A wave of illiterate “home schooled” children

[RedSkyatNight25]

Prepared to get torn apart, and I know many homeschool because the school environment isn’t right for their children (SEN, sensory issues - whatever else) and their needs aren’t met by school with a chronic lack of SEN placements and too much demand etc. I’m not naive to that. I also know some parents with adequate resource will ensure their children have a rounded education whilst being homeschooled.

But there seems to be a movement to homeschooling by people who are simply anti establishment with a point to prove. Their grammar and communication on social media tells me they’re not equipped to homeschool a child. Not least I think the socialisation and soft skills school provides are hugely important too. I suspect most of these parents either haven’t considered the benefits of school or hugely underestimated it, especially past primary are parents really equipped to teach ALL the subjects with sufficient skill if they lack the knowledge themselves? Are they not underestimating the skills and expertise of qualified teachers?

AIBU to think it’s really concerning? These are the next generation of our workforce and infrastructure. I personally think we are hugely privileged to live in a country with free education - I know it’s not perfect but I’m not convinced homeschooling is better for a vast majority.

I have an SEN GC who is being massively failed by school. Supposedly a school in the top 1% in the UK. All the progress he makes (way below his age level) is acquired at home. BUT he still goes to school who are useless with him.

I felt like this at times with my DC - all the progress felt like was being made at home with already tired kids and it was hard - and also felt like school was demoralizing them.

Did talk to DH about it but area we were in wasn't great for HE and groups were hard to get into - so stopped for social side which wasn't always great but long term I think being in school exposed to other people and ideas has only been benefical - and yes in some parts of UK with enough money/resources that may well have less an issue as we'd have been able to provide that outsde school.

I'd want to understand if and why it was increasing as I suspect it's sen/ND and schools getting harder places to be for many kids with SEN/ND and how much is that fueling any lower readings/writing standards rather than parental indifference to long term outcomes.

I think one of the misunderstandings about home education is that they just stay at home. So not really the same as WFH.

Schools work by economies of scale, they’re not equipped to give 30% of their students a bespoke learning experience complete with emotional and sensory support and a complicated routine of therapies and adjustments.

Something HAS happened which has made children less flexible, relaxed and happy. So many older children seem to have the emotional span of a toddler, flying into instant rages the moment they don’t get their own way and crying at the drop of a hat. They seem permanently on edge and in constant need of controlling everything around them to the nth degree

I compare him to his mum. Who didn't have the option to drop out because it wasn't ever seen as an option. She's highly paid now (NOT that the amount she earns is what I think DN should aspire to, just being financially self-sufficient once his parents are no longer around). He could have finished school. He had ambitions which without going back into education (he has no desire to, not even self study) will always be unrealised.

I was a teacher for 34+ years.

Over the years several parents took their children out of mainstream education to homeschool them. 99% was after a fall out with the head and a knee-jerk reaction. Not planned, not thought out.

Most after a 'discussion' about behaviour - but not connected SEND, sensory etc issues. Those former pupils just became more feral.

Only one stuck out in my memory - y9 a girl left. Reason given was religious group, girls didn't need schooling. Turned out later that she was to be a carer for her mum who suffered badly from PND. Really quite sad.

I know someone who is planning to homeschool. She's a religious anti-vaxxer and doesn't want her kid learning about vaccine 'propaganda' 🙃

I think there are extenuating circumstances in which home schooling is fine, but the vast majority of children should be in school.

Teachers are degree educated professionals. I'm fairly positive that most of the general public wouldn't be capable of teaching one subject to the standard needed, let alone several.

Don't get me wrong, I think education should be more varied. I think school could do more to incorporate things like gardening, trades, cooking, etc, especially for kids who aren't academic, but going to forest school and taking your child to a variety of classes/sports is not a substitute for them learning critical thought, how to appraise scientific literature, reading comprehension, maths, etc.

I personally think you are doing your child a disservice to remove them from school. You take away the chance at an even playing field. You're also removing a lot of the social learning children do in school, like learning to manage conflict, how to be a good friend, how to deal with bullies, etc.

It seems that way. You see threads on here where parents share quite valid concerns and there will often be poster(s) who just respond “homeschool then if you don’t like it” as though nothing should ever change.

Covid has had some impact too. There was an uptick after lockdown as some kids thrived out of school, for others, the balance of risk to them or their families of covid infections meant they homeschooled, some were off rolled, some struggled with school after lockdown, some have long covid.

I expect that the majority of parents at home school groups are responsible and not anti-establishment.

That says nothing about the hone schooling parents who don't attend groups.

There's legislation??? Anyone wanting to home-school should be able to demonstrate some basic skills and have no access to schools' resources.

I’m a SENCO. I’m going to get roasted but there seems to be a movement towards removing all forms of discomfort from children’s lives. The parent’s role seems to be to make sure they never experience boredom, constructive criticism, having to consider other people, or consequences. A large minority get very annoyed with me when I am unable to replicate this for them at school. Some of them choose to homeschool because of it. I worry both about the homeschooled children and about the ones who are being taught that their needs are more important than anyone else’s and that they don’t have to respect any adults at school or otherwise.

The school environment is not changing enough to keep pace with all of this.

I personally am finding it too much and am exploring other jobs.

Completely agree, and I think the difference between those almost forced into it by lack of support for SEND and what you have described is that the former is truly putting the child’s needs first, and the latter is telling themselves they are doing it for the children but it’s actually about them and what lifestyle they want to have.

The thing is, if there was any kid that would do well with home schooling or any schooling, it's this one. He's an amazing kid but he's getting no schooling worth a damn. His mother seems to think because he can name all the characters in Harry Potter, he's going to rule the world.

A good teacher will teach kids how to think. The process they need to go through to come to a correct answer. That is where the skill lies. That is what this kid needs. I went to a rubbish secondary but went to a college of FE to get the quals I needed for my chosen path. I was aware immediately that I was being taught how to learn at the college. Something completely lacking at my secondary school. I did far better as a result.

I can't bear to watch but unless she sorts this soon, he is going to really resent what she has done to him. He has this one chance and she is fucking it up for him big time. I know people will say that he can probably catch up but in the event, for example, he did want to be a vet, he would be unlikely to get offered a uni place because he would be a 'statistical outlier' in a field of perfect candidates. It's a dog eat dog world and she is hobbling him out of the gate. I so want the authorities to put him through some tests and save him by hauling him off to school.

Where is your evidence?

Language is interesting. " Pulling out" always makes me think of Les Dawson being Cissie.

I think homeschooling is absolutely awful and I'm really amazed that it's legal. You do hear of cases where the parents and child are very bright and they get strings of As at both GCSE and A-Level, but I don't think that's the norm. How many more are going without a decent education and socialisation? I agree completely with a PP who said they are surprised that parents think they can replace multiple degrees, PGCE, and years of teaching experience.

I think if homeschooled children don't reach the standard in GCSE - I think it's 5 passes A-C including English and maths - then they should be given a choice of a fine or jail time, because I think denying a child a decent education is a crime.

Did the parents with "bad basic SPAG" go to school, or were they home educated?

On a camping holiday a couple of years ago I got chatting to the maintenance guy.

My daughter had made friends with his children - we were out of the usual school holidays due to INSET days, and she had told me they were bored and glad to have someone to play with. Luckily she likes caring for and amusing younger children, as she was in late secondary and they were primary aged.

He said that he and his wife had taken their oldest child out of school because they didn't agree with mandatory vaccination (COVID). The younger children had never been. He didn't necessarily disagree with vaccinations but didn't want the government telling him what to do. His oldest child had asked to be allowed to go back to school, but he didn't agree because of 'the government '.

All the children were bored and told DD they looked forward to the school holidays when other children were at the campsite and they had other children to play with.

It was very sad.

I know of one local authority whose education department completely ignored the package of documents they were sent by a parent comprising: a reason for the switch to Home Ed; a detailed statement of educational philosophy; an audit of resources; and the lesson plan for the year ahead.

(This was a family I knew through a literacy programme for which I volunteered.)

The child wasn’t even placed on a basic list. This was admittedly a decade ago, but it was nevertheless a pretty lackadaisical attitude from the supposedly ‘joined up children’s services’ of the time.

Only about half of schooled children achieve this. Do you think their parents should go to prison too?

There are quite a lot of US companies providing a 'Christian' curriculum. I used to know several families who didn't want their children in the state system because they didn't believe in evolution and thought homosexuality was evil. They didn't want their children taught differently.

I am not saying it is the norm in home schooling, but there is definitely a sub group who don't want their children exposed to mainstream ideas

@Uggbootsforever "Something HAS happened which has made children less flexible, relaxed and happy. "

I think this sums it up. I'm not sure if it's social media, TV, Covid or a combination of all these but children don't seem to be as carefree and happy as I remember my childhood or that of my DC.

We need to identify what the contributing factor/factors is/are and change it

My daughter learns things like managing conflict, friendship and dealing with bullies at Guides, at two different theatre groups, at climbing lessons, during social gatherings.

Are you sure? That seems very low.

And no, obviously not, because the lack of achievement is despite proper resources being available to the child.

Well, I think we're talking about home education in the UK. But yes there are home educators in UK that use Christian US curriculum, but that isn't proof of the "fact" that there is "a lot of religious indoctrination" in home education.

Ah, so it's the teachers who should get the fine / jail time if school-educated children don't achieve the minimum qualifications, then?