Insane rise in home schooling?

[whyohwhy246]

Has anyone else noticed a huge increase in home schooling? Someone I follow in IG has just deregistered their child and I just can’t believe how many families are choosing to do this.

Of course it is sometimes the right choice for the child but it seems that more and more children are being allowed to opt out of formal education.

Teenagers need to learn that life is hard and school will throw challenges at them. How they learn to deal with this impacts how they handle things as an adult. What happens when they enter the work place and they can’t just opt out of the difficult things? Where do they learn that resilience?

I have worked in education for 20 years and whilst I agree that some aspects of the system are broken, I don’t think home schooling is the answer to this.

The social aspect alone is impossible to replicate (walking to school together, having your first crush, a detention, school trips I could go on and on…) but I also don’t see how all of these parents can have the skills to teach their children to GCSE. I also find it so insulting to teachers who spend years learning their craft. It’s not just something you can pick up and do effectively.

Has anyone else noticed this?

@ExistingonCoffee But unfortunately there is not guarantee a parent will adhere to the safeguarding procedures and what then?
I assume the tutors you have are never left on their own at any point?

Yeah because I know people whose child suffered ‘trauma’ at school because they fell out with their friendship group

I’m not sure what safeguarding procedures you think you are protected from by being directly commissioned by the LA or working via an agency that you aren’t if working self-employed or employed directly? The parents’ actions won’t change just because your services are commissioned differently to what they are now.

My DC each have 2:1. But I am not part of that ratio. The LA is responsible. The LA cannot compel me to facilitate the provision in that way.

Did you not see the news article about all of the children who have died due to school?
Those with unmet needs in school?

I'm pro education too but education can be provided in lots of ways not just in a school building. When my child was in school they weren't getting an education as the environment and the teaching technique didn't work for them. They were in a constant state of anxiety and it was making them ill.

They still tense up and hyperventilate now if we drive past the school. That isn't normal level worry.

Just be grateful you haven't had to witness that level of distress in your child. It has to be one of the worst things a parent can experience. We have also spent time in ICU with a child which was awful but it was no where near as bad as seeing my child in distress about school

What is clear is you don’t understand the role of schools in trauma in some children and young people and that you don’t want to understand. It isn’t merely about falling out with friendship groups.

I’m quite glad the neuro atypical kids are becoming homeschooled, it’s much less disruptive for the students who are happy at school, teachers aren’t being pulled into mental health issues and long parental debates and it sounds as though it’s better for them and their parents too.

I worked in a primary and a good state secondary. The majority of staff were dedicated and did their best by all students. Sadly, the school environment just did not work for a lot of kids. Simple as that.
So much damage done to children trying to make them fit an inflexible model. I can totally understand (and applaud the bravery of) parents who decide to take responsibility for their kids education and well-being. When done well and with good intentions it can be transformative. Until there is a massive rethink of how education is delivered I don't see the trend slowing down.

@ExistingonCoffee It ultimately provides me with more legal protections than if I was working "on my own" as it were.
It is specified by my agency that another adult 18 plus must be present at all times. It doesn't matter who this is, but they must he present.

Socialising opportunities are far better in home education than at school. Sorry but it's true. The idea that home educated kids don't get socialised is based on ignorance of what home education is actually like.

Home education works, it is not 'insane' to home educate your child if the state school system is failing that child and you cannot pay private school fees.

If an adult in the workplace has mental health problems, that adult is signed off sick and is entitled to support. Children are told to 'build their resilience'.

If an adult is assaulted or sexually abused in the workplace, the offender is dealt with and he victim given support. In school we tell children to just get on with it.

17% of OFSTED inspected schools are found to be inadequate or needing improvement.

The DfE itself confirms that SEN children do not get the help that they need unless parents can fight for it or pay for it.

Home educated children are on average, a year ahead of their school based peers. They are also considerably more likely to be economically active.

Do they though? How do they do debating without a team and competitors? Are there really home Ed orchestras? And school balls and theatre productions?

It doesn’t provide you with any more legal protection from a safeguarding PoV. Not at all. If you think that, you are misunderstanding the role of tutor when they are either employed directly by the family or self-employed.

That may be in the agency’s contract, but the LA cannot force the parent to provide the second adult. That is for the LA to provide. Those parents should go back to the LA. They don’t need to allow the LA to use them as unpaid staff.

Yes, they can. There are home ed debating clubs. There are home ed music groups and orchestras. There are also extra-curricular music groups and orchestras that both EHE and schooled DC can attend. There are home ed drama groups and productions. There are also extra-curricular drama groups and productions both EHE and schooled DC can attend. Some EHE groups run proms/balls/parties.

@ExistingonCoffee
OK. So supposing I take on a family directly and, upon arrival, parent says "I'm going out for a walk." Obviously I say in that instance I cannot continue with the session and therefore lose the student.
What then? It's not as simple as just finding another student directly as a self-employed person working alone. I don't make money.
Working with an agency I can always go back to them and ask for another referral ASAP.

You do that all of these things are available outside of schools!

Even before we started home educating our dc’s done a lot more outside of school than in it.

thats interesting - is there data on the economically active point? Actually is there data on the years ahead point? I’d actually be surprised about that because of the variance in quality. Plus my understanding is there is no register of home education kids so there couldn’t be data on that.

So you aren’t actually talking about safeguarding protections. You are talking about income.

You agree a contract beforehand. That would include a notice period for any cancelled sessions or termination of services.

If you are really concerned, you could even only look for roles that are 2:1 (or higher ratio).

Although for good EOTAS/EOTIS tutors, it would be as simple as finding another pupil. Good EOTAS/EOTIS tutors are in demand. They could fill their time 10 times over.

You’re totally right, it is all available.

But that sounds incredibly difficult to arrange from a logistical perspective. I still the majority are not doing anything like this. But could be wrong.

But are they? I only have 2 DC at school and at school they’re involved in debating, drama, reading competitions, science extension, orchestra with a weekly music lesson at school. They both play school team sport and do swimming and other sports as part of PE. Later on there’ll be school productions, school balls. The school has a gym for older students.

If I was to facilitate all of that myself, would that mean driving and paying for 8+ separate activities? With club sport and other weekend activities as well?

Can you link to a recent home-ed ball? I’m not being snarky, genuinely curious

I have to be honest, I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Yes, many are.

EHE groups’ proms, balls, etc. often aren’t advertised generally online because they are for those DC who attend the group(s). But here is one news article from last year about a prom for DC not in MS school. Here is another mention of discos and proms for EHE DC. They were the first 2 links on google. There are others if you want to look.

@ExistingonCoffee You can agree on anything you like beforehand, but you'd be very naive to think every family employing you will adhere to everything at all times. I would never risk my entire career by being left alone, even if for a second. And if they don't pay you - what then?!!!
To add - it isn't always easy to find another suitable referral. I don't take on, for example, GCSE students as I'm primary trained. Also, if I'm travelling to House A in the morning, House B needs to be in travelling distance for the pm.

School life doesn’t resemble anything like real work environment anymore. It probably prepared children for a life working in one environment such as a 9-5 office or factory job with strict rules and set annual holidays.
that’s not life anymore. People work differently with flexi roles , WFH, flexi hours and leave.

Teachers might have perfected their craft but all they have done is perfected something based on an old model and they simply haven’t progressed the way the rest of society has. Employers don’t monopolise our lives any more but the school model still does.

it needs to change to retain customers

Well it resembles exactly my workplace. I have to say it resembles that of my friendship group too.

I couldn’t open the second link but the first is just a mum trying to organise a prom herself.