Refusing to homeschool

[SonicTheSorryRabbit]

Curious about this...

How many parents have simply decided that they're not doing homeschooling? Either because they're wfh and can't balance that with homeschooling or because it's too much for their kids and making them miserable?

If you're not homeschooling, (i) are you getting a hard time from the school?; and (ii) what are your kids doing instead?

YABU - we're homeschooling.

YANBU - we never started/we've given up.

But what if I say to you, "Sorry, I'm working. I can't supervise DC and work at the same time.

What do you think teachers are doing in school? Working online and supervising children at the same time.

@Awalkintime. So they're simultaneously teaching online lessons and teaching lessons in the classroom?

How do you get a child classed as vulnerable (SEN) into school if they refuse to go? I imagine it's much harder with Covid safety measures.

Trying to homeschool!

So they're simultaneously teaching online lessons and teaching lessons in the classroom?

Yes lots of us are.

@FoxyTheFox

So parents can get a school place for their DC simply by refusing to do any homeschooling?

Escalation process is that school will phone home and speak to the parent(s) and child to discuss what the issues are and why they're doing no/little/substandard work. If its something that can be resolved then they'll work to resolve it, if it can't be resolved then the child will be offered a place in school and school will recommend that the place is used.

Not sure you should have said that on here.

I can just see half the parents stopping online learning straight away

My dc tried to refuse to do their work today... oh how I laughed!

School-work is not something we get to chose to not bother with in our house.

@Awalkintime. But is it the same lesson? The problem many parents have is that they can't both be on a work call in one room and supervising live lessons in another room. Since it's impossible to be in two places at once.

@LucyLockdown wow I really hope you're not a teacher as calling parents 'shitty' just because they may be struggling balancing working from home and home educating is ridiculous.
And also schools should be open as soon as possible, once they are safe.

OP I am finding homeschooling okay but that's only because my business is slow at the moment.
I feel for working parents right now. Of course schools are not open for "childcare" (which is a ridiculous argument for people to make anyway) but they are there to educate which is why schools are so important.
If parents were able to easily homeschool then we wouldn't have schools or teachers.
So no, parents are not 'shitty' if they are struggling.
Do what you can and hope schools aren't closed for long like last year.

[quote SonicTheSorryRabbit]@Awalkintime. So they're simultaneously teaching online lessons and teaching lessons in the classroom?[/quote]
The teachers in my girls school are.

If you cannot homeschool that's fine, some kids just can't or won't engage with it, but surely you should expect that the school may well then ask the child to come in and learn.

It's bloody tough, but it's just where we are right now. In my worst moments I'm trying to remember that this is time I'd never usually have gotten with my children, even if it's just all of us on work/school Teams meetings. I am fortunate I guess though that although mine whinge a bit, ( 6&5) they do eventually get on with it.

@Awalkintime actually my local schools have the TAs in supervising children with the teachers working from home.

Not necessarily, key worker kids are mixed ages. I can't be teaching reception phonics while having Y2 phonics at the same time in class as key worker kids?

We’re homeschooling but we aren’t managing to do all of it. Some days we’ve probably done half of the work that has been set. On a good day, we do around three quarters. We are both working from home and have two younger children. It’s really stressful!

Most schools have too many kids in for that to happen we need bodies because lots are sending them in. As for us our TAs are doing deliveries for those who need paper resources, food etc or working with SEN kids.

I utilised a key worker place on this basis. Confidential / disturbing calls / meetings daily. Minimal breaks. And a SEN child that cannot engage with homeschooling. The demands of my role mean I cannot direct them to study constantly or be there for technical issues. No doubt I'll get a bashing here, for being at home but I'm certainly not available and DC is already vulnerable to school refusal.

@Awalkintime

But what if I say to you, "Sorry, I'm working. I can't supervise DC and work at the same time.

What do you think teachers are doing in school? Working online and supervising children at the same time.

All the teachers at DD’s school are wfh and the TAs are in school supervising. Although several teachers were wfh and Zooming into their classes with the TAs there before lockdown as they are ECV.

Sometimes we get to see the teacher’s children as they join in with some of the videos and Zooms.

@IcanandIwill

I utilised a key worker place on this basis. Confidential / disturbing calls / meetings daily. Minimal breaks. And a SEN child that cannot engage with homeschooling. The demands of my role mean I cannot direct them to study constantly or be there for technical issues. No doubt I'll get a bashing here, for being at home but I'm certainly not available and DC is already vulnerable to school refusal.

Surely it’s a space based on vulnerability before being a key worker? For some children, even with parents are home, school really is the best place for them. It’s those who are equally happy and safe at home and who can be at home who shouldn’t be taking up the spaces.

I'm a key worker and my child has a part time place at school. But it's child care. They aren't doing any proper lessons, his reading book gets changed weekly but the staff aren't reading with him. On days he isn't in we're not home schooling either. But he's infants and I have no concerns he'll be behind or unable to catch up.

Both my kids have Autism and SEN (Dyslexia)
Neither have an EHCP so neither have School place
Their School sends home an email each Friday to say: please ONLY ask for a place if you MUST. Please be aware that NO LESSONS are provided in School. Your child will be given a space in a supervised room at best.
My kids have asked to stay at home as they find the stress of school being so different very difficult. At home they have access to hot food, drinks, toilets, and don't have to worry about catching Covid.
BUT...
They are being sent new material to learn. There are NO live lessons, no Team online stuff. Only links to videos to watch and quizzes to answer. They are way behind. I am their Carer to am here to help but I am not a teacher at GCSE level for Chemistry Physics or Maths.
Plus we are also in a rural area with poor internet (so is the School!) and the School links usually don't work / passwords keep being changed. They are supposed to use 4 different learning platforms (Heggatty, Show my homework, Satchel 1 and Educake). When my son does well in a test he gets a little icecream character. Virtually no feedback. No way of checking what is handed in. He is Y11.

I am aware that they routinely refer to SS if you make a formal complaint about them (a previous teacher has just won a whistleblowing case against them for hiding kids from OFSTED). I can well imagine they will refer to SS for 'not enough engagement' too. My son's Psychiatrist has written a letter to them about the effect on his MH, getting emails from 7am until 10pm about 'homework outstanding' but they didn't even acknowledge the letter.

I am not a 'shitty parent'. I am not a teacher. My kids can't teach themselves. But they would not be taught in School either at present. Just there to tick a box / stop me being referred to SS / LEA.

I just feel unless the child has SN, then there is absolutely no way they can’t sit and join Live lessons, they were attending up till a few weeks ago so it’s not something completely new to them, they are familiar with the teachers and subjects.

DD1 attends her lessons and unfinished work we complete later in the day.

If you can't keep up with home education you need to speak to the school who will try to help facilitate you and your child. If you can't do live lessons there are other options. Too many in school will burst bubbles, Schools are currently trying to reduce numbers.

If you're sat with your fingers up your arse because it's hard and do nothing they'll start asking questions, just like if you sat about doing fuck all about any of your child's other basic needs.

You're not expected to win teacher of the year but are expected to at least try to engage and overcome problems.

SnowFields
Those teachers at home are often homeschooling their own kids....so you mean working from home and homeschooling?

Those in school are often teaching with kids at the side of them which they then can't interact with. We've had wet accidents to deal with while on zoom and had parents tutting about that. It really is a difficult situation for all but we all should be trying.

What I'm saying is, just as lots of parents are struggling, so too are lots of teachers doing two things at the same time.

Also I am ECV and can't stay home as the kids need a babysitter.

[quote SonicTheSorryRabbit]@LucyLockdown. No, I'm just interested in what happens if parents decide homeschooling really isn't working for their children and their family and so give it a miss.

Also wfh parents don't tend to finish at 5pm. If they're looking after multiple children during the day, their working hours tend to go into the early hours of the morning. There is no down time in the schedule for many.[/quote]
You can't just decide that compulsory education isn't working for your family, it is a legal requirement and, more importantly, to not persevere is to do your children a huge disservice.

We're getting Phonics, English and Maths done everyday. Then i do craft, documentries, independent research on stuff the kids enjoy, cooking etc.

Sometimes the kids complete the other work, sometimes not. But my year 3 child needs a lot of support or she will not engage. My Reception child needs 1 to 1 obviously and my toddler has a bad speech delay and is showing signs of autism. I can't ignore her all day everyday to get all the work done. She needs a lot of attention.

It's an impossible balance, but I'm trying, the most important stuff is being done and I'm not letting them watch tv and play Roblox all day. I don't know how working parents even begin to cope.

No home learning here. And I'm a sahm.
We are in Day 12 of 17 days of self isolation.
Absolute full support from teacher and Head. But then DD has SEN, needs 1:1 support the entire time at school and has 3 TAs who fulfill that 1:1 role because its too demanding for 1 person to do a whole day or every day.
So the pressure of school work is not something either of us need.
How working parents cope blows my mind

Dn typical that the government instead of just repeating the year is all about blaming teachers and now it seems blaming parents too.