Home educate?

stroodes

My older son is a dream for schools, a breeze, wee one not, I think each to their own.

LTP123

I agree, every child is different. We are taking her past the school again today, see what she thinks. I know in my mind that I make it sound great to her and my body language says the same so we will see.

Maybe it's the area we live in. People are too quick to grow up and the teen years socially centre around drugs. High unemployment is another problem.

mrs_sparrow

Clifford_Pope wrote: »

We have totally home-educated our three children, now aged 14, 16 and 19.
It's a big subject with lots of unneeded advice from people with personal prejudices and axes to grind. Ignore them - just do what you want.

The only points I would make are:

1) There is no such thing as compulsory school age. EDUCATION is compulsory, and it is YOUR responsibility to ensure your child receives it. There is no obligation to delegate that responsibility to the education authority.
2) School does not socialise children, it teaches them to conform to the gang-culture.
3) Home-educated children are usually conspicuoulsy more self-assured, and at home mixing with other people of all ages. They have not been stratified into narrow age and culture bands.

But be warned. You may well end up with children who know themselves to be more mature, rounded, and better-educated than their peers, and tend to look down sneeringly on children and their parents who have been through the state sausage machine.
But home-educated children will be much more interesting to talk to. Ask an employer.

Good grief, I've considered home schooling many times but this post has completely put me off doing so. Because you home educate your children 'look down' on those that have been to school? And this is a good thing? You must be very proud.

I assume I would have to mix with parents who have attitudes such as yours? Urgh.

mrs_sparrow

coinxoperated wrote: »

Just to give an opinion from a home educatee's point of view!

Thanks for sharing your point of view, it is helpful to have a view from both sides of the coin.

claire16c

LTP123 wrote: »

I agree, every child is different. We are taking her past the school again today, see what she thinks. I know in my mind that I make it sound great to her and my body language says the same so we will see.

Maybe it's the area we live in. People are too quick to grow up and the teen years socially centre around drugs. High unemployment is another problem.

Could you move before she goes to secondary school then to somewhere nicer?

LTP123

We would need to be miles away from here. It's not just this town, its the next few. So not really.

mrs_sparrow

LTP123 wrote: »

No I didn't go to playgroup with my daughter. I asked one of the ladies and she told me the truth..

My daughter is not just shy or a bit quiet. She constantly needs loving, carries a comfort toy constantly and is a deep thinker. She hates any injustice towards anyone or anything.

This sounds like my daughter at 3. We had a bit of a wobble where she was making herself sick through reception as she knew it got her 2 days off (yes, clever one that one) but school bought her out of herself and changed her. She was 7 before I could leave her at any party - however now, I don't think she would let me remove her from school. Some children just prefer the structure and social life school brings.

Some children need school to grow and become the children they are, but they need confidence to do that, the thing is, if you never give your child that opportunity, how will you know? The reason I considered home ed was for my son, however, I know I cannot teach him all the things he needs to know and to do that means I need to mix with other home ed'ers.

Funny enough, I do have a friend of a friend who has a child in home ed and the child is a brash, loud, know it all who speaks over you when you are talking - sure, that child could have been like that anyway - however, I did think that the child would not have many friends if they did speak to others in that way - I guess this would be the way that clifford_pope mentioned their children to be. I did not like the child very much as an adult, let alone trying to make friends with other children and it put me off having my child end up in that way, either way they are still mixing with kids I do not want them to or do not like myself.

mrs_sparrow

LTP123 wrote: »

I agree, every child is different. We are taking her past the school again today, see what she thinks. I know in my mind that I make it sound great to her and my body language says the same so we will see.

Maybe it's the area we live in. People are too quick to grow up and the teen years socially centre around drugs. High unemployment is another problem.

The same could be said for around here though - find a small village school on the outskirts of town and you'll find a different kind of school.

Your child could end up mixing with those people socially in the end, you cannot stop them, what you CAN do is educate them about what is, or is not, appropriate and give them a good ethic through life.

Oh, and do not take her PAST the school as that is the most pointless exercise ever, sorry but it is - how can you see what is going on inside, from the outside?? You need to be taking her INTO the school. She does not have to go to school so defer her and keep on looking to see what else you can find.

ViolaLass

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

Oh, and do not take her PAST the school as that is the most pointless exercise ever, sorry but it is - how can you see what is going on inside, from the outside?? You need to be taking her INTO the school.

I agree. Taking her past it will only give you her instinctive reaction. Even if she reacts to it with fear (as I imagine maybe some children might), that doesn't mean it would be the wrong thing to send her there. It's an unknown so she can't really have a valid opinion on it yet.

mrs_sparrow

FunWithFlags wrote: »

That may be true but the home education system would provide a lot more chances to step in when there are issues of bullying, poor education or unhappiness. With school, it's more one size fits all and enforcement of bullying policies can be laughable. I have witnessed myself teachers mocking the children who try hard and as a trainee teacher was once informed I would hate a particular child. When I asked why, I was told she was fat and disgusting and I would see for myself. On my PGCE course, 70 people passed and I assume many of them are now teaching in my city. These people bullied each other, made fun of each other and shared "funny" stories of the "awful chavvy" children they had to teach. A system that trusts these kind of people to teach children is one I would much rather avoid and would prefer one where a child will be taught by someone who loves them.

Of course, I know all teachers aren't like this and have fond memories of a couple of mine before any teachers want to lynch me! :rotfl:

With all due respect, this was pretty much how clifford_pope was talking about others as well.