To think that most people actually do understand, and therefore support, home education...

[PennyRa]

And it's just a loud minority that are ignorant?

Itsoktogiveup
I don't think the people who want to see home education banned have really put much thought into it beyond they have an opinion about their experiences.

The duty to ensure children are appropriately educated lies with the parents. Many parents fulfil that duty in the state education system, some private system and some through home education.

It would worry me greatly as a parent if a government decided they had a greater say over the way I educate my children than me.

I'm in favour of a home education register and closer oversight on literacy/numeracy, but some of the proposals in the proposed home ed bill should concern any parent, regardless of their education choices.

My son is primary age so I'm really referring to others with primary age children.

@1AngelicFruitCake I think the experience you're describing is not common though, esp in the middle class leafy comps. Some of those are less diverse than independent schools. In less well off areas or in big cities it's a great experience for kids to socialise with others, but the rich and poor very often don't do much outside of school anyway. Even the clubs in school, a lot of the very religious kids in the London school i worked in, weren't allowed to attend. Very often by default they would play with the kids who's mums understood and spoke the same language.
I'm against home ed as it stands. It's an absolute joke what some of those kids do. My sister home schools as they're waiting endlessly on a school place and what some of these kids cover is abysmal. The vast majority have been failed by their schools and although well meaning, few have the financial resources, or own ability, to be better than even a bad school. It's not uncommon to hear mums boasting that their kids have spent the day playing with crystals or at an appointment with a sibling.
It is sad. There is no point criticising either side though, the failure is the education system and until that gets overhauled both homeschooled kids and kids in school will continue to be failed.

@Gagglestaggerhome Most schools don't offer all those wonderful things though. My neighbours DD has been at a school with a COVID obsessed head since 2019. She hasn't been on a single trip with school, ever. And they don't offer any after school clubs.
My niece's school was the same. They've been home ed for a couple of years now, whilst they're number 1 on the waiting list for a lovely school. They'd never been on a school trip the 3 years they were in their primary school. Also no clubs. Both in a big city.

I haven’t taken time to read every post, but thought I’d add another perspective in here … I was a homeschooled child. I was homeschooled for most of primary school, and all of secondary school, as were both my siblings.

I personally had a very positive experience overall, although at times I felt like I was missing out on some experiences. I was also very embarrassed about being homeschooled for a long time (due to the reputation that we’re ‘odd’ as one PP put it 😂). I’m beginning to ‘own it’ more now.

I will say, for those posters concerned about academic performance, it certainly didn’t hinder any of my family - my brother is a very successful businessman (no degree) and my sister is in healthcare (has a good degree). I am also currently in business, with a background in media. I did very well at school and won a full academic scholarship to a good university, where I graduated top of my class and won several prestigious awards (would obvs never bring this up normally, but feels relevant for the conversation).

The huge caveat to all of this was my mum was absolutely amazing at home education - she is genuinely a bit of a genius (extremely high IQ etc) and also insisted on a very disciplined approach to our work. It was like having an excellent private tutor constantly on call.

We did socialise with other homeschooled kids and most were well socialised and bright, and many of them have gone on to good careers (I’m still in touch with quite a few of them). There were always a few families though who didn’t seem to take it seriously and yes, the kids definitely suffered academically as a result.

That’s all I can think of for now as top-level thoughts on the subject! AMA! 🤓

It's not about just educating the children.
Teachers are trained in teaching methods on how children learn. Not sure you could do this from home without lots of research.

For me this is one of the main benefits of HE - I can tailor my teaching to the way my son learns best. They don't do that at school - in a class of 30 kids, it simply isn't possible.

@WeakAsIAm are you able to say why

Jesus wept , I am just catching up but got to your post. NEVER mention weed on MN they will literally come round your house with placards and the police.

I think it would be odd to take a blanket view either in favour of or against home education. In some cases it's advisable and a good idea, but in many cases it's either neutral, not beneficial, or actively a terrible idea.

I think it works for some families but not others? Depends on child and parent! I think there being a community of home schoolers locally helps as can do some activities together and kids can still have friends. Plenty of social activities becomes extra important with home schooling

I see Op has not come back, that does not surprise me one bit!

I think it would be odd to take a blanket view either in favour of or against home education. In some cases it's advisable and a good idea, but in many cases it's either neutral, not beneficial, or actively a terrible idea.

I think that sums it up very well. Educating our children can never be a one size fits all.

I can see the benefits of both home ed and school but this is a funny one because teachers have to stick to the curriculum and don’t have the time or support to be able teach to each child’s individual needs. How do you think they can do that with a class of 30+ children who will vary? They can’t just say oh this child isn’t taking well to phonics, let’s go down another route. They can’t way wow x is really getting a lot from this lesson on ladybirds, let’s continue it for the rest of the day while they are really invested in it. It’s just not possible. Home educators can do these things because there is no set curriculum to follow, no timetable and the freedom to adapt to your child’s interests and needs.

I home ed and totally agree, there are benefits and negatives to both options. It’s just a shame that there are some people(on both sides) who refuse to appreciate this.

I'd be interested to know how much of teacher training is classroom management, how to differentiate for a class of 30 plus children etc, and admin.

@Gagglestaggerhome the schools near us certainly don't offer so many opportunities.

Dc is in school, and they've only managed one trip, very local to the school (and it's one of those schools that usually attracts negative attention on here-about inequality etc etc).

Home Ed groups receive discounts when group booking, a lot of museums/safari parks and other such places also have home educator days (I can't comment about prices).

@Rayn22 Bless you. Most teachers are trained for one year on a post graduate course. Subject specialists are very rare. What makes a subject specialist is also questionable. I'm not here to bash teachers but most teachers will tell you the teacher training in this country is abysmal and most have to relearn loads when they enter a classroom.
Families who don't care about academics exist in both settings, but if oring that for now, you cannot say a bright, on the ball parent wouldn't do a better job with their own kids, tailoring it completely to their needs, than a teacher with a class of 30 kids, no money, a third with SEN, a bunch with 1:1 needs and no TA?
Im not sure what you imagine is happening in most classrooms, but it's not 5hrs of learning a day.

@Nevermindthesquirrels I wouldn't say most schools don't offer those things. My school is a bog standard inner city stuff, last ofsted was awful. It offers the minimum. If a school didn't offer trips, sport, clubs etc then I would just move schools rather than quit my job and take my children out of education. That seems a bonkers reaction.
I do think that a lot of home educators want to think that schools are worse than they are. My experience has been great.

My DD is a school refuser, she's in year 3, has had thrice weekly meltdowns ever since she was in nursery. This involves banging her head on the floor, biting me, running out the door. She cannot verbalise what it is that she finds so intolerable and she is fine once she is in the classroom. I can only guess that it's some reaction to separation which causes a fight or flight response.
Other parents might have given up at this point. But what does this teach our children? That they can give up if they find things hard and stay home where things are safe? I'm not sure that if she was home educated my daughter would have to be separated from me, and so what about if she ever wanted play dates or if I ever wanted to go out?
I truly believe that work is a good thing. It is non negotiable that she has to go into school as I have to go to work. It's tough and there's so many times I want to go home with her and just keep the world locked away. There are times when school tell me things which are hard to hear. I can see why people chose the non challenging route. Home education groups probably wouldn't have been able to tell me that my child has a learning disability and that she was roughly three years behind where she should be. I might not have picked up that her sensory aversions weren't just quirks or anxiety but were autism.
It's often not the children but the parents who find school too daunting and difficult.

Nevermindthesquirrels
I partially agree with you.
I'm an experienced subject specialist and I've seen our numbers decline.
I've seen situations where a class is being taught by a non-specialist graduate who is very nice but neither a specialist or a subject specialist. The person planning the lessons (me) was already stretched to the max, didn't know the class, and did their best to support the totally inexperienced colleague who, thankfully, was keen to learn and was doing their best.
This isn't unusual and not everyone in front of a class is as willing to learn or as good as the colleague I describe above.

Those 32 children weren't getting a good deal. They were getting the best we could offer, but I'd have not been happy if it was my DC in the class.

I certainly wouldn't want my son to learn that he has to go to a place he hated and that distressed him to the extent he was having daily breakdowns. I wouldn't dream of staying in a job that made me feel like that.

And I certainly wouldn't describe home education as the "non challenging" route either.

I know where my son is "meant" to be for his age because that knowledge is freely available. I don't need to be told that by a teacher. I can see where he is vs where he should be for his age.

@Marytherese
But she's fine when she's in school, do you not get that? I often hang back and watch her. I know parents who are lunch supervisors. They all tell me, she is fine. This is a separation anxiety, not anything to do with school. Yes I could take her out, and then what? When would she learn that she could be an independent being?
You say you know about your son being on track, but would you really be honest with yourself if he wasn't?