Home Education

BucksLady

I would have loved to have been 'home educated'. I always viewed school as being like a prison and the teachers were the jailers . Perhaps I was unlucky. However, I do feel that a lot of people look back on their school days through rose tinted glasses. School isn't always as wonderful as some people would have us believe.

maman

Loz01 wrote: »

I just think when kids are young its a shame they miss out on assembly, school trips, play time, special days, discos, end of year party, school photos, school fetes and the like. They are some of my best memories of childhood and you can't replicate that at home. You can't replicate lasting friendships and I honestly don't think you can replicate education the same way.

I agree.


I think my judgement might be a bit coloured as the parents I've known who Home Schooled were usually Jehovah's Witnesses and their children didn't mix widely outside their own community.

svain

I realise for some they have no choice .... but home education shoulf be a last resort imo. Such a shame to rob children of the social aspect of school. The good and bad can never be replicated at home or occasional evening activities.

Kynthia

I was traditionally schooled in 'good' schools and did well enough to study engineering at university. However I really didn't enjoy school, I don't have fond memories of school discos, photos or play time, and I don't have any friends from back then. It was after university that I felt happier, made good friends, enjoyed going to 'educational' places, and found the subject I really wanted to study and get a job in. So I think alternatives to school sound very interesting. The ability to include other subjects and creative activities, the one to one attention and the ability to slow down when you need more time to understand and then speed up when you get it quickly, discussions rather than being sat with 30 others while the teacher talks at you, plus the lack of time wasted with assemblies and moving around from class to class.

I have a child due to start school and the more I hear from those with children in primary school the more I feel that home schooling has a lot of advantages. So many things aren't really taught so the child understands but they are taught to pass exams. Plus some things don't seem to have value (someone was telling me about nonsense words in phonics) and the pressure already seems too much.

I can't see that I could ever home school as I'm the main earner and need to work, plus while knowledgeable in the stem subjects I'm not a great teacher. However it certainly be open to my OH doing it if school wasn't working out for some reason. Socialising could definitely be found in scouts, social clubs, sports teams, etc. I do think we are influenced by our own experiences as I'm sure those that made good friends and had lots of fun at school will see home schooling as depriving a child of these things, but not every child has good friends and good fun.

Savvy_Sue

Loz01 wrote: »

I just think when kids are young its a shame they miss out on assembly, school trips, play time, special days, discos, end of year party, school photos, school fetes and the like.

At least you didn't put 'sports day' in that list, but I have to say that my eldest never attended a disco or end of year party because he just hated that kind of thing.

And don't get me started on sports days ...

Mojisola wrote: »

I was going to comment on this - kudos to Loz's teachers if the assemblies they held are part of childhood's best memories.

Mojisola wrote: »

I only remember being bored and thinking that the time could be much better used.

DH spent his degree ceremony calculating how many man hours were being wasted. I loved my degree ceremony, and made him go to his MTh ceremony. He probably spent that one calculating the man hours too ...

LoopyLoops

Home educated children go on to be happy members of society. They go to university, they get good results. A friends son has just done his GCSE's his older brother has just finished his end of year 1 uni exams. There is an author that home eudcated and her children have gone on to go into specialist carers, the ones they wanted.

We do group trips. We do things on our own. There is a group that organises lots of fantastic outings. The trip they organise every year to Lego Land, like their 'end of year' trip if you like consisted of 1000 families or people, can't remember which actually. We choose to go on our own and not in the big group. Other group trips we do do.

Academically we have tutor groups, so children can do course work for iGCSE's, we have groups that get together to socialise. There are drama groups that put on plays for the local home ed community (including nativity). We meet up at parks and museums. Home education is diverse and unique. It is what ever the family want it to be. My children get to do all the mainstream things, plus more. It works for us, it isn't for all families. There are families that have some children in school and 1 or more out of school. Our children have friends, the parents get to make friends.

Ultimately there will always be those that think school is the only way. We can only do what we think is right for us. We are all trying to do our best for our children.

Edit to add: There are also sports days organised for anyone who wants to. You usually get a variety of events, not just the 'traditional' school ones. And lots of picnics

Kayalana99

Mojisola wrote: »

Home Education can be tailored to help whatever the child's ambitions are.

At 16 a lot of kids have no idea what they want to do. By giving them GCSE's and A levels they have a choice to go and do something later down the line if they wish.

- Again not against home schooling, just against parents who would choose not to send the children to do the formal exams to open as many doors as possible.

Loz01

Kayalana99 wrote: »

At 16 a lot of kids have no idea what they want to do. By giving them GCSE's and A levels they have a choice to go and do something later down the line if they wish.

- Again not against home schooling, just against parents who would choose not to send the children to do the formal exams to open as many doors as possible.

Agree, I had NO idea what I wanted to do post GCSE. I got more than 5 GCSE's at grade C so I decided to stay at 6th form. I picked Psychology as the taster session was interesting... lo and behold I liked it so much I ended up doing it at Uni! But I wouldn't have known thats what I wanted to do specifically if someone had asked me to pick something out of a hat when I was 16.

lush_walrus

I can absolutely imagine how children can excel academically from home ed, my mother challenged us to teach our first daughter to read before 4, I thought it was impossible. She showed us a method she used to teach my siblings and I and sceptically we followed and as she predicted before 4 our daughter could read. Followed the same with the other two and they did too. I've watched all 3 go through reception where children are still learning to read well into year 1. Our girls are no brighter than any other. Point being one on one focused learning is always going to be the fastest method.

Personally, I would be petrified of home schooling our girls, just dealing with the boredom and I imagine it a bit like running a business never quite able to just switch off together.

But a massive well done to all of you who are.

Mela322

svain wrote: »

I realise for some they have no choice .... but home education shoulf be a last resort imo. Such a shame to rob children of the social aspect of school. The good and bad can never be replicated at home or occasional evening activities.

What an ignorant comment. What you learned in school and how it was all conducted is nothing like what it is today. Children are forced to learn about things that have nothing to do with living. It's indoctrination of our children. Imagine the children in school today as neatly packed little sardines of all the same size and all in order. Most schools teach to the test. That's not an education.

Our world was being built by brilliant minds that never went to school or university. Back in historical times, there wouldn't have been any.

My children would happily go back to school, but there is no way I would send them back. My children are quite social. My youngest can tend to be shy but he is stepping out more and more. If he was thrust into a school, he might not do that or he might have become a target because of it and then hate school. They love learning.

Don't ever insinuate that I'm robbing my children of school socialisation when that is the furthest thing from the truth. How many of your friends from primary school do you socialise daily with now? I might chat with a few old friends from high school but I don't socialise with them and I'm not really bothered. I socialise with a completely different set of friends. In school, I was super shy and going to school did nothing to bring me out of my shell. It wasn't until I had children that I had to change. Again, school socialisation is not a fact.

Really? Robbed?