To ask if anyone is now considering home education full time?

[PogTheDog]

I know most people can't wait for their children to return to school on Monday. However, is anyone now considering (all already decided) full time home education?

I have loved teaching my primary school aged children and they have enjoyed it too. I will send them back to school on Monday as I'm not brave enough to make a commitment to it yet, but may consider starting in September. Anyone else?

There's no small part of me that wants to home school my children for longer than is absolutely necessary!

Home schooling is a luxury for many though, as most people need to work.

I think the social side to school is as important as the academic side. The love the school tours, book days, dressing up at Halloween, playing in the yard, walking home with their friends.

Also, i will enjoy my children more when I see them less and they feel the same way about me.

We really appreciate school since its been gone.

Absolutely not. But I have people on my street who decided to home school after the first lockdown and it seems to be working out okay for them. I personally could not do it for my own and my children’s sanity 🤣

Like others I found the spring really hard because we had so little provided for DD. DS school was much better and gave us physical work packs from about May.
But even with the work provided, no thanks.

What now?! Oh jesus no

For those saying about the lack of interaction remember that what most people have been doing over the last year is home schooling during a pandemic. It is as unlike normal home ed as it is unlike normal school.
I've home educated for 14 years, the last year has been very different from anything I have ever known. It's been really rough on younger families in terms of interaction, home ed is normally very social. On older ones the exam cancellations have been really rough, I'd urge anyone thinking of home ed at 14 plus and wanting exams to seriously think again before withdrawing at the moment. Socially though groups are creaking back with outdoor organised stuff.

I homeschooled DS in lockdown 1. Haven't since as I am a teacher myself and have been working in school delivering live lessons and looking after the kids attending.

We didn't enjoy it last time, no way would I want to do it full time even if I could!

DS was only 6 and couldn't really get into learning at home. Plus, I teach secondary Physics so trying to teach primary English was....interesting.

In fairness, my Nana died the day lockdown 1 was announced and I spent 4 weeks in a complete fog. Maybe without that, it would have been easier.

Absolutely not as I don't have the temperament for it and I'm just not great at explaining things, even quite simple stuff!

It has however made me see how it could be good if I were a better teacher; on our good days we've been able to follow their interests and one to to one teaching has been great too for some things.

I would definitely not be up to the job full time though, hats off to those who are!

Yes if I didn't work part time I'd consider home schooling my youngest child for a couple of years. Being in a large group setting doesn't seem to suit him and I'd like to do things like forest school with him. My oldest would miss being in a class with his friends though.

@Tohaveandtohold

I can never home school my child full time. She thrives on interaction with her peers and also her teachers. I also think school gives more than just education so won’t consider it really

So true

I'm sure that what this pandemic has highlighted for many of us is just how incredibly important school is for our kids, especially if they are extroverts by nature. My dd is perfectly capable of learning at home, but she has really missed the regular interaction with other kids and with her teachers. There is no way in which that could be replicated through home education to the same extent, and I have become acutely aware of how important that is.

Kids need exposure to other people, and extroverted kids need lots of exposure. Yes, home educated kids can go to groups and activities etc, they can socialise with other kids etc, but unless the home education community effectively sets up an alternative school, the kids will miss out on the sense of community and wide exposure that school provides. Home education would be fine for my dd academically, but awful in every other way.

I can see how home education might suit very introverted children, if the parents are proactive about creating opportunities for social contact, but it would never work for us.

My school were operating on an optional part time timetable so the classes were as normal but were also provided online. It was working really well but the government said at the time all students needed to be in school. I am hoping they allow it again as it worked so well.

😂 No!

There is a HUGE misconception coming through that home Ed children don’t socialize. That school = socialisation.
It does.....but so does home education!

The posters saying ‘no I wouldn’t because my dc need to socialise’ are presuming that home education = no socialising! In our case it’s so far from our experience. If anything they socialise MORE out of school, with a much greater variety of people.

Lockdown home learning is NOT representative of true home education.

@crazyontheweekend

There is a HUGE misconception coming through that home Ed children don’t socialize. That school = socialisation. It does.....but so does home education!

The posters saying ‘no I wouldn’t because my dc need to socialise’ are presuming that home education = no socialising! In our case it’s so far from our experience. If anything they socialise MORE out of school, with a much greater variety of people.

Lockdown home learning is NOT representative of true home education.

It depends where you live though. We are fairly rural. There isn’t a large home education community where we are. I know one family in our village who home eds. So unless we spent large parts of our day driving, socialisation would be fairly limited. I imagine if you live in a town or city then it’s different.

Plus as I work I wouldn’t be able to facilitate much socialisation.

@1stTimeMama

We are home educators anyway, and there's definitely been an increase seen in the FB groups of people who are choosing to continue once schools go back.

I've seen this too. Not all or even most, but more than I would have expected.

There were a fair few who found themselves quite shocked when they started, to realise their kids were not at all where they had thought educationally. That has really motivated some to continue.

@MrBullinaChinaShop I totally agree.
It’s very much not for everyone. And not everywhere has a large community.

We’re fairly rural so I have to drive to everything that’s true.

I just get annoyed that people presume home educated dc are hermits or something!

@EdersonsSmileyTattoo

To quote something I saw in FB this morning.....

Was gonna share that exact same post

Not a fucking chance even if they paid more that a teachers salary

My DCs would hate me if I chose this (I couldn't choose this!) School is as much a social experience as an educational one for them. I'm doing a bit of maths and English boosting at home for the foreseeable though, as they haven't had any teaching and the lack of practice is very clear!

I so desperately want to home school my boys. Unfortunately, finances and time just won't allow. Mine are only preschool age but I'm currently supporting my husband who is a student. The boys are at preschool 4 mornings and husband looks after the children while I work.

Being tied to state type curricula is also not really a great introduction to home education. A lot of it is very much meant for middle of the road learning for a group of kids, and a mediocre teacher.

There are much more interesting choices out there, many meant to be delivered by a parent to one or a small number of students. It's just a different thing.

I have found this time to be a huge privilege. I adore my children and we’ve loved learning together. I have learnt so much about them and what makes them tick. My youngest would like to continue with homeschooling, and I think it suits her much better so we will be evaluating her return to school.

NO WAY.