Home Education and benefits issue....

HappyMJ

millym wrote: »

Very interesting post.

Personally, I feel that every parent should have the right to home school their children, irrespective of their income, as long as they are able to provide it to a decent standard. From what little I know about it, it doesn't seem like an easy option, and checks are made to ensure that the education the kids receive is of a high standard.

Perhaps there needs to be a means-tested allowance paid to parents who undertake this, similar to carer's allowance? I would be interested to know how much it costs to educate a child in school, as a comparison.

It's around £6,000 per student per year to educate a child in school.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12280492

millym

HappyMJ wrote: »

It's around £6,000 per student per year to educate a child in school.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12280492

Thanks for that! So it is actually cheaper for the taxpayer when a parent decides to homeschool their children. The OP's daughter educates her 2 children at home, so I definitely think an allowance should be payable. If it was the same as JSA, then this would deter the chancers, since you are effectively working full time for your beefit money...

viktory

AliBambee wrote: »

As far as being unsuitable is concerned, any Council Education official with half a brain should be able to tell the difference between those parents who are dedicated to teaching their children and those who aren't. They only have to look at the set-up, the ability and 'intelligence' of the parent/s, and the work being produced by the children to see whether the parents are dedicated or not. I do feel that in some ways it would be good for the Education System to perhaps be a little more involved, and to be able to either make a parent commit to the Home Education thing or make some provision for weeding out those who are not pulling their weight. Even amongst those who 'unschool' their children there are still ways of telling if the parents care about the process.

Parents who home school their children do not have to allow council officials into their home to see how their children are working and how well they are learning.

I agree that if a person feels comfortable and able to teach their children, to a high level that is going to ensure that they have all the opportunities open to them that their peers at school have, then of course they should be able to do this. I don't however, agree that parents should be paid to stay at home and home school. The problems that would cause are immense.

Unfortunately for the OP's daughter she needs to earn some money to provide her family with the very basics such as roof over their heads and food in their tummies. That has to come first and without a partner or husband to share the burden this makes the dream of home schooling just that - a dream.

State schools are not that bad overall. I know lots of people who attended state schools that have gone on to have amazing careers and are incredibly intelligent. There are some good and some not so good but I think to call them 'toxic' is seriously over egging the pudding.

DaisyFlower

Paying people to home school woudl cause unfold problems, I would imagine a high percentage are simply not qualified to get a child/children through 10 GCSE's with good marks for a start. Then there would be those who would see it as easy money for not working and only the children would suffer.

Children need working role models in their lives, it instills a work ethic into them and they see that they have to work to pay for a house, food, bills etc. Your daughter is lucky that she appears to be able to choose the hours she wants to work without the restraints of childcare hours that some come against - she should be thankful for that and realise shes lucky. Benefits have paid her way for the last few years and now its time to contribute back into the pot so that others may benefit if in need.

Home education is down to choice but given the state provides all children with a school place then no it shouldnt be subsidised if you opt out. There may be a few bad schools but there are thousands of good ones and children go onto uni and land good jobs.

Sixer

I kinda see home schooling as a bit like private medicine - the state provides an option but if you don't like it, you'll have to pay for the alternative. The debate does get heated however, and I'm not in the least bit heated about it, so I'll leave it at that!

I'm not sure paying an allowance would be cheaper than £6k either, because once you start doing that, there'll be a duty of care, inspections, regulations and lord knows how many £s in red tape.

OP: I would suggest your daughter looks at the Up Your Income forum and investigates work from home options. Those jobs aren't necessarily easy to find but there are several long-running threads on reasonable opportunities and she'd be able to fit this in around home schooling.

morledge142

Put them in a school, the poor horrors. Otherwise they are going to become self obsessed misfits with zero social interaction skills.
It's hardly preparation for the big wide world staying at home 24/7 with one parent.


thats funny my 8 year old son turned into exactly that from just 1.5 years of reception/year 1 school.

he hated school and preschool, hardly learnt a thing and we finally took him out at 7 unable to read.

since then a year down the line we are still waiting to see specialists - posible mild autism - still not seen educational psych so there has been no support or help with his special needs as there was not in school.

i think they are relieved if you take them out it is one less to deal with. but no support for us - i have had to stop work.
he was so stressed etc he would be up screaming all nnight with constipation.
and he definitely has become a social outcast as you say he has still not recoverd a year down the line.

so in my situation i think i should be financially rewarded as school did not do their job in supporting him or his special needs and the school system was just as slow we saw the educa. pscy there but no follow up so 1 meeting in 2 years. but he could count to 20 so they were happy.

Diamond78

Hi AliBambee. I have found of the the link to the home education section on netmums. It is quite a long and there is a more up to date section on parents who have written about their experiences and advice to parents/carers who want to home educate but I cannot find it.

http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/lifestyle-8/join-club-95/40567-home-education-club.html

There is also a website called education otherwise.

Nara

This is a difficult situation to be in.

I know how hard it is to get a job that is flexible around school hours, its near impossible. I have no childcare so i am screwed :-)

I think that home schooling is not a bad thing, my daughter is in reception year and struggles sometimes with school.
Every morning she is sad and keeps saying over and over how much she misses me :S also since Xmas her reflux has really flared up badly again, she hasn't had it this bad since she was a baby. I think its the stress and anxiety of school and the massive changes they have to get used to. Some kids cope and others struggle. Kids are all so different to lump them all together its hard.

I'm not sure what to advise, its a harsh world out there for mums who want to work but can't find jobs that will work around schooling hours, esp if you have no childcare and a low paid job, hardly seems worth the effort sometimes.
Must be even harder as a single parent, I have no idea what i would do if i was on my own to support my daughter with no help from anyone

Hope she finds something x

red_devil

All the best to your daughter there are several companies that take on people to work from home answering calls. One is Arise but there are loads you need to check the up your income board for things like that. I hope she is able to continue to home school if thats what she and the children want.

pipkin71

Incyder wrote: »

Put them in a school, the poor horrors. Otherwise they are going to become self obsessed misfits with zero social interaction skills.
It's hardly preparation for the big wide world staying at home 24/7 with one parent.

I see you clearly have no idea then, if that is what you think all home educated children will end up like :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: