To disagree with home ed

[Freshton]

Unless in extreme cases (ie SEN, extreme mental health or other complex needs) or parent is qualified teacher, I fundamentally disagree with home ed.

It's insular and doesn't prepare kids for the real world.

I've seen first hand some shocking examples that I can't go into for confidentiality reasons but common thread was parents arrogantly assumed they had same skills as teachers with masters degrees. Reality was kids were really behind, had no proper structure or routine.

It's worrying that so many people see home ed as a viable lifestyle choice. I know school system not perfect at all but isolating children at home or in small home ed group echo chambers isn't healthy.

Setting them up to fail and in my experience it meant lessons where there was no streaming were fraught with behaviour problems and slow going for the 40% who were at the expected level.

Skinkytoilet

I might have misread the op- I’m talking about a child at home being taught by parents, taken to group activities by parents but not being educated with other children?

I suppose it gives more opportunity to use their kids as social media fodder.

Yes me too.

My son, and many others, were bullied at home ed groups. The sort of “socialisation” groups that people run for home ed kids in halls, groups of home educated families who get together.

Often billed as some utopia, but it’s mainly wet parents congratulating themselves on not sending thier kids to school, while the children roam around bored shitlesss and being dicks to each other (at least, that was my experience of 6 years of the bloody things).

Skinkytoilet

ah sorry to hear that, yes the people I know used to home Ed themselves with their child and then bring them to different sports/ hobbies to try to see could they mix/ make friends etc

Is this not a chicken or egg situation?

children with SEN unsupported at school would be behind. Children who never went to school due to SEN may be behind if they were at school.

its hard for me as my kids are home Ed due to a failing school system. My dd was behind at school. My son wasn’t even given a school place due to extreme SEN. So I hate seeing it written off as a bad choice out of hand. However I know of parents who home Ed and leave all English to a tutor one hour a week- I do judge them!

my dd has a tutor 2 hours a week and I top up her learning myself. Her tutor told us our family has changed her mind in home Ed because like you her experience is home Ed kids are always behind and not doing work at home but my dd is now doing great and likely will pass her 11+ and I can get her back into school. It’s sad that that’s the exception though

Huh? I'm really sorry that is your experience but that certainly isn't ours. Kids are allowed to go to the toilet, but no not every class not every day. Kids do tend to take advantage.....School uniforms prepare kids for working life - being ready, wearing whatever work 'uniform' that entails, dressing appropriately, having the right tools etc. Kids aren't taking knifes into every school and the only case of it I know of the kid got excluded.

I don't think it's that common for teachers have masters degrees, in fact in state academies, you'd be surprised how many teachers don't have any teaching qualifications at all.

Most home educating families have been badly let down by the school system with children who's needs can't be met in school. Those children you see who are struggling, would have been struggling, probably more, if they'd stayed in school.

However, there are a minority who remove children to get away from any scrutiny/safeguarding and I don't know how you protect them without damaging the families who are doing their best for DC.

Hm. In my state (VA) the home ed kids still have to prove progress by August. Most parents have them sit the standardised Iowa tests (not just for Iowa but a national test) so the state can ensure home ed kids are at least keeping up with their peers.

That's interesting. Is it a skills based test or does that engineer an expected curriculum for homeschooled kids to follow?

Unless in extreme cases (ie SEN, extreme mental health or other complex needs)

I don't have stats of course, but IME a very high % of home educated children would fall under that umberella.

It really isn’t when kids can’t read at 12.

Absolutely. They generally don’t make better educators though.

I have done both. Our two boys went to mainstream senior schools until end of year 11 and although they didn't enjoy school I don't think educating at home would have made any difference to their successes and failures.
My daughter became home school halfway through year eight because she couldn't cope with school, was being bullied and was desperately unhappy. I'm so glad we took the decision to teach her ourselves, together with a local home ed group we joined.
We made sure she wasn't isolated and although she still finds life hard she is working a good job, has her own place and a cat! She has always felt positive about the experience and so have we.

That's exactly the kind of situation where I can see home education being a good idea, when children are being failed by the system.
There's no streaming where I live now but classes are smaller and if children can't pass core subjects they have to repeat the year so they can get up to speed, so there shouldn't be the situation like that, with a large percentage below minimum expected standards (unless on an altered curriculum due to learning difficulties but those children will likely be spending a lot of time with the special ed teacher rather than struggling in the main class), ideally none below standard though there's too many teachers that give mercy passes so children go onto the next grade.

It's 'spent too much time sitting down', not 'too much time sat down'.

Just like to add. You can’t be a teacher in a Scottish school without a) a degree and b) a teaching qualification.

It’s appalling that this is allowed.

I agree with you OP - they can become ‘hidden’ from safety’s mechanisms such as safeguarding- because there is so little opportunity to keep an eye on an ‘at risk’ child.

Did you see my post about the Ofsted report for one of our local secondary schools?
60% start year 7 with reading below what is expected.

I understand in some circumstances- SEN, bullying, school refusal- parents probably don’t have much choice. These families are really let down by the system and I feel for them.

But let’s be honest most other people do it cause they are flakey and odd. Certainly the ones I know IRL are.

I completely disagree. It's not until youve been in a situation where the school system is destroying your young child's mental wellbeing that you get it. My child was early primary, mild sen needs, we were told she would never achieve due to these. Shes learnt more since home ed than she ever did in school and has more friends as well as being emotionally well. I wouldn't judge a situation you've never had to live.

I think the answer to your question is yes. Of course most people worry about safeguarding whatever the age of the child.
Which is why there are (inadequate probably) structures such as health visitors, social services etc who do try and safeguard babies and young children.
There have been many dreadful examples of children all ages suffering abuse and worse, how could anyone not care.

I am in a few homeschooling groups online as I like to get ideas for my day flexischooling DD1, and I have noticed a rise in people who seem to have taken their child out of school for various reasons but, and I’m trying to word this diplomatically, don’t seem to have had much of an education themselves or really have the ability/capacity to educate someone else. They come on not really seeking advice on how actually to home educate but on how to argue with the school/local authority, generally. That type of ‘home education’ is miles away from forest schools and tutors and trips to the museum.

Some of these children are pretty much doomed to failure, either through school failing to meet their needs or parents being unable to.

Home education/homeschooling situations vary so much because there are so many different types of kids and so many different types of parents, so I think YABU to disagree with the essential concept. I agree that there are a lot of people who do it who aren’t equipped for it, though.

I have my first starting in Sept. Already considering the idea of flexi schooling. We will see how we get on.