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Original poster

Are there any benefits of Primary school that HE can't usually provide?

613 replies

carolinecordery · 03/06/2012 19:52

Hello all, I haven't registered my DD for Reception, which she would be eligible to start in September.
I was just wondering if you thought there were any benefits of primary school that HE can't provide. What things are good about primary school that are only available through attending?
I'm planning to HE and am convinced of the benefits of doing so, but want a rounded picture. It's easy to think of loads of things that would be, relatively, a bit crap about primary school, but is there ANY really good reason to go? DD's non-resident dad would rather she went.
Thanks, Caroline

OP posts:
seeker · 05/06/2012 15:10

I think home ed has all of the benefits of home ed. I don't think it can possibly have all the benefits of school- it loses those along with the negatives. In the same way that school cannot possibly have all the benefits of home ed- it loses those along with the negatives of home ed.

morethanpotatoprints · 05/06/2012 15:39

For me school is in isolation whereas H.ed is not necessarily at home and encompasses a variety of settings, venues etc. Many of the advantages of school can be achieved through H.ed as many have identified. For me the advantages of H.E outweigh those of school and/ or I don't see them as particular advantages. I think we choose the best route for our dcs, I still continue to look at primary education threads and will do even if we decide to H.e.

NonAstemia · 05/06/2012 17:27

"I have never met a teacher who didn't know the difference between Hippocrates and hypocrites. Or one that didn't know the difference between 'their' and 'there'."

At least two of DD's teachers (YrR - 4) made the most appalling grammatical and spelling errors. Shock Hmm

Cuddler · 05/06/2012 18:28

Personally i cant think of any benefits of going to primary school!espescially for a 4 yr old

Clary · 05/06/2012 19:12

"why would you come onto an HE thread and sing the praises of school?"

Because the OP asked for opinions on what was good about school! And as I already said, people whose DC have experienced school might be the best people to do that.....

HE-ers can have misconceptions too - someone posted earlier that a schooled child they knew had never baked and didn't know what a tarantula was - but my children all go to school and all have baked and know what a tarantula is! Extrapolating generalisations from one child don't help anyone.

I originaly posted trying to help the OP with her concerns - not get into a
fight.

exoticfruits · 05/06/2012 19:20

You missed the point Clary-you were supposed to say that there was nothing good about school and that she was much better off at home.

To be fair to OP I think she asked a genuine question-it was later posters who intimated that they didn't want to hear from anyone with DCs still at school.

SigaSiga · 05/06/2012 19:25

The OP did not ask what was good about school, she asked if there were any "benefits of school that HE cant usually provide"

From my experience of both school and HE, there are none.

exoticfruits · 05/06/2012 19:27

I don't think that she wanted the one opinion-other people gave her plenty of benefits that HE can't usually provide.

seeker · 05/06/2012 20:07

I read the op- and my original post listed several things. None of which have bees addressed. But sadly, home ed ers generally don't want a discussion- they just affirmation. Which is fine- but not helpful to anyone who genuinely wants to find out the proa and cons. Saying there are no cons is just silly. If I said there were no cons to school I wouldn't be allowed to get away with that- why are home ed ers unchallengable?

exoticfruits · 05/06/2012 20:10

If someone asked me the downsides of school I would happily give them a list. They didn't in this case. Even the very best of schools have a downside. Even the very best of HE has downsides. They can't be perfect-perfect for one person is hell for another.

exoticfruits · 05/06/2012 20:13

I can also give benefits of HE above school-anyone could find some. To say that there are no benefits of school over HE makes me think that the person should question themselves more.

PrisonerOfWind · 05/06/2012 20:31

There are some pros to school which generally are not altered by the child's or teacher's personality, the make-up of the cohort, the ethos of the school etc. all these things can make school wonderful for a child that would normally not thrive at school or equally horrendous for a confident, outgoing child if the balance is not right.

But the definite benefits are childcare, access to trips and activities because of the economy of scale and in some schools, the guarantee of one meal per day!

I view school as a glorified childcare facility and if it offers any more then it's a bonus. For one child it does and for another it doesn't. As for the socialisation debate: I find it very unnatural to stick 30 five year olds in one room and expect them to sit still for long periods of time. Most adults find sitting still difficult and it's not natural for children. A child only has the example of the brightest five year old, the maturist five year old, the least able five year old and the most immature five year old to use as a benchmark for development and I find that very unnatural. Children need to be around a variety of age groups to learn tolerance, patience, compassion, leadership and responsibility. Well that's my view. My kids dip in and out of education and some thrive but I still don't think school is natural. If it were then mass schooling wouldn't just be over 100 years old.

Sirzy · 05/06/2012 20:37

That would be why 5 year olds aren't expected to sit still for long periods of time in school.

In a primary school setting children are around a wide range of ages, and all the things you listed are things that are encouraged with children being given more responsibility as they work through the school.

PrisonerOfWind · 05/06/2012 20:43

I did go to school and I have kids at school and I can tell you that they are encouraged to fit into their little five year old boxes, or eighth year old boxes. I also have three members of my family who are teachers and they report to having kids in their classrooms sitting for 2.5 hours and the teacher gets cabin fever, so they can only imagine how hard it is for some kids.

Sirzy · 05/06/2012 20:48

If they do that they are crap teachers then, I would also imagine things have changed a hell of a lot since you were at school.

For 5 year olds they spend the majority of the day playing and learning through play, focused activities are 20 minutes at the most and play based anyway.

seeker · 05/06/2012 20:52

No 5 year old in a state school ever has to sit still for 2.5 hours!

PrisonerOfWind · 05/06/2012 21:11

Things may have changed for me but I do have kids in school and have also worked as a reading assistant as well as have three family members who are teachers, none of whom are crap but all who think the system is crap!

Sirzy · 05/06/2012 21:12

Sorry if a teacher lets any age children (or adults) sit for 2.5 hours they are crap.

seeker · 05/06/2012 21:20

I repeat. 5 year olds in state schools do not sit still for 2.5 hours.

PrisonerOfWind · 05/06/2012 21:20

Why are you apologising and then being rude. Either be rude or don't!

They don't have their kids sit for that long at age five but they report to many of the other teacher's doing this and it is very common at age eight!

FamiliesShareGerms · 05/06/2012 21:23

Gosh, is this thread still going?! I thought the question was pretty much answered in the first few posts...

Sirzy · 05/06/2012 21:24

it isnt common at any age

morethanpotatoprints · 05/06/2012 21:24

Exoticfruits. Surely a well established H.eder can't see advantages in school over HE or they would be at school. They have spent along time listening to peoples argument against HE and made sure they could minimise or eradicate negatives and disadvantages with finding working solutions not for justification but to do what is right for their dc. So when people talk about positives of school they aren't going to be able to see them as most have gone through a system of de-schooling and now practice unschool. Perhaps if you opened your mind to other possibilities of learning other than being taught you may understand. Not necessarily agree, but learn about the alternatives.

seeker · 05/06/2012 21:32

But I can see loads of ways that HE is better than school and I would be happy to list them. I just think school has the edge. What I can't understand is why he ers can't do the same- and they have to misrepresent school education in order to make their case.

YardBroom · 05/06/2012 21:44

not always seeker. The first thing thrown at HE rs is that they don't socialise their children. They are isolated, don't mix with anyone apart from parents and siblings, and it is sooooooooo darn frustrating to keep fighting back about what nonsense that is.

Then everyone gets on the defensive and the thread kicks off!