To think that families who choose to home educate should receive government funding?

[PinkyU]

It costs the uk government(s) circa 75K to educate a child from 4/5-18.

AIBU to suggest that families who HE (home educate) should receive a percentage (50%-75%) of this to aid in their ability to provide learning opportunities for their child, given that it would still save the government money?

Do you think more families would HE if it seemed more financially viable?

I’m torn. I can see that part of the plethora of reasons school education exists in the format it does is to allow for (potentially) two adults to be working full time and paying tax, so the money saving aspect may fall down there.

From another perspective, accepting government involvement financially may come at the cost of government involvement concerning how and what the child should learn which is the antithesis of what HE seeks to do.

I do think that part funding HE would allow much more access to learning opportunities which would hugely benefit the child.

What do others think?

(Rambling over)

All the horror on here because people had to work and supervise the education of their children during lockdown. Having to work and educate your child because they don't have a school is normal business for some people.

People don't want to know. Our kids are bottom of the pile.

There should be proper funding for children with SEN, either support in school or whatever package meets their individual needs best. That package would be subject to the usual reviews of SEN funding.

The focus should be on creating a system where every child's needs can be met. If parents then choose to HE then they need to fund it themselves. Although good on-line resources, maybe exam fees paid (although with some evidence that the child has been properly prepared for the exam).

Maybe - fantasy territory here - flexible funding for schools so they could accept HE pupils for some subjects. So those who HE could access some subjects at their local school. It might then enable the local school to offer subjects where they don't get the minimum numbers 'in-house' to run a specific subject at GCSE/A-level, which would give more choice to those being educated in the school system as well as access to those HE to specialist teaching. Could be a win/win for schools and those HE.

@mybrainhertz

I suppose the marginalisation of SEN children is good training for when they get older and have to face the same as an adult. Gets them into the mindset early on, lets them know where they stand.

Can you imagine if this was happening to other minorities? There'd be hell on.

Especially if they have autism.

@mybrainhertz

I suppose the marginalisation of SEN children is good training for when they get older and have to face the same as an adult. Gets them into the mindset early on, lets them know where they stand.

Can you imagine if this was happening to other minorities? There'd be hell on.

I think this on a daily basis. I hope one day the discrimination that SEN people face is pushed into the mainstream.

I think this on a daily basis. I hope one day the discrimination that SEN people face is pushed into the mainstream.

I totally agree, but we'll have to stand behind a lot of other people who will manage to access help before us.

I would home educate if I didn't have to work definitely!

This is why so many home educators are middle class mums with a well earning husband.

Give me all the money and I'll stay at home playing games with my kids and going out on trips. Sign me up ...

@mybrainhertz

I suppose the marginalisation of SEN children is good training for when they get older and have to face the same as an adult. Gets them into the mindset early on, lets them know where they stand.

Can you imagine if this was happening to other minorities? There'd be hell on.

Exactly . And judging by so many parents posting here, it's no wonder this is what we are up against daily, with this level of parenting I can see our children's peers will be no better than their parents posting here. Unbelievable. And for those suggesting inspections, my door is always open. I presented a comprehensive, referenced plan of learning, activities, with corresponding learning tools, resources abd key texts. For all core curriculum subjects, plus the specialist provisions detailed within the EHCP. During the final EOTAS discussion the lady from the LA actually asked me "and which school are you based at?" 😳 My background is in an entirely different corporate works, never trained in teaching until I sought courses for myself. The notion by people here that this is some kind of hippy lifestyle choice is not only offensive but wholly inaccurate. There are many here who really need to educate themselves before posting such drivel.

What I would really like to see is proper funding and support for mainstream school to cater to the kids with SEND or SEMHN . More special schools being built or reopened so the waiting times aren't years long or children with various needs still don't fit/meet the criteria. Schools not being oversubscribed and understaffed. LEA's not forcing schools (because there's no other choice) that aren't equipped to deal with certain needs without any support and then kicking off or worse shrugging their shoulders when things go tits up.
The current school system is not suitable and actually harmful to many ,many children and parents,staff and children are left to flounder and often are pit against each other. This needs to change.

Then we can talk about choice.

The reality is that all half decent parents educate their own children at home - it is just some of us do it exclusively and others choose to send them to school for some things as well.

There is clearly two groups here. Those who choose to HE for personal reasons and those who are pushed into it because their DCs don't fit well into the state provision.

I don't think anyone has said that SEN DCs or those pushed out of schooling for whatever reason shouldn't get an education or appropriate provision. Huge respect for those who have had to give up careers as their DCs have been failed by the state for whatever reason.

However the lifestyle HE group does exist and that's what the less favourable comments refer to.

Nope. That funding should be to ensure education in a state school setting meets all standards and safety protocols.

If someone chooses to HE that is exactly what it is. A life choice. They should fund that.

@rookiemere

There is clearly two groups here. Those who choose to HE for personal reasons and those who are pushed into it because their DCs don't fit well into the state provision.

I don't think anyone has said that SEN DCs or those pushed out of schooling for whatever reason shouldn't get an education or appropriate provision. Huge respect for those who have had to give up careers as their DCs have been failed by the state for whatever reason.

However the lifestyle HE group does exist and that's what the less favourable comments refer to.

The majority of the comments refer to that group. Very few mention the SEN children, their needs and the fact that their parents have no choice. And those very few comments are largely ignored and everyone gets back to "hippy mums". If they're not even acknowledged, how can we expect solutions or improvements?

Well @AccidentallyOnPurpose thats because this thread is about those who choose to HE. I don't believe those pushed into HE by circumstances are the same group, therefore this thread is not about them.

The OP talks as about people who choose to home ed and as one of the people in that group, no I don’t want funding.
Home ed very definitely has two distinct groups, those who have chosen to do it and those who have no other option and that second group really needs to be supported. Since I first started looking into home ed around 9 years ago there has been so much change and the group who home ed through no choice has become far larger, the government really need to be working on this instead of lumping the two groups together.

Absolutely not. There shouldn't be any incentives to homeschool.

Parents who are forced to keep their children at home because of special needs should absolutely be compensated, though, if a suitable school place doesn't exist.

My concern would be if the state is paying they would need to check their money was well spent and homes would end up inspected by ofsted using measures designed for childminding or normal school education. The reason people arent doing school education is the model inspected by ofsted isnt right for them. However i do think exams should be paid for by the LA.

Children with SEN can, via an ehcp get an EOTAS (education other than at school) placement which can help pay for tutors and therapies. I think this could be developed more. Its such an ordeal to get there.
I say this as someone whose child has been out of education due to SEN. I wouldnt have welcomed lots of interference. I just wanted the system to work quickly and effectively.

I had absolutely no chance of getting an EHCP. The people involved were just too manipulative and tricky and I'm autistic and adhd myself so couldn't overcome the numerous obstacles.

@mybrainhertz

I had absolutely no chance of getting an EHCP. The people involved were just too manipulative and tricky and I'm autistic and adhd myself so couldn't overcome the numerous obstacles.

Yes - the system is totally broken. So many cant get near what they are legally entitled too.

@mybrainhertz

I had absolutely no chance of getting an EHCP. The people involved were just too manipulative and tricky and I'm autistic and adhd myself so couldn't overcome the numerous obstacles.

I think I'm neurotypical, but I struggle to navigate The System so it must be intolerable for you. It angers me that we are in 2021 and the education system still fails to cater for so many children.

I can see the argument where a child is waiting for a suitable placement -- it might incentivize authorities to stop letting them fall through the cracks, but for those of us where it was a choice... I don't mind my taxes go on other children being in school. It's not actually 'doubling' anything. I spend more on my school educated children for their uniforms and supplies and needing bits throughout the year than I do on my home educated ones for lesson supplies.

Funding for exams as they would get if they were in school, better access to the school nurse team (my children are meant to have access, but actually getting it is difficult. It took over 2 years to get my DS1's Y9 jabs actually done) and similar, and inclusion in events for school children (so when the council welcomes, for example, art from school children for something, having registered home educators be informed and able to submit too) are among my top priorities in what I would like government changes for home educators.

Families getting money to home educate has happened in other countries - but it comes with strings. In the US, for example, many states which do give some funding for home schooling and expect testing, having a portfolio assessed by a teacher, or similar and money can often only be used with vendors the state okays -- but there is a large market to work from there.

The UK doesn't have that -- it's not even required for us to be registered - and teachers have enough on their plate without facilitating tests and/or portfolios of home educated children. Means-testing comes with its own problems, especially with COVID where some people have been cut to the bone with hour and job losses, others got a higher wage for a few months to cover additional costs or worked more hours to cover others but are now being bitten with having been 'overpaid' tax credits with wages going back down and possibly fewer contracted hours. Putting this is now would add to the mess.

And, with COVID, I think there are likely more 'missing' home ed kids now. My 9 year old did some zoom activities, but none of his previous activities - home ed and otherwise - have reopened yet. He's the one I'm most worried about. I really don't see a need to incentivize home education, unless we're hoping that's going to drop the class sizes (an argument I've heard from the US) which I really can't see happening. I just want them a bit more on a level playing field when it comes to exams, service access, and ways for them to participate in other parts of the community.

Nope. They chose to home school rather than give their children all the benefits attending school gives

There are many thousands of parents in the UK alone that have been forced into HE. Can we please stop saying it is a choice, for most it is a last resort after exhausting all other options.

I’ve changed my mind reading these posts. If there is no choice, I.e. the school can’t provide a place for them due to SEN or disability and there is no suitable alternative, agreed by the school, local authority and family, then the parents should be paid a teachers salary to home educate. The state has failed to provide education for the child so this is the only solution. No money should be paid for those who do have another option and are just choosing to home ed.

@Overthebow

I’ve changed my mind reading these posts. If there is no choice, I.e. the school can’t provide a place for them due to SEN or disability and there is no suitable alternative, agreed by the school, local authority and family, then the parents should be paid a teachers salary to home educate. The state has failed to provide education for the child so this is the only solution. No money should be paid for those who do have another option and are just choosing to home ed.

In theory this already exists through the EOTAS system, but it is underfunded, badly-resourced, and labyrinthine in its complexity. Proper funding and resourcing of EOTAS would go a very long way to address the issues raised in this thread.