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Home ed

Find advice from other parents on our Homeschool forum. You may also find our round up of the best online learning resources useful.

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Original poster

Do you get sceptical if you see school age children alone in the street during school hours?

26 replies

DelicianoLopez · 03/07/2014 17:47

okay, mines He'd. people could think the same about mine except shes disabled and always with me. never alone.

I try and think' are they on an inset day?

Is it half term or something? or things like that.

yes I take mine out during the school day as shes socially challenged and I can take her out when streets and places are not too busy, we do lessons on a Saturday and have a 'day off' during the week, so im sure we gets judged, but I see, especially where I live a lot of children-age roughly 8 till 16 hanging around on the streets a lot.

im sure theres an explanation, im not exactly going to go up to them and ask, I don't say anything, just wondering!

does anyone else notice this? or is there a logical explanation?

OP posts:

bochead · 07/07/2014 10:57

Doesn't it depend what they are doing?

Playing knock down ginger, loafing on street corners or throwing stones at cars equals truanting to my mind.

Waiting at a bus stop, shopping etc equals going about their legitimate business and therefore none of mine.

For Teens with special needs especially school hours means the quietest time of day to practice the many life skills they'll need and shock horror some are let out of special schools to practice, not just home edders. This is a really big deal for some kids and I refuse to be the nosey parker whose interference wrecks a kid's life chances.

I'll ask a kid who looks lost or confused if they are OK, but I will not under any circumstances interrogate them. There is a big difference between the two approaches.

This country suffers from an excess of finger pointing and a total absence of genuine compassion imho. The Rochdale case being an example of what I mean. It's a monster I refuse to feed.

Penvelope · 04/07/2014 20:06

I find it hard to judge the age of children aged 12+, so I would assume any teenage looking person to be 16+ and not in school any more.

I never see children of primary school age out and about in the day unoccupied.

GiantIsopod · 04/07/2014 19:48

I think it does depend on area too. Some areas have a lot of truanting kids. Where I live, I don't know anyone who's HEdding their kid, and I am very involved in many large events and so on. A quick search for a local HEd group produced no results. Not touristy either. I know my DSDs have felt judged when out on an inset day for example, they're teens and have been actually asked about it ffs. If they're a teen and look like they're doing something- in a/going to a library, even in a supermarket, then I wouldn't jump to truanting (tbh, I wouldn't jump to anything, I don't tend to think much about them) but if they're just hanging around like some kids do (and I used to do, nothing wrong with it) with no real purpose, if I was asked what I thought they were doing, I'd be more likely to say truanting.

TheBookofRuth · 04/07/2014 19:26

Ugh, that last post was full of typos, sorry.

TheBookofRuth · 04/07/2014 19:25

I sort of do assume that Nicki, it's just the sheer number of them that surprise me. People move to the town I live on for the schools, as there all so good, so I'd be surprised if there are that many he'd children.

None of my business, of course, I realise that!

Fideliney · 04/07/2014 19:18

I've always been aware of HE and always lived in tourist destinations, so I tend to assume one of those.

I'd be sad if we began to operate ona system of unaccompanied child = suspicious and I'm not sure it would be workable.

NickiFury · 04/07/2014 19:17

It might be useful to know that there are pretty organised groups of Home educators in many areas, so much so that local authorities often have a section that deals entirely with them. The thing is you won't have cause to know unless you decide (or are forced) down that route.

NickiFury · 04/07/2014 19:16

What are you concerned about though? Serious question.

RAFAnderpants · 04/07/2014 19:15

I jsut hope they are Home educated/ inset/holiday.

I understand the concerns too.

i see this where i live too.

As it says in the OP theres hopefully a valid explanation.

NickiFury · 04/07/2014 19:14

What does it make you wonder? Maybe you could try assuming they are home educated too

TheBookofRuth · 04/07/2014 19:10

I'm always surprised at the moment when I take my toddler DD to the park/splash park etc how many (seemingly perfectly healthy) school age children are there too, with their parents. It does make me wonder.

NickiFury · 04/07/2014 19:03

But why is your automatic reaction one of "concern"? Can you consider the idea that it might be because you are brain washed into thinking school is the ONLY option when in fact it is one of a number. The law stated children must receive an education, NOT children must receive an education in school.

When I see dc of my ds's age out of school I assume they are home educated and therefore not having to adhere to a school time table. Could you try that do you think? Would that help you not to be concerned?

BeerTricksPotter · 04/07/2014 19:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NickiFury · 04/07/2014 19:00

And for that matter why are you posting your concerns here in HE? If our kids are out of school it's because we are HEing them, so your concerns about home life and education are not something we can help with. Might I suggest you take a stroll over to AIBU?

Original poster

DelicianoLopez · 04/07/2014 18:59

read my last post. I care about childrens welfare, wether they have a valid reason or not.

also if you read my title post you will also see im not being nasty, I have genuine concern.

OP posts:

NickiFury · 04/07/2014 18:56

What has it got to do with you though? Seriously?

Why not just assume that for various VALID reasons those children are out of school with the full knowledge and acceptance of those whose business it actually is?

Original poster

DelicianoLopez · 04/07/2014 18:50

Fav mines a paraplegic, and has cerebral palsy , well done for working to make yours independent but mine can never be.

my concern is that these children may not be getting their education/a proper home life.

OP posts:

Thinking2014 · 04/07/2014 02:01

DelicianoLopez I know what you mean and it does cross my mind but id never ask them.. Its not my business and I'm more concerned about my children (not saying you're not btw) :)

FavadiCacao · 03/07/2014 22:01

I can't say there are many children of 'school'' age hangin' around here! We have a very large HE community in the area with a lot of organised HE activities. Schools in this county are not performing to the standards parents would like, so often children are withdrawn from conventional (state funded and private) schooling in order to be Home Educated.
Your question is a bit odd, DL. My child is disabled too, but I have worked myself to the bones to make him independent...I wouldn't want him to cross your path, if he managed to make it to the corner shop on his own during ''school'' hours.

Saracen · 03/07/2014 19:24

Must depend where you live. There's always a good smattering of school-aged children around in my area. I live in a tourist town, and there are plenty of independent schools whose term dates don't match the state schools'.

There are also many HE kids in the age range you mentioned who are allowed out by themselves. My older daughter started taking the bus to the library, park, shops and friends' houses by herself at the age of eight. Now she is fourteen and when she goes out, she's more often alone than with me. Like me, she prefers to go out on schooldays during school hours because everything is less crowded.

She doesn't tend to "hang around on the streets" as you put it though. She is usually on her way somewhere, except when she's at the park or a coffee shop with friends.

Velvetbee · 03/07/2014 19:20

Mostly I don't think twice. Mine are often out on their own in school hours, the 9 and 7 year olds together or the 16 or 14 year olds alone.
Mind you I did spot 3 teens in uniform hiding behind a van just round the corner from our local secondary. I popped in to reception to tell them and they sent someone out to look. I played truant every week from the age of 14 and I do regret it, I wish I'd addressed my issues and got an education instead.

Original poster

DelicianoLopez · 03/07/2014 18:37

If they are truanting, doesn't the school let the panel know and they have to investigate?

OP posts:

Original poster

DelicianoLopez · 03/07/2014 18:36

Glad Im not the only one!

I want to ask the education people without snitching IYKWIM, its a genuine concern.

I had a couple of kids one afternoon at 2pm knock on my door asking for pocket money! complete strangers saying theyd wash my car.

I asked them why they weren't at school and they ran away. they looked around 11 years old.

OP posts:

GiantIsopod · 03/07/2014 18:05

There's always kids hanging about out of school. Most, I suspect, are truanting- well, judging by the all too regular reports and assembly announcements at my DSDs' schools! But I know some won't be....I was off school for a bit as a teen due to anxiety, I know another kid being tutored outside of school due to being bullied and they're managing his return to school very slowly, but I know no kid who's parents have set out to home ed, iyswim. Sometimes I want to ask....of course I couldn't, but especially with the younger ones.

Imsosorryalan · 03/07/2014 17:53

I'm a teacher on maternity leave. I'm always tempted to ask but never do!

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