Guest post: "The traditional school system is effectively a sausage factory"

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I watched my 15-year-old daughter walk into a classroom for the first time this month. While most other parents dropped off their four-year-olds for day one of school, I waved off the daughter I had, until now, been educating at home.

My daughter had made her own decision, and for her own reasons she put on a uniform and joined our local school in year 11. I, meanwhile, will continue to home educate my 12-year-old and five-year-old. My three-year-old won't be going to preschool.

And so, while many parents are sharing pictures and anecdotes of their child's first month at school at the moment, a growing number aren't. We are choosing, instead, to home-school.

In my view, the traditional school system is effectively a sausage factory. No matter how much is said about individualised or child-led systems, the nature of the beast is that it's mass processing. I wanted my children to have time to be children, and time to be themselves. Individuals.

The rise in this movement is perhaps driven in part by changes to the education system, but also, I suspect, because it is now so easy to network. There are national and local Facebook groups, and depending on where you are, lots of groups meeting up.

Home education is easiest with younger children - there's lots of outside play, lots of art, craft, and stories. There are so many resources now that primary age education is very achievable either following a structured school-at-home model, or completely following your child's interests or, as is most likely, doing something in between. That's my approach with my younger ones - the five-year-old is very interested in art and nature, and I've picked up great nature resources very cheaply in Lidl. We do some semi-formal activity most mornings - I'm also Montessori trained and use these resources regularly too. Afternoons are more free format.

I'm a lot more relaxed and confident with the younger two than I was first time round. There were all sorts of panics about learning to read with my eldest, as we felt it was the central skill. Now though, I know most children get there when they're ready, and that happens at varying ages. So as long as I'm making sure we're offering the chance to develop skills, I don't worry about ticking off any age related boxes.

Questions about academic issues tend to come later in the age range, and I will admit that qualifications can be the issue. There are courses that can be studied from home, and there's a thriving support network helping families find examination centers that will take private candidates. If any government was serious about helping home educators, they could make a single change to say that every area should have at least one state school that will take private candidates, Having details of the exam boards on a central website would also make life easier.

Qualifications are why my daughter has chosen to go to school. She believes it will be easier to follow courses done with her peers, and for her, I think it's the right choice. She is finding the organisational aspects of school more challenging than the academic side and she does have an uneven level of learning, being advanced in English and creatively, but not having covered all the maths she needs. But we are well placed to support her through that.

My 12-year-old, however, is determined that he won't go to school for any reason. He's already started to prepare for the maths and computing qualifications that will suit him, and in a year or so, I'll be hunting for one of those exam centers.

Home education was a philosophical choice for me and something I considered before I had children. I discovered the potential while on a teacher training course back in the 90s. Once we had children I looked into the subject further and found a wonderful network of early years home ed families, brought together by the Muddlepuddle email list as it was then - it is now the Early Years HE group on Yahoo. As well as the email list, there were local and national meetups and camps. There are now a number of national organisations too, such as the Home Education Advisory Service and Education Otherwise. Although home educators don’t have to follow the national curriculum, resources are available if they choose to.

My traditional teacher training (PGCE) is of next to no help as a home educator, as most of what you learn that way is about lesson planning and managing a classroom, although some of the incidental reading was interesting. My Montessori training and experience, however, is very useful, particularly with younger children, as it's all about practical hands on learning and seeing children as independent learners.

As for socialisation - yesterday we went to home education roller skating and soft play. Today my 12 -year-old will go to an after school hours computing club. My 15-year-old is (almost) struggling to fit school in around her other commitments - paper round, swim club, army cadets. On offer locally there are home education art sessions, forest schools, and a communal group where each family brings an activity.

Is home education for everyone? No, there's no one approach that suits every child or every family. But it's great to see a rising awareness of it and for people to know that they have choices. When it comes down to it, that's the important thing.

Agree with all the comments here. Yet another smug, patronising and offensive post from someone lucky enough to have the luxury to bake buns and run through leaves instead of doing maths in school.
The author of this twaddle might want to watch her excessive dose of hubris though. Because I'm an employer and whether or not her children are socialised and functioning members of society or not, my doubts would be enough to not even interview. I'd be scared mummy would continue to interfere in the workplace as well for starters.
I'd not thought about university either... Interesting. Does mummy teach them for their degrees as well?

Coastingit, I'm also an experienced teacher and send my 3 yr old to the maximum hours at his super nursery school. He loves it, is building positive relationships with staff and children outside the home and is developing confidence by the day.

I'm not anti HE as I believe it can be the best fit for some children but, I bake, sing, go to clubs etc with my ds, it's just outside the preschool hours. There are plenty of hours in the week/end.

To the poster who said their child covered most of ks2 maths by baking etc, ks1 maths maybe but not ks2.

All this post really says is: 'I liked HE'ing and it works well for me.' There's this point about it being 'a sausage factory' because, well, lots of people are there - but no real development or qualification of that point.

If she's so well placed to support her daughter as she does the catch-up on Maths, why didn't she teach her enough Maths in the first place?

The 'sausage factory' thing is a true. It reflects on the factory not the sausages.

The OP isn't saying that all children that come through school are identical - the OP is saying the opposite that they aren't! And hence shouldn't be treated as such!

School treats children as if they are far more similar than they actually are.

Are all 4 yo ready to start school? YES says the sausage factory - no says reality.

Will all 4 yo progress at the same rate during their first year and be prepared to move to the next year? YES says the sausage factory - no says reality.

Can all 7 yo read and write and be ready to start junior school were it is assumed they can? YES says the sausage factory - no says reality.

Do all children learn best sat down listening? YES says the sausage factory - no says reality.

etc etc

Well, as the proud parent of two non-sausagey DC who've gone through or are going through the process, I don't think it is true.

IceBeing

What a great way of putting it.

melonribena

I have no idea why you can't comprehend covering ks2 maths through baking, playing in the park, playing number games etc.
It's called practical application and it worked well for us. There wasn't anything she hadn't covered when I checked before July when she finished H.ed.

Ice - I get the feeling that you are calling non-SEN children "sausages".

Because yes, pretty much all non-SEN children are ready to read and write by the time they are 7. Many if not most are ready to read and write way before then.

"Will all 4 yo progress at the same rate during their first year and be prepared to move to the next year?"

The goal of school is not to ensure that ALL children can progress to the next year. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that a child may not progress enough to graduate to the next year, for whatever reason. That is probably not a shortcoming of the system but of the very few children in question. Specifically for 4-year-olds, ime there is usually a SEN or undiagnosed/untreated biological problem (eyesight, hearing, etc) that prevents progress at this age. And those are not likely to get any better on their own if you wait another year and start the child at age 5 in a class meant for 4-year-olds.

I support HE and parents' right to do it. Especially for those DC who cannot fit into mainstream society.

However, I see school as a hugely useful resource that parents can use as part of the education they provide for their DC.

I simply could not have provided everything for my DC without it (and I am well educated, resourceful, wealthy and live in an area with a heck of a lot going on).

I think it's like anything - you HE because you want to, fair enough. It doesn't mean it's ok for you to make silly comments about 'sausage factories'.

I'm sure there are well-written and carefully argued articles about HE - but this isn't one of them. You did it, you liked it - good. No need to be rude about children whose parents felt otherwise.

I understand practical application perfectly thank you.
We'll agree to disagree.

"Is home education for everyone?" practically impossible for anyone who works.
Lovely that the OP had the choice but so many don't.

I have been reading this book to help my son who has just started school.
he is lucky to be in a school which has lots of outdoor play plans but I do feel sorry for teachers who are pushed into setting and reaching targets. This doesn't make them bad teachers, it's just that the system they have to work within is wrong.

Cote

Isn't that just the system that says they are ready to read at 7 though?
If a child doesn't enjoy reading at 7 why push them and maybe put them off for life.
My own dd has no sn, but she didn't want to work within the constrictions of a school system by the time she was 7/8. It isn't what she wanted at all.
She is an individual and we as parents thought it fair to treat her as one.
Now she reads for pleasure and I don't just mean children's books. She is a different person to how she would have turned out if she had continued at school.
I think schools are great for teaching the masses with a prescribed system and agree there are some great teachers within this system too. However, the system can't cope with individual learning plans for all children, it isn't possible.
If you want this you have to H.ed or find a specialist school that does try to do this within reason.

Obviously I want my child to be happy, creative and develop a sense of individuality, but I'm not ashamed to say I also want her to get the best possible GCSEs she can. I don't see these two goals as mutually exclusive, and nor I think do most good schools. Good qualifications are the key to choice in later life and I want my DDs to have the widest choice possible. A lack of maths GCSE for example closes the door to a lot of options - it's difficult to get anywhere by just being "creative". I know you can go down different routes to qualifications at a later date, but as someone who didn't go to university until I was 30 I know that this can be much more difficult as you are often juggling competing priorities. Obviously mainstream school doesn't work for some and I certainly don't have a problem with HE per se, but many of us are looking at the bigger picture when we "conform" to school norms and hope it will enable our children to access jobs and careers that will suit their abilities and interests.

"She is an individual and we as parents thought it fair to treat her as one"

It is statements like this that are so offensive. What is wrong with saying that you thought HE is a better system for your child? Why do you have to imply that the rest of us don't see our children as individuals? Or that we are unfair in our decision to send them to school?

FWIW I have always thought it a great idea to HE, it works really well for some children and parents. But it really isn't possible for most people to do it, they don't have the inclination or the skill. I have known HE parents who don't have the skills too, come to that, just as there are teachers who don't have good professional standards. I will not argue that there are drawbacks to teaching 30 children at once, but there are also drawbacks to only having one child to teach.

My two children at school are hugely different in their tastes, talents and abilities. They have been well catered for by their fantastic teachers.

Humphrey

I think you are reading too much into the posts.
Two of our dc went to school all the way through, but I disagree that schools allow for or encourage individuality.

I just think there are huge misconceptions about H.ed and that there are so many ways for children to learn without the need to attend school.
Many people can't get their head round the fact that for many H.ed parents teaching as a teacher would, just doesn't come into it at all.

Of course everybody does the best for their child, provides the best education to suit their needs.

For us allowing dd the opportunity to be H. ed enabled her to pursue her ambition, dreams and personal goals. There is no way she'd have achieved this by attending any school at the time.

It suited her, whereas schools suit other children.
She is now very happy at her school, but if this turns out not to be the case in the future, then we'll H.ed again.

The thing is, I do not have any of those misconceptions about HE. I am generally so positive about it. I still found many of the comments rude.

I am also aware that those who HE get an awful lot of incredulity to deal with.

But it is sad that so many people who do HE have to be so rude about a more traditional approach to those who have chosen that approach.

Schools of course cannot provide exactly what each child wants.
They serve a curriculum on a macro level.

However, being able to work within that system and take out what you as an individual want/need is an excellent skill for life.

Those that need complete freedom in order to express themselves are very unlikely to lead a fulfilling life.

Those that gain complete freedom in order to express themselves, do have fulfilling lives free from constraints, surely?

Presumably the reason that the OP has used an inflammatory title and para about sausages is because it generates attention. The post works perfectly well as a reasonable explanation of her choice to home school without those comments.

The author has a blog and is seeking to make money out of that to support her decision to give up work and HE (she says so on her blog). On her twitter feed she has posted wondering whether this guest post will generate extra traffic on the blog. This desire to generate traffic is the enemy of respectful, reasonable discussion on the internet (I appreciate that is not a novel insight!) which is a shame as IRL I have several friends who home ed and often have interesting discussions with them in which we all treat each other as having made sensible decisions that suit our children and circumstances.

I can see why the sausage factory is offensive, but looking at my dc, it does ring true.
Dd is a sausage, a confident, individual, bright sausage who thrives in school, enjoys the time she spends with friends, has a good rapport with her teachers, is engaging, hopefully has a bright future ahead of her using the skills she gains in school.

Ds, on the other hand, is not a sausage. He doesn't fit the system, he is not thriving, and I wish I was capable of HE him, as he would be far happier. Unfortunately, I know there is no way I could get any work of any sort out of him, he struggles across the board, and I don't have the knowledge to support him through his GCSEs.
I hope to god we can do enough to get him through the next couple of years and emerge with some qualifications, and in the meantime, I can't help but feel that I am failing him because I'm not cut out to HE him.

cote no, I wasn't separating out SEN and NT.

Consider walking.

The average age is 1 year. Some kids start at 6 months some not till 18 months. Do the ones that don't do it till 18 months not catch up? Are they lagging behind in all physical activity for ever?

Of course not.

Would it make sense to treat all 1 year olds as if they can walk when some can, some can't and some are experts? Nope.

It is the same with reading. At 4-5 some kids can, some can't, some are expert, some aren't. Most who can't will catch up many will over take at some point. Because children learn different things at different times at different speeds.

The school system, no matter how hard it tries will always struggle to deal with this when class sizes are 30 and there is an underlying assumption that everyone in the same year group is at the same level and progressing at the same speed.

there isn't really that much of an assumption that all classes are the same level though, have you not heard of differentiation? I agree it is a challenge in a class of thirty though. Teachers have to become very good at it in order to make sure everyone's needs are met.

leChien, so sorry things are tough at the moment. Hope something gets sorted out soon.

humprey hmmm the problem is actually more one of metrics.

When the school is under pressure to get all the children to a certain point in phonics by a certain age, I doubt much thought remains on the topic of waiting until a child is ready to move forward. More though goes into getting the right answer parroted back out when asked the right question.

This is the most sausage factory aspect. If the government rank a school on what fraction of kids can answer 4 when asked 2+2 then there is going to be a lot of robotic practising going on without actual understanding.

None of this is actually good for children's learning and much of it is actively bad.

no I would agree that children continue to be taught things that they do not yet know, there is no sense that they can wait until they are ready. But the children will be taught according to where they actually ARE in their understanding. I take slight issue with 'parroting' though, that is rather a value laden phrase.

Teachers are skilled at testing understanding, I think you are selling them short in your perception of assessment being about rote learning only.

Robotic practising! Have you been in a school lately? I have never seen this. I have seen some rote learning of times tables, I consider this a good thing really. I have seen children learning their phonics, essential knowledge if you are learning to read.