and I hope most parents realise the difference.

If parents think they can home school based on their current experiences then they are mistaken.

I don't think this is necessarily true. If people have enjoyed home schooling under these conditions then they may well thrive once it is possible to add in trips to interesting places, classes outside of school and meeting up with other home ed. children.

My older children enjoy the pace and structure of school but my youngest might benefit from homeschooling. I've been amazed by the number of good quality online resources and the progress he has made unencumbered by a standardised schedule.

Just because they have their resources provided by their regular teachers rather than some on-line educator doesn't make it any less 'real'.

The regular teacher will know your DC, what level they are at, what level they should be at and what support they need. The work they send home will be based on the needs of their class. You can find all sorts of lessons and worksheets online but the challenge is knowing which one is right for your DC and when, and knowing if they have actually grasped it and how to help if they haven't.

@OneandTwenty it is not even about sitting in a classroom all day.

I think one of the worst ways to educate a child is to educate them with twenty orher children at the same time. Everyone has different needs.

How many us as children, had classes disrupted because of children who were bored/ ar a different level/ behaving badly.

I was basically sent to sit in a school for many hours and spend most of my time watching the teacher try to manage the badly behaved students

Our schools are opening this Wednesday.
Very few cases os the virus so im ok with that but schools are also doing e learning. An email from the school said they may not have there usual teachers and will still be doing the curriculum on line the same as the home schooled kids.
I'm not sure what to do.