What are your views on home-schooling?

[Littleraysofsunshine]

Just out if interest

If a child was happy and learning then I don't see it a necessity for them to try school. If they later decided they wanted to try school then that would be the time to apply for a place.

AAh I see where you're coming from Juule We're all different and we're lucky in the U.K. that there IS the option of H.E.

My point is that I'm 34 and to change careers now would put me in a group of 16 year old school drop-outs. In fact, I would probably rank below them as I have absolutely nothing in the way of qualifications at all. There's no funding that I can find to get me through a course because I'm over the age of 25 and don't fit the mold of an early school leaver in a socially deprived area.

Yes, I've managed to carve out an interesting career so far but the EFFORT and FIGHT to get there has been well above what my contemporaries have had to face. It's put my marriage under huge strain and my daughter is paying the price of me working 80 hour weeks.

I do appreciate that my HE background was unusually problematic and that everyone of this thread seems very pro-child's future regardless of their stance on HE. I'm just wanting to show up what happens if you take a child out of the system entirely based on some hippy 'why should we conform?' approach, refuse exams etc and then dump them into the aggressive job market aged 18 with absolutely NOTHING.

I'm really sorry if this comes across as harsh. I'm having a really tough time right now - 18k in debt and mounting. And I can't find a way out for a bright woman who has a huge amount to offer. I would've LOVED a good education. I think I would've done so well at university - yet I was denied this and it hurts me still.

Sorry you're feeling moel (i remember when my DS was looking at courses esp. at 18 without any quals. ,and we weren't exactly poor then,the colleges were happy to help him for free).

Because you didn't go to 6th form, colleges usually want to help, have you looked a the job centre for courses or go to Citizen's Advice Centres.

Forgive me if you've done all these things.
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I'm sorry that you are having such a tough time-the job market is very aggressive-and it is much worse now than it ever was in the past. I said earlier that a read a blog by a HEer who is 'very excited about the possibilities for her unschooled DDs' -the poor woman hasn't a clue and when she finds out it will be too late and it is the DDs who will suffer.

The parents that I know that choose to home ed,have, I think without exception ,been bullied at school themselves.

The teaching awards are on at the moment-reminds me of what I like about schools. A huge buzz when done well.

I do think HE has a lot to offer. It really does. WHEN DONE FOR THE CHILD. When it's done for the parent (as in my case), it's a disaster.

Wishing everyone on this thread a truly wonderful educational experience, regardless of whether it's home or school!

morel I completely agree about it having to be done for the child.

amillion If the parent has been bullied at school that isn't the child is it? A lot of children are bullied by their parents.

I havent househoused my children, Bruffin. My daughter, with the benefit of one to one teaching and time spent on her education has excelled. As I said, she will do a few IGCSE's mainly to boost her confidence, and why not, if she can do them. At 18 she will go through the American system, and off to the US for further education. We are also going to spend summers at camps, outside of the US, for her to experience working in a group situation and give her some extra input into her scientific studies.

I absolutely resent homeschooling parents being put in the "potential bully and abuser' category. British society is far too concerned with what others are doing as a family, and interfering in the right to a family life without the state interfering (or other people for that matter).

Of course, if my child wasn't excelling I would be accused of letting her down, as it is Im accused of hothousing, more evidence that you basically cant win, unless you conform, at least in the UK.

I'm generally in favour of HE cat but it is true that ALL parents are not the most consistent and caring they could be; wherever they school their DCs. If those parents H.E. then the DCs don't even get the school hours (if the school is caring) away from them.

Genuine question, I love the idea of HE and am very aware of many downsides to conventional schooling, but wonder how you can take Dcs to a more advanced level without subject expertise of your own? My passions at school were German, RE and Shakespeare, my parents knew nothing about these things, how would I have developed, or even discovered, these passions without the highly qualified experts who taught me? I don't think learning from books or the Internet is an equivalent.

There are amazing books written to help with all levels of intellect, you're very lucky to come across good highly qualified teachers who can also communicate IME they are very few.

My interest as a teenager in e.g. history was killed stone dead by teachers and I have bought the books to learn about what they couldn't be bothered or didn't have the time to teach me.

No one can teach you EVERYTHING can they?

I loved languages and music as a kid. My parents had no interest or knowledge of either. My passion since the age of 9 was linguistics but even attempts to discuss the origin of words in a lighthearted way at dinner was ridiculed. I relied on the village library.

Find it a bit boggling really. Any interest of my 18mo DD is actively encouraged by me and it feels natural to do it. I don't understand why a parent could be so into HE but also so disinterested in learning.

ppeatfruit, the point I was trying to make was that because the parents have been bullied at school themselves, they dont want the same for their children,and therefore choose to HE.
I agree that it is not the children, but they may still think of schools as being very uncomfortable places for them. And presumably, bring back bad memories.

I understand that million but DH and I were bullied at school (interestingly as a teacher I saw it from the other perspective Heads often bully teachers IME) but I didn't ASSUME it would happen to our DCs, if it did though we were in there very quickly; and the DC were OUT of there quickly.

I feel for you [moel] yr parents needed self help books about child development IMO ! I LOVE the origin of words (we live between Fr. and the
U.K.) and I'm enjoying taking French to a proper spoken level ;using a language course both books and computers and dictionaries

But you may well have found that if you'd gone to school it wouldn't have been a lot more successful sadly.

Oh I forgot to mention the most important aspect and actually talking to our Fr. friends and neighbours, artisans etc.

I was terribly bullied at school by the teachers. Nobody could imagine how badly this has affected me through my life. How much therapy and counselling I have received.
Our decision had nothing to do with this as all 3 of our dcs went to school. 2 of them attending from 4-18. Only recently have we started to H.ed our dd.

qumquat.

I think many H.ed parents know their limits and in my case I would encourage whatever dd would like to do. If completely out of my depth I will seek help from either a tutor, friend who knows about the subject etc. This would depend on how indepth she wanted to be within the subject, if that makes sense. Also as a FE teacher I had to teach subjects I knew nothing about, sometimes I was literaly one step in front of my students. Theres no harm in you both learning together. (not the students, I mean your dc).

morethan I'm so about your bullying experiences; it really still amazes me that SOOO many teachers (parents too) seem completely unaware how a chance unkind or bullying remark can affect the DCs for LIFE. IMO All teachers should have psychological tests before being taken on as students by the teaching colleges.

Talking about yr. therapy have you heard of the Landmark Trust? It addresses problems like yrs. specifically; I've been to one of their meetings which gives a great deal of food for thought although there is a cultish aspect to it which put me off carrying on with it.

Bullying by teachers. That is an interesting one.
I seem to remember my mother, years ago, quoting 2 or 3 hurtful remarks made by her teachers, which she has always remembered.
I suppose, in the great scheme of things, we all go round saying things, that others can find offensive, and we dont even know we have done it or meant to.

But, of course, there are all sorts of teachers, just like there are all sorts of people.
And , in a smaller primary school especially, you can see the same teachers and be taught by the same handful of teachers all the time you are there.

Ds had one teacher who tried to teach him social skills by shouting at him for anything and everything! Ds now panics if he's shouted at. Teachers do bully!

The thing with teachers is that they SHOULD like DCs otherwise why choose a job like teaching? It's hardly an easy option (though it used to be; our DD2's teacher whom the Head had tried to get rid of 'cos of her terrible record ;she 'picked on' 2 or 3 DCs every year DD1 wasn't picked on when she was in her class) was backed up by the NUT

It's like a nurse with no caring skills.

amillion.

This was a long time ago and even by the worst standard today would not be permitted. I'm talking physical, emotional, abuse. I was hit, had chalk board dusters thrown at me and regularly called names we are not allowed to use now. They even made me wear a " big d hat "at one point.
So obviously this was not an issue with my dc as I knew this wouldn't happen.