Any advice on Home schooling please?

emylou

This is for my BF's family really- his youngest brother (14) has had issues with school for years which has now resulted in him not going. His Mum discussed with us today if I (being a school teacher) had any information/advice?
She also would like to meet/talk with other families who are also Home schooling- I've Googled & sent her a couple of links but was just wondering if anyone on MSE had any specific personal experience?
I appreciate the issues he is having (I think he was abused by a peer when he was about 5 & has never really been able to move on from it but I have told my BF that his Mum does need to consider what will happen in the future as well as just focusing on now.
Any advice welcome thank you

minimoneysaver

First of all, have they thought about counselling for him? There is a possibility of moving onto a college at some point I think. I remember reading something about a child who had been in a couple of high schools, which had ben unsuccessful and was given the option of finishing his GCSE's there and taking a qualification in something like car repair or plumbing (or something like that.

It is important that he doesn't become socially excluded and that you and your family research all possibilities to ensure that is avoided.

Person_one

A relative of mine was home schooled due to bullying. Its a tricky situation but she needs to consider if she's capable of getting him the best grades he can get at GCSE, as his future will very likely depend on that. Without them all sorts of doors close off until you have them.

Nenen

I would try Red Balloon, an organisation for children who have become school phobic/refusers following being bullied at school. http://www.redballoonlearner.co.uk/

The major organisation for getting info on home schooling is called 'Education Otherwise'. However, as a PP said, it sounds as if the young man needs emotional support/counselling as well.

Corelli

There are several yahoo groups for Home Educators - your family might be particularly interested in the one for children taking exams, considering the age of this young man. There are many groups of local home edders who get together for both social and educational purposes, no need to worry about social isolation.

Some people also like to go to the summer camps, the biggest and best know is HES FES (home educators seaside festival) and some people have gone to have a feel for that world before commiting themselves to home education. However, I don't know that is a route I would recommend, some people take to it like the proverbial duck to water and others have found it a bit intimidating - have a look at the website anyway, http://www.hesfes.co.uk/ I will be there with my ex-home educated boy who wouldn't miss it for anything.

This is the HE exam yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HE-Exams-GCSE-A_AS_Levels-OU-Others/

this is another yahoo home ed group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HE-UK/

As I should have said right at the start of my reply, my children were home educated from birth. As a lifestyle it definitely has pros and cons. As a general rule I've seen very many happy and confident children growing up home educated. There are different groups within the whole community, those who do it for religious reasons, those who do not like the whole ethos of schooling, those for whom schooling has failed and have started home educating later in life. These young people move into further education and different careers as would any schooled young person. I have heard anecdotaly that universities often rather like home educated youngsters as having a broader education and more self sufficiency regarding studying but how recent that information is I couldn't say.

I am sure your BF's mum could find someone to talk to in person, I know when I was active in that world it happened that parents would come along to a group with a youngster who was still enrolled at school. She can find groups either via Education Otherwise or joing the yahoo groups and asking about local contacts.

It does sound as though your BF's brother could do with some help if he still has issues around the earlier incident. I wouldn't expect professionals to be very supportive of home education though.

The finances have to be considered, the cost of taking exams as a private candidate can vary around the country and maybe one parent would be working less but an older child could be expected to work on their own more while a parent worked but it does sound like he needs some support and family time.

Whatever the family decide to do, I do hope it works out well for them.

daska

Whilst none of my children have been home schooled, many of our friends have taken that option at varying points in their children's lives and one school they attended was set up by a group of former home educators. Naysayers will frequently warn against isolation, exclusion, poor academic results etc. but this isn't my experience. I'm sure there are exceptions but IME home education groups tend to be groups of active and enthusiastic parents; the children mature, confident and well rounded, usually more-so than their peers who attend state schools. It certainly isn't something to discourage, though she needs to be aware that jumping in at 14 with no experience will be quite a challenge! As per Corelli's post above I would suggest that she find some local contacts via Education Otherwise or Yahoo Groups and see for herself. It might also be possible to arrange with the Head of his current school for him to go part time - flexischooling - if there are certain subjects he particularly wants to pursue, not many homes have fully functioning science labs LOL.

I wish them all the best, from what I've seen it can be a highly exciting and rewarding adventure.

coinxoperated

I just had to reply as I was home schooled entirely. I have actually never even visited a school.

My parents chose to home school because we lived in a rough area of Birmingham and they felt they could do a better job, and I have no doubt that they did.

Pros:

- adult people skills at an early age
- parents have full impact on child's upbringing
- alternative education, sometimes less formal and more 'as you play'
- always a conversation starter when in interviews!
- dependant on the financial circumstances of parents, could prove much better with proper tuition in subjects the child is interested in.

Cons:
- bullying does happen in home education. They hold 'home ed' groups and they are just as cruel as school. Kids are kids regardless of what setting they are in. Also, because children don't have 'teacher' input, I would actually say bullying goes on very hush his in home education as they try to paint it as a positive, when in fact, it's not all that great.
- making friends you take into your teenage years doesn't happen often. The issue you have is home ed meetings are a mix of hippy types, children who have been bullied, and bully's themselves. When a kid gets excluded or kicked out of school, where do you think they go? There is also a strong sense of 'we are against schooling' and in fact by being like this they hold many children back. It's great your 14 yr old can draw like Picasso, but he ain't Picasso, and he's gonna need a job and they ain't interested in painting!
- Harder to progress to further education without prior education. Few home ed kids go to uni. The rich parents send some, the poor ones don't although they wouldn't admit it xD
- a bad kick off into employment. Employers employing a 16 yr old want to see GCSES. It's all you have to offer educationally at that point. In home ed, many children aren't used to 'studying'. Some parents don't bother submitting their children for GCSES. Remember, if the child fails, it's not the schools fault, its the parents.



Personally, I will never home educate my child. Bullied or not. Bullying happens in all parts of your life, even of it shouldn't, and I would hope my child grew a back bone and stuck up for themselves and learnt how to deal with it (with help, of course).

My younger sister was also home educated and went to school at the age of 15. Passed her GCSES with A's in all subjects and left and is now in employment.

It can work, but I seriously think people's eyes should be opened to the issues that home education brings, and that it is not an answer to being bullied, slow or unsociable.

Person_one

Ironically, even though you don't recommend it, that well thought out and well written post is a great advert for home education! I would never do it either for a lot of the same reasons, but it seems like it worked for you coinxoperated.

pulliptears

Apologies for hijacking this thread, but this is something I have been considering myself recently for DD who's 14.

She has ongoing health issues with most of her joints and the school are not the most helpful people, often choosing to send her home rather than keep her in school, with the result that her attendance is down to late 70's low 80%. I've now been told she is back in for yet more physiotherapy which obviously will again mean yet more time away from the classroom.

She's a bright child and I do feel I could educate her at home, the only thing that concerns me really is how would she sit her GCSE's?

I'm wondering if it is possible to part home educate and keep her in the school system part time?

Thinking out loud now I know but I'd be interested to read others experiences on this. The way I see it I can plod on with her being in school infrequently or, take the bull by the horns and educate her at home, now before she misses so much school she struggles to catch up.

Mojisola

My sons had health problems throughout secondary school. They were given some home tuition - varied from two hours to five - through the LEA but basically self-educated themselves.

One did some GCSEs through the LEA but caught up at college later on.

There are some wonderful resources on the net which children can use as and when their health allows. My sons have had a much wider education than if they'd gone to school.

marrbett

Hi OP,
My children have always been home-educated. My eldest(17) got some good GCSE/IGCSE results and has moved on to a BTEC sport course very successfully.
My 2nd child(15) has already 1 GCSE (at 13) and is nearly finishing an AS Level in Dance.
My other 2 children are younger and not doing exams yet.
I only posted the above to show that you can tailor exams to suit the child, and most colleges are used to catering for home ed children, when it comes to A Levels etc. Its hard work, but worth it!
I have not encountered the bullying aspect mentioned above, most children in our circle, get on with all ages, including the adults!
Hth