Stop homeschooling your children.

[pentagonisapentagon]

I run an educational consultancy and exam company. We produce books that most parents in our area of education will purchase. Home educating your children makes us money.

However. STOP. Now I don’t mean those that have children with severe issues (this is a small %, everyone likes to diagnose their children with some form of disorder and it isn’t those I’m talking about) who would benefit out the classroom / often awaiting a better school option.

I mean the parents who are tired with the education system - lots of moans that they can’t take their children for a holiday, annoyed about not being allowed make up, the rules being too hard. You can barely spell, stop trying to teach your children yourself. These children are being FAILED by their parents.

By all means, if you have the relationship, time, ability and means to provide a solid home education system (inc money for tutors which will be needed) - go ahead. Just ensure you’re covering the social aspect.

I am seeing the advice to home school EVERYWHERE. Mumsnet and Facebook filled with the poor advice. It’s detrimental to all parties involved.

I’d love to know others thoughts on this.

I’d love to know others thoughts on this.

Others' thoughts. Pot, meet kettle.

If I seem overly irritated by your posts, well, I am. But it's your arrogance that gets me, more than your opinion.

I would have loved to have home schooled. I’ve met home schooled children and they absolutely displayed similar values to
my own. BUT, although I’m academically able and educated I’m not remotely organised enough. We’d never have got around to any learning. We did very little learning in lockdown (but loved every minute). I quite admire those that can home school successfully but it’s not for me.

Sadly, not every parent is as good a tutor as you are, but well done to your DD for doing so well.

I think it works for lots of families for lots of different reasons, but as a teacher, we've had a massive increase in the last year of students entering in yr9/10/11 because it's not worked. The ones entering in yr11 are getting grade 1s across the board and the ones in yr9 and 10 and we'll behind their peers both socially as well as academically.

There are a lot of parents who homeschooling who throw themselves fully into it and make a good go of it. There are others who can't even access the curriculum themselves but had a false sense of ability from the low-cognitive-load work being set over lockdown.

The education system is one size fits all. It's not just unsuitable for many Sen kids. There's lots of non Sen kids who just don't fit the learning style. That coupled with the rigidity and lack of management of behavioural issues ie bullying. Not to mention lack of staff these are some of the reasons some parents opt for home schooling.

And I say that as a parent of two nt children who thrived in school and a Sen child who is doing amazingly thanks to the staff who give 200% for him.

But I'd do feel homeschooling needs to be regulated and funded.

The majority of home educators I've come across (in NI) are religious and just don't want their kids experiencing the influences of other kids at school. They only let their kids associate with kids from their church. I'm sure they get to protect their kids innocence for longer, but I don't think it does them any favors in the long run. The ones I know do get a good education but it must be hard on the kids to integrate into the "real world" once they get a bit older.

Yes, unfortunately there are a growing number of these families since the pandemic. Children pulled out of school when challenged about poor behaviour or attendance, no education received at home at all. It's so sad.

Don't you think all these awful parents making rubbish decisions about their children's education would be unsupportive (and probably disruptive) if the children were in school? And lots of schools seem to be struggling already. Parents are allowed to make 'bad' choices in most areas - food, technology, bedtimes etc

I know an astoundingly bright child who has been homeschooled til nine or 10. Took his 11+ to go back into mainstream and absolutely bombed it because he had only ever worked at his own pace. Couldnt time manage to save his life. These are skills he will need to gain the qualifications he is more than capable of.

it isn’t just about making sure the child is academically equipped.

He’s now at a comp, is precociously ahead in terms of knowledge and, because kids are kids, is having a bad time as he is seen as the school swot. He is brilliant at socialising with adults. Kids his own age - not so much.

I'm sure there are lots of parents HE their kids well. But there is an equal amount that aren't I encounter a group on a regular basis where the kids are lovely, but their parents are simply trying to avoid "the system".
Many are not capable of schooling their kids. Some are. I would have loved to but I don't think I could do it without our relationship suffering.

I can't fathom why people homeschool! Teachers spend time and money getting qualified - how can unqualified parents match this? The parents can't work as they have to educate their children so how do they afford to live?

Are you seriously suggesting you've never heard of a SAHM?

I have only ever encountered HE as a lifestyle choice online. In real life, every one of the HE families I know are in that position because they have been failed by the state sector. Some do a great job and children are thriving, some are merely surviving but still see it as better than their lived experience of state education. None of these families would have picked HE as their first choice and many are quite frustrated and disappointed with the options available to them.

I have NO desire to home educate, but if we ever couldn’t afford private school I would prepare myself for that possibility.

Home educated two of my dc, school wasnt/isn't for them.

My son is now off to university, so clearly doing OK, and my dd doesn't have the support she needs at school, goes in for an hour a day, but is mainly home educated, goodness knows what will happen with her.

Maybe aim your anger at the education system, lack of support for teachers, schools with no money or resources, and try and fix that before coming for home educators.

I think for some families its the best choice as long as parents dedicated to it which is a slog.
However i know of two parents whos child wants everything their way and they cant be arsed with the school run and the kid will be so disadvantaged

The current system is pushing people towards taking the kids out of school if the child or parent has any kind of issue that may impact attendance, whether that be physical or mental health or social issues. The school near me allows only 3 days sick per year without doctors note (which GPs won't provide)before they start giving fines of £60 a time for each parent. Other areas are threatening people with court action. Schools are also happy to get rid of "troublesome" children who use resources and badly impact their figures.

I sent my ds to school. He has asd with pda, adhd, dyslexia, sensory processing disorder, dyspraxia and a genetic disorder which means he is physically disabled. All diagnosed by teams of professionals.

He went to school, behaved himself… and learned nothing.

I went in for regular progress meetings and was told repeatedly that they had NO IDEA what he was capable of because he sat silently at his desk and cried- he made no attempt at any work.

They repeatedly told me that he needed a 1 to 1 but wouldn’t take him to panel because they could only take one child per panel and he was ‘no problem’.

After y2 I removed him. He is now year 5 and has made incredible progress at home.

There are obviously people who are letting their children down however ….

there are also so many schools letting children down Sen or not .. Sen children are not funded properly - definitely not supporting their needs , environment isn’t right , this then impacts on NT children .

It is definitely a one size fits all approach which is absolutely doesn’t .

My Ds is year 12 in college who have absolutely no idea how to support him , don’t contact me till absolute crisis , then wonder why it’s not working , this cycle continues .

I know lots of teachers RL and I would say I know one who is actually enjoying it - lots who were amazing teachers who left .

The sheer number of teachers leaving must tell you school is not all that .

A lot of teachers training is in how to teach and control a classroom of 30 odd kids (which makes sense)- once you remove that section of the training then you are into how to breakdown and deliver the content- all of which you can get and do yourself. The entire national curriculum is available free online.

Loads of families have only one parent working, it’s very very common. Home edders manage just like that.

It seems unfair on children..they have no say in this and don't have anything to compare to. It is very difficult to cover a broad curriculum yourself. I wish there was more oversight of the children in these situations ..for the positive stories there must be many children falling between the cracks.

The stats for young people finishing state education in terms of basic literacy and maths at functional levels are poor. I would HE in a heartbeat if we could afford to do so.

Plus SEND under funding, plus teachers leaving due to burn out.

I also think large secondaries may be economical but they actually don't seem good socially. When in history have we ever stuck 1000+ teens together in a building, quite a few of them unable to learn for various reasons.

I homeschooled my children. I had them late, after a career in the US military. My elder child is a software developer for a multinational corporation whose name you would all recognize working on the programming of self-driving vehicles. My daughter is a highly regarded medical doctor. Neither is socially inept in any way.

Done correctly, homeschooling can be amazing. My children were too intelligent to flourish in regular school. Sad to say but an absolute fact. They have both told me that they were grateful to have been homeschooled, and I am grateful for having had an unobstructed view into their lives when they were growing up. We all treasure those years.

I think underlying this issue - trends, advice etc. is the very serious concern that schools may not be the best place to educate, socialise and provide your children with stability. And from what I have read - they have a point. School resources are spread so thinly, behaviour is a massive issue (is that the social example you want for your child), many lessons or days even are taken up trying to control a class let alone actually teach. Accessible learning tools are better and cheaper than before so many children will thrive if they are taught how to use the computer and problem solve. The only real draw back is setting a structure and making sure they have proper balance.

I'm glad home education worked well for you and your kids, but this post is just as objectionable as the absolutist ones from the opposite perspective. Plenty of hyper-intelligent kids flourish in ordinary schools.

Completely agree.