Does my child have to go to school?

[Wombats]

Re: Does my child have to go to school?

My boys have come on in leaps and bounds since we took them out of school They have learnt more in the past 2 years than they did for most of their school life before that. I wouldn't say it's something anyone can do (or even want to for that matter) but I love it!

That doesn't surprise me at all. Out of interest, do you get financial support for home schooling or not?

My main concern with it (and it can be overcome easily by aware parents) is the social side. It would be very easy indeed for a child educated at home to find social situations with their peers quite awkward, as well as learning to cope with the bullies etc.... which is just as much a part of social education which, sadly, they need to be taught how to deal with.

[des8]

Re: Does my child have to go to school?

I know several children who are being home educated, as well as several young adults who were home educated (must live in an area of dropoutsmashappy
None of these are my family members.
The main concern people seem to have is the "social side" to which Wombat refers, but I wonder if it is a problem at all.
The parents who home educate take back from the state their responsibilities for their children.
I find it difficult to believe that those who do this, do it without realising their full responsibilities, including the teaching of social skills.
Home educating is not a course of action taken on a whim.
None of those I referred to at the start of this post seem to have social problems.
In fact , if anything the opposite is true. They are without exception well adjusted (in my opinion anyway!) respectful members of society.
If anything one could say that by avoiding the bullying that seems endemic in schools they have not "learnt" to bully but have learnt respect for their fellow citizens.

[Kati]

Re: Does my child have to go to school?

That doesn't surprise me at all. Out of interest, do you get financial support for home schooling or not?

My main concern with it (and it can be overcome easily by aware parents) is the social side. It would be very easy indeed for a child educated at home to find social situations with their peers quite awkward, as well as learning to cope with the bullies etc.... which is just as much a part of social education which, sadly, they need to be taught how to deal with.

no financial help at all ... although I'm sure I could ask the LEA and get help if we needed it (they've already offered it).

As for socialisation... there are so many "after school clubs" and the likes around now that we have no worries about my two in that respect (they've got me as a mum too - I'll talk to anyone :lol

[Wombats]

Re: Does my child have to go to school?

This is all music to my ears. I spent years being the local authority rebel who refused to do as he was told. In reality it was not that at all. I refused to implement initiatives in the school under my control unless I could see it would have a positive impact on the childrens' education.

I maintained all the time that parents are the primary educators of their children. It's one of those phrases that even most normal classroom teachers put on an application form without really thinking about what that means. It is a huge statement. To implement the written word in the day to day running of the school is hard work, but that is what teachers are paid to do.

Of course having made that statement, the obvious next step down that road is for the parents to become the educators of their children. It would be interesting to know (Kati?) how much of the day is spent in 'formal' lessons, how much is learnt by first hand experiences. I imagine everything becomes a potential learning experience of one sort or another and I think that's great - it's called being a good parent whether or not your child is home educated.

I applaud you, especially with so much ridiculous nonsense being imposed on educational establishments at all levels nowadays.

[Kati]

Re: Does my child have to go to school?

Personally, we have two hours a week set aside for both Math and English (spellings and punctuation) everything else is as and when it happens We set projects for the boys to do - for example right now, they are studying ar in the trenches at christmastime (when they came out and played football). They've also got an ongoing project on survival where they have to tell us how they would survive if there was no other people (no electric/phones/shops/ buildings etc...). They get cookery lessons (planning meals and making them from scratch), shopping means impromptu math classes (working out how much it will cost before we get to the till). German as a second language is spoken daily. We play word association games and scrabble in both English and German. DIY is used as a lesson/teaching aid too ... they have to draw and write out a step by step plans for how they are going to get it done. Local history is studied a lot (we're in a lead mining and sheep farming area) and includes discussions/lessons on what life would have been like at the time. Walks/hikes are a a regular occurrence too

Other than that, they have basically a free rein on what they want to learn. My eldest loves reading (anything and everything) while the younger has an interest in wood carving (making walking sticks from scratch)

[Wombats]

Re: Does my child have to go to school?

Absolutely fascinating and exactly what it should be like. In parts of Europe children don't enter formal education until much, much later than the UK as they are not geared solely on academic results, but on a proper, balanced education. They recognise that especially in the earlier years real life experiences are more beneficial than formal education.

I think your children are very lucky!

[Kati]

Re: Does my child have to go to school?

I'm so glad my daughter's still years away from school age (it gives me time to prove to my fella that she ill be better off HE as well)

[Janin112]

I think that it's important for each child to go to school. And it's not only because of education but also because of socialization. The child has to know how to behave and how to communicate, how to make friends.

[John Guillot]

Nowadays going to school or college is not compulsory to pass any exam to get a certification/degree. After the pandemic people are very much active on online media whether it be entertainment, work, or study. For many learners, the primary benefit of online learning involves scheduling flexibility. Some institutes like IT Certification. allow degree- and certificate-seekers to start a course immediately. Many prospective students overlook the cost advantages of online classes. With the ability to study anywhere, online learners can complete coursework at home, a coffee shop, or a library. This advantage of online learning allows students to work in an environment that best suits them. I found my solution to online study on spoto, one must definitely enroll and experience top class service

[amirrasheed]

Thomas Edison attended school for only a few months.

[islandgirl]

Interesting debate. What about university entry (should they wish to study a subject in depth or go into nursing or engineering for example). GCSE passes in maths and english at level 4/5 or C are compulsory plus good grades in science. 3 good A Levels need to get into most good unis. Can you home educate to A Level standard?

[ostell]

This is a 6 year old thread

[islandgirl]

So it is - thank you. It was resurrected 4 posts ago and came up on my latest posts list.

[des8]

Interesting debate. What about university entry (should they wish to study a subject in depth or go into nursing or engineering for example). GCSE passes in maths and english at level 4/5 or C are compulsory plus good grades in science. 3 good A Levels need to get into most good unis. Can you home educate to A Level standard?

Yep, I know an old timeless thread.
To answer the question one of my friend's daughters has this year qualified as a veterinary surgeon after being home educated through to A level

[Matty B]

I know this is an old thread but an often asked question by A level students is 'Do GCSEs matter if I am doing A levels'. The simple answer is yes they do, for some degrees you need high grades at GCSE no matter what you got in A level. For example you could get 4 A*s in the right subject but if you only got a pass at GCSE for maths you would not get into some Maths courses. Same can be said for business. I think it is slightly bonkers but true. So much pressure on young people today