I wonder what other peoples views and experiences are on this. My daughter is not bullied nor challenged. She told me more than once that she learns more at home and she does not want to go to school.
Home schooling
Lmoraldk on 09/08/2015 - 16:15
Comments
bRO YOU study too much.
You have the skills to learn by yourself, so this doesn't apply to a child. You also spend hours and hours at university, which is where you use your skills.I have always been like this, never like to study, but now I see the irony…
Teach me to get motivated. I am doing my honours year next year and I am so tired of university. It has been 5 years of hell!
@tendollar: Lol, I'm also looking for some motivation. The only reason I'm still continuing is they pay me to study (full scholarship), so that's kinda forced motivation there. ;)
@tendollar: Engineering. Why, what's the problem with having fun times? Bear in mind that you are with same aged and minded people in undergrad, but everything changes when you go to do job or post-grad. So try to enjoy while it lasts, no matter how stressful it seems to be.
If you don't enjoy the degree, chances are you are not going to enjoy working in the field.
It has been 5 years, 2 degrees and 2 internships. I will enjoy it if it kills me. :)
I am just sick of uni. I want to work.Need money to sustain my ozbargain addiction
I did some home schooling around grade 7 and it was heaps better than going to school. The work was clearly set out and I could work at my own pace (usually sat around waiting for other people to finish at school)
I never liked going to school or people so not being around people was a plus for me. Only had to do schoolwork for 3-4 hours a day too and it was more advanced than public school work
Thank you for your input, my daughter is in year seven so it is pertinent. I would like to know about social implications also.
I never liked going to school…
No kid does.
…or people
I don't get this. There are seven BILLION people in the world, you have to get used to dealing with them.
I don't think home-schooling is bad from an education perspective (in fact, with the right person in charge, I imagine it would outstrip traditional schooling) but the nature of sitting at home, not interacting with the general population on a daily basis, just seems like a bad idea for a developing child. No source for my opinion (aside from 13 years of school).
I know most kids say they hate school but I genuinely did. 99% of kids who say they hate it just hate the schoolwork but love being with their friends at lunch. I hated every aspect of it since preschool even though I was never bullied and quite popular. I'd sit in a classroom writing music at lunch in highschool so I didn't have to be around people
Dealing with people is a lot different to liking people ;)
I would think so as I am working at one college.
Kids hate HWs…..
for the most part learning from home can be effective but kids can't develop the social skills etc that they would at school.
It's not just the social skills, but the chance at developing a social life that will give them lasting memories more important and cherished than the fruits of education.
Then again - they can also get in with the wrong crowd, but that's a risk which is mitigated by having a heathy home environment.
I have to agree with Heizenberg about the issue of socialization but that can be countered with ongoing involvement in sports or community programs. Another issue missing could be the competitive nature giving the child reason to work harder to reach a higher goal. Always negatives and positives in everything we do just a matter of weighing up what has the most positives.
Right, so what else can be done to socialise a child…
Make the child join a sports club. Go find your local RSL club or a community club. Make her play netball, touch football or water polo in summer. Playing team sports lets her socialize.
As scrimshaw has stated, you need to encourage her to get out the house and play with peers.
You know that she is socialising when she asks to hang out with friends or so.
Hell, I went to school and still was relatively socially awkward, can't imagine what being home schooled would have done to me.
Saying that though, sometimes you just truly can't tell whar the best option is until you try it.
Socialising is over-rated anyways. Too many people are too dependent on it that they think its a must. Ridiculous.
Socialising doesn't just mean play dates and birthday parties. It can be something as harmless as exposing your kid to others in a school environment so they don't come out as a pod person, whose only positive relationship is with their parents.
Socialising is over-rated anyways. Too many people are too dependent on it that they think its a must. Ridiculous.
You underestimate how beneficial socialising is for developing that individual's life skills, like coping with difficult situations, self soothing, stress or anger management, communication skills etc etc. Think about all the emotions that can arise during social interactions (and how different those interactions can be with different people). A child isn't simply born with all the skills to handle everything.. they take time and experience to form and perfect. Those skills are then invaluable for that child as they grow up even in solo situations. Limiting a child to just their parents as role models or sources of learning their skills is putting that child at an enormous disadvantage.
Agree. Socialising is the main benefit of primary school. It's a social world. The more your kid is exposed to winning, losing, fear and unfairness the quicker they can grow up to cope and excell.
With the advent of always on forums and immediate send messaging, the social norms have seemed to have shifted. We are now moving towards being a less empathetic, instant judge society with no holds barred viewpoints so long as it lives behind the mask of anonymity. When kids were mean when I was a kid, at least they had to be mean to you face to face. One advantage of socializing is that it helps to develop empathy which is a trait that could be considered important to humanity.
There are people who often break under societal pressure. In Japan they're called Hikikomori who are the equivalent of hermits.
A person who is able to endure social pressures learn to develop psychological resilience. Usually this is built in up primary school but through emotional hardship and societal pressures we continue to develop it even as adults.
If you're cooped up the in the protective shell of your home and only socialize with family, well, real life is gonn'a be a real bitch later on.
Scouts is always an option. I'm not sure what it's like today, but I grew up as a Cub/Scout from 92-00 after which I stopped due to time. Great social skills and real world skills to be learnt also. I remember earning so many badges they couldn't fit on my sleeve, still use quite a lot of the skills today I learnt back then.
It's weird. More about parents with overbearing religious or political beliefs than it is about the quality of education. Home-school advocates seem really dismissive of university-educated teachers but in my experience most are at least decent and passionate about their job.
Home-schooled kids miss out on a lot of opportunities to make friends with other kids their age. Weekend sports and volunteering aren't really substitutes for that.
No offence intended, but our entire post suggests that you really have no idea.
Home schooling is far from weird, and you would find that in the vast majority of cases, religion and politcal beliefs (?????) have nothing to do with it.
The first part, assuming why, might be out of line, but he then makes good points. To home school, you have to assume that you are better qualified to teach your kid than someone who is trained and experienced in it.
And from my own experience, school is a convenient way to be introduced to sports and other social situations. I wouldn't want to be the only one on the team who doesn't go to school with the others.
I think I hear you, I child should be devoid of influences…
Socialising is the biggest issue I think. When I was in grade 7 until 9 I went to a religious school that followed a home style curriculum using activity books etc.. This was good as it allowed me to go at my own pace and I was soon doing pretty advanced work. What I did notice though was when we would get the home-schoolers in for various sporting events, school events etc that they were weird. Really weird. Some were really awkward, others were over confident and came of a little sociopathic even. It got to the point where I could just spot a home-schooler in a school crowd at an event from the way they looked.
This is just my experience.
Thank you for your detailed account of your experience, could you please give me some pointers about awkward and weird…
I agree I've found you can definitely pick home schooled kids out of a line up - they are weird in their own special way. I've always wondered if it's because they are home schooled or that's why they are home schooled.
I'd say it's similar to single-sex schooling. As someone who went through that system (and had an overall positive experience), I'd still freely admit that the people who go through that system are a bit… different. Come uni, you can spot the guys who went to all-boy schools immediately (girls are usually better adjusted at that age, IMO); more bro-y, not as comfortable around girls (that or they overcompensate), hang out in all-boy groups, and are a bit juvenile. I'm old enough now that I can laugh at my fresher days, but I saw it every year during my postgrad. Single-sex schooling during your formative years definitely affect your adult ones, I can imagine home-schooling being a more extreme version of this.
Regardless of creed colour or religion. This is The reason why I raised home ed.
School is good for learning how to deal with people. Would the kid be exposed to other kids if they didn't go to school?
Home schooling would be fine - especially for a more advanced student who was truly capable of finding motivation to complete work themselves. As long as they are capable of learning the same content if not more; there's no real harm there.
Individuals can have friends outside of school. Think of the workplace; is that where the majority of your friends come from?
Year 7 is 12-13yo, which place hires kids this age apart from 3rd world countries?
She is fine, she could do manga for the next six years and still come on top. I guess I am trying to take her to a level devoid of expectations.
Kids also say they want a unicorn and want to live on the moon, doesn't mean they should get or do it.
Being an adult means making a better informed decision for your kid. I really think school is the best option. School isn't about academics, it's about social interaction, sticking to a regime and doing things even if you don't want to. Home school seems like no interaction, do stuff when you want and focusing only on stuff you like.
Out of interest, did you ever have problems at school and wish you were home schooled?
Indeed, I bullied my teachers and called them useless.. I survived on the streets by the grace of God and the good people who gave me food an shelter. As a pre teen…
Do you plan on following the standard school curriculum or are you going to "unschool"?
You should think about what you can offer your child by homeschooling.
Are you able to keep up with the daily requirements and encouragements to make sure she is learning at a proper pace?
Also havve you considered other schools? You really need to know the exact reason why she doesn't like school.
E.g. If she doesn't like talking to other people then home schooling will not prepare her for life.As other people have suggested, school also develops your social skills (being around peers for 7 hours a day) cannot be 'replaced' by joining a club for 1 hour a week.
You may wanr to make a list of 'pros and cons' to help you organise your thoughts in order to choose what is best for your child.
Please also talk to your school counselor for their opinion.
A large proportion of seven at school is not spent socialsing, hope anyway. I would not raise this issue unless I had something to offer to my child. I run out of of toilet paper and found my credentials usefull. Why so stiff…this is ozb.
My only experience of people that attend home schooling is that they are socially awkward, like not just slightly awkward, we are talking cannot get a word out, hide in the dark dont talk to anyone…
The purpose of schooling is more than just studying, you learn how to socialize, deal with people, work with people etc.
I understand why a child would want to be home schooled but at the same time the benefits that they will gain from going to school are quite high, even though they will never actually notice these benefits..
If you are in NSW you will have to register your child for homeschooling with the Board of Studies. A BOS representative will inspect your "classroom" to ensure that the learning environment is suitable for effective home education. The Rep will also examine your proposed curriculum. You, as the parent, must accept responsibility for developing, implementing and evaluating your child's learning program. You do not need formal teaching qualifications to be a home educator. However, a capacity to plan and provide for the educational needs of the child must be demonstrated.
As evidence of meeting these requirements, records must be kept of the teaching/learning programs, time allocated, assessment of achievement and progress and resources used.
Your child will need to attend school until the registration process is complete.Thanks for the info! I didn't realise it was so heavily regulated and definitely puts homeschooling in a better light in my eyes.
Wow, a lot of information in your post. The system took a long long time to establish. By contrast our children are dynamic and do not observe speeding rules. I prefer to think of myself as mature enough to know that the system is there. I just want my children to transcend what is deemed normal.
Lived experience of respondents is valuable. So too is research from unbiased sources. Maybe Google some reputable research and have a read. Each case is different however, and you need to consider the child, your capacity to tutor, social and community engagement of the child and all the factors. Consider too the dynamics of how it all came to this point and the need to be as honest with yourselves as it is possible to be. What are all the motives, what will be learned about life either way? Perhaps a trial might work. Consider what the years work program might be. What training you need to do, or what other people do you need to involve.
Best wishes in your decision.
Hi Guys
My kids went to home schooling for six months.The main reason we put them in home schooling was we have to pay 10k dollars for NSW public school fees for the temporary residents.The quality of education in that school was not good(not all school) and my kids were bullied for all the fees we were paid.So we decided to do home schooling till we get the PR from immigration.It helped us huge savings.The home schooling cost only 3k for two of our kids.They were taught by video conferencing.We did home schooling from Queensland but we are in NSW.There are positive and negative sides in Home schooling.
Positive side
It helped us to save 7k every year for two kids.
I hope you can claim everything from taxman what you purchase for home school like from pencil to computer and printer etc.
Children spend more time with parents and siblings and study on their pace.
You can go for holidays anytime (non peak time) with the home school permission and come back and do the work again and finish.
All the books are free,children send their work by postal bags which is free.
teacher will teach online and you can see the teacher and what she teach online.
Children were assessed and 1:1 with children for reading and writing.
Children learn computer skills quickly.You can spend the savings to clubs and other curricular activities and home tutoring which is also 1:1 special.Negative side:
My children became lazy and not motivated.
They take advantage of parental love and not taking the advice.
They severely lack social skills and critical thinking and problem solving.
Often need to remind them not to come to online lesson in pyjamas because the teacher only see the face online.
They need a quiet room in our home and separate computer and telephone line.Parents cant use the telephone while they are in online.If you have second kid in school you need to arrange the separate time if you have one computer and telephone.
My children eat while they study online because the teacher cant see them.We told not to eat but they said they are busy and no time to have morning break as the next teacher will be ready by the time they finish one class which is hectic for them.
Parents cant have their own time to do their job and privacy as kids always around you .
Home school teacher online will not teach all lessons,they just introduce the lesson ,so we parents has to teach again every exercise.If the parents are not educated recently in Australian curriculum you will be stressed and your children loose huge and cant cope up the pace of other children in school.My children literally cried and we decided to stop immediately once we got the PR.I CAN GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS ABOUT HOME SCHOOLING IF YOU WANT,but I don't advise for my children in future as I had enough experience for 6 months.If parents work night shift you cant sleep while your children in home ,they will be active and jumping on your bed.You may need to pay for the home tutor if you appoint somebody which is huge fees,so we did ourselves.Me and my wife both masters degree but still we cant do it.
I can't see how you can "claim everything from taxman what you purchase for home school like from pencil to computer and printer etc". Their schooling has NOTHING to do with your income. If you did claim stuff for that and get audited, be prepared to be hit with penalties and backtax.
That knocked my socks off, the depth and insight is appreciated. Finances are important. Since I have internet connected, I figured that my four daily trips to school and other fees could be used wiser. I could afford to socialise them till their friends dissouned them.
Distance Education is often confused with Home Schooling. Briefly, Distance Education is where the child is enrolled in a school, but is not physically there. Work is posted or electronically sent to the student who completes it and returns it to the teacher. There are several DE schools in NSW. Most DE students live in remote places and can't access their nearest school.
A child enrolled in DE will need to have an adult who declares that they will support the child to complete the learning programs developed by the school. There are other circumstances (other than remoteness) by which a child can apply for enrolment in a DE School.
There is a small fee (less than $200) payable for DE and some elective subjects may have additional course fees.
Joesumi, you may have accessed a private educational service which, by your description, is similar to the Government's DE program.I have a Chinese background and was home schooled to grade 3, started at an unusually young age and I turned out fine. However my mum was a qualified teacher back in her home country, so she already knew what she was doing in regards to curriculum, pacing, and scope of teaching.
Now that i'm older, I can judge what some of the positives and negatives are.
Postitives:
- Deep understanding of your childs strengths and weaknesses
- Tailored learning
- Pacing
- Bonding
- Free time (For the child)Negatives:
The biggest negative for me, was when my mum had to work and there just wasn't enough time to teach me. I joined a primary school and was tested at 2 grades above my age level. They decided to ease me into the system, and would only advance me 1 grade. I started in grade 4, and the work was way too easy, I think that was when I developed a laziness towards studying that i've never outgrown.Social development. My family was involved in the homeschooling group of families in the surrounding area and there would be excursions twice a month or so to help kids be kids - but because these kids were all homeschooled, it was all familiar. Joining primary school was a big shock, and I had no friends for the majority of that grade until I learned to adapt. This would be monumentally more difficult for an introverted child.
In my opinion homeschooling can be very beneficial for your child, but you really need to dedicate yourself to it. There can't be any days off and you need to make yourself available. Researching teaching methods, styles, organising activities, making sure you yourself are familiar with what you're teaching - It's really not as easy as it may sound and requires complete attention and focus 24/7.
I would probably suggest, like many others, a lot of activity with children outside of homeschooling (sports or clubs) and to join a homeschooling group local to you. Support from others will definitely be necessary if you take this path.
If i remember correctly, there may be government regulation, and tests that your child needs to take periodically, but I can't remember.For my future kids, i would send them to school, but would also have an adaptive learning environment at home to support the childs growth.
i Deed home skoolling and i turnt out great.
indeed
You go to school to lean how to socialise and integrate into society… not to pass a test
Its not about how many marks you score. Its about how many friends you have, what games you play,all the mischief in the classroom,the girls, first kiss etc.
If the primary issue is lack of competitive education, why not apply for better schools/selective school entries? My little sister is in a selective school and it gives her the best of both worlds.
If you don't have to home school, then don't do it. Your child will be disadvantaged and not have the same experiences as every other child. Don't isolate your children.
I associate home schooling with America. Conservatives in the States are deeply distrustful of government and don't want their children indoctrinated by leftists… It is only suitable for dedicated parents with motivated and inquisitive children.
I have some friends in America who home school their kids for a few years, they all have a local school (usually private christian school) that incorporates local home school kids into their sporting teams etc so they are still socializing and still part of the school community but are actually home schooled.
Seems to work for them, personally it doesn't sit well with me but each to their own. My daughter might prefer it but I know that being forced to socialise at school is the only way she would actually do it so needs it.
Detrimental to social development.
My son has been home schooled(high school)for the past 4 years, so I will share my experience and opinion.
Due to anxiety he began to miss a lot of school in year 8. No bad behavior and previously a good student, denies any bullying. Tried many times over months, with the help of school liaison officer and counselor, to get him back into school. Nothing was working and it was just creating more anxiety for the both of us. If he was wagging or defiant I might have had something to work with, but my son has always been really well behaved so punishment wasn't an option.
I enrolled him in a different school, a smaller private school, to see if that would help. Nothing really changed even though the school was very understanding. So I reluctantly made the choice to enroll him in home schooling. I say reluctantly because I was concerned about the lack of social interaction and whether I would have the time to devote to home schooling.
I was able to enroll my son in the NSW Department of Education, distance education program. There was a process to go through and it did involve providing documented evidence from a child psychologist and his principal to say that he was not able to study at school and should be enrolled in distance ed.
You can certainly choose to home school your child if you want to, but the Department of Education might not accept them into their Distance Ed program unless you can provide a reason other than they just prefer home schooling. I imagine that creating your own curriculum based on the Board of Studies recommendations would be challenging, and I'm not sure I could have done that.
I'm pleased to say that the experience has been mostly positive and I'm now a convert to the idea of home schooling.
The pros.
The coursework is well set out and easy to follow. Just complete one booklet at a time and send back.
If motivated it is possible to complete the day or weeks worth of work in half the time spent at school.
Many resources available if you have access to the internet.
Teachers and support staff have been very understanding and helpful. I've had teachers visit to help with areas I'm not so good at, like maths.
No school lunches to pack, uniforms to buy or trips to make picking kids up or dropping them off.
Not being distracted by other kids or wasting time on assembly and moving between classes.
A little bit of flexibility to start earlier or later or to attend appointments.
You can see exactly what your child is doing and how they are performing. At the end of the year I have a large storage box full of schoolwork, so I know that the work has been done.
Less anxiety for my son, and for me knowing I don't have to worry about him missing school.The cons.
Social interaction. School is probably the primary means of social interaction for most youth. This has been an issue for my son due to his anxiety and something we are continuing to work on. Fortunately there are many other ways of finding social interaction such as sporting clubs and youth groups, so for most people it doesn't have to be a big problem.
Unless your child is motivated and smart, you will find yourself spending a few hours a day helping with school work. This gets to be a bit of a drag after a few years and you do have to make the time for it, which is not always easy when you have to fit in work, shopping, chores etc.
Motivating your child and yourself to do the work. It's very easy to be distracted by other things that are happening around the home.
If your child starts falling behind you will be contacted to ask why and they will send warning letters. This is probably a pro as well.
You may feel more pressured to get the work done than your child does. You have to be careful to help them but not actually do the work for them. It's actually harder than it sounds.
Missing a competitive environment. Some students thrive in a competitive environment. Home schooling doesn't provide the same opportunity for students to compete and compare performance.For my son, home schooling has been good, and I can imagine how it would also be good for many other kids. He's happier and he is getting an education. If I had a choice I would prefer a traditional schooling experience, minus any bad stuff of course, but I am very grateful that he was able to access the Distance Ed service and give them credit for the assistance they have provided.
Is your son still getting help for his anxiety?
Yes, still getting help and improving.
Great. I wish him the best with his studies and wellbeing. Anxiety is a horrible thing to suffer from and creeps into every aspect of your life (it took me a long time to realise I'd had anxiety for most of my life, and I'm still working on fighting it. It's doable and it totally gets easier over time). I hope your son has a great pscyhologist so he overcomes anything that might be limiting his potential sooner rather than later :)
I must admit that I had no idea of the ramifications of home schooling. I respect your set of balls/titties for sharing. In kind I will share with You. My daughter was school capitain last year. Consistently self motivated and on top of her class. She is involved extracaricaulry and she brings more stray friends than I can afford to feed.
Our experiences as parents are diverse, I guess that in my right mind I would not place my child in a square box. Life is too shortI respect your set of balls/titties for sharing.
Wha…?
she brings more stray friends than I can afford to feed.
Stray friends as in like… Hobos?
Socializing is a waste of time. Friends are just parasites wanting your stuff and waiting to stab you in the back. There is only you and those wanting to get you and bend you over. Not that you learn anything useful in school anyway.
How's that chip on your shoulder going?
How old are you, out of interest?
(didn't neg you btw)
I don't mean to be rude/racist, but is English your native language, OP? From your comments it seems as though it isn't. This should probably also be a factor in your decision.
Maybe i have more time than wisdom. Are you having a dig at me or anybody else who was not raped by the english.
I was actually not having a dig.
But your reply pretty clearly answers the question of whether you should be responsible for your child's learning.
EDIT: I have now seen your most recent responses here. Either you are hardcore trolling, or you should not be allowed NEAR a child, let alone to teach one.
Tried not to be petty, your comments speak for you, get a life and have something to say, (profanity)
Hi OP. I have no experience of homeschooling. I've always thought that having to be social and deal with authority (however irrational) is good life experience.
I've recently been following this early retiree blogger and he has some interesting things to say about the topic. If your child's education is about maximising learning opportunities, and it doesn't interefere with their socialisation, perhaps it is something to consider.
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/02/16/if-i-ran-the-schoo…
My primary motivation in the classroom and in exams in my school days was competitiveness- I wanted to be first. Where would you get that in homeschooling?
In your pants
Both my sisters have homeschooled their children (altogether 6). They are all intelligent, well adjusted, social kids. They have never stepped foot in a proper class.
They are challenged academically at home, and encouraged to take up external workshops/classes like dance, swimming, martial arts, music, etc where they can socialise and meet people their age.
To be honest, they have more friends and are far more social than I ever was in primary or secondary school. I don't feel they are missing out on anything. The people that are suggesting that they must go to school 9-5 M-F to learn social skills, don't know much about home schooling.
My personal experience? I was horrible in school, bored out of my mind and found it utterly uninteresting and spent my time learning stuff I personally was interested in, not math and chemistry and so on. After Year 9 I essentially dropped out after failing a couple grades, and started taking classes designed for adult education where you can work at your own pace. I ended up doing 3 years of school (Years 9-11) in a year and a half. Got my diploma and the rest is history. My point is that had I been given the opportunity to home-school much earlier, I probably would have been far more successful initially.
Thank you for sharing your real experience. There is no doubt in my life that there is room for diversification.
I homeschooled mine, and it was a mixed experience for us. There were positives and negatives.
For socialising, do a google search for homeschooling groups in your area. A lot of them have organised outings where the kids get to hang out with other homeschooled kids on a regular basis. Sometimes its just a hang out for lunch etc other times it might be for a science lesson at the local high school, or a visit to a museum. There will also be other parents you can talk to about their experiences. Its great for socialising because they are hanging out with kids of all ages. Its not like at school where your friends are mostly in the same grade. Our local one had kids aged from 9 to about 15 on the outings.
Whatever you decide, you should do a lot of research. Depending on the state you are in, you might need to register (its compulsory in NSW for example) and you will likely need to write a lesson plan based on the state curriculum. There is a home visit by someone from the Dept of Education and they will look at your plan and check to make sure your home is a suitable environment for learning (plenty of light and room etc.) There are a bunch of rules in regards to supervision etc too, and also if you plan to homeschool past year 9, your child may not be eligible for the school certificate/HSC etc. If you get approved it could be for anywhere from 3 months to 2 years depending on your plan. Then you renew it after the period you were appproved for and you need to show examples of the work that your child has done.
If you wanted to get more information, try http://www.hea.edu.au/ (it has state by state information), http://www.rockpoolhomeschool.com/ (a forum for parents who homeschool or who are looking to start), and check out the board of studies website for your state for requirements.
nvm
So many of the comments came from the heart and I thank the real people for real responses, that is what I asked for. Just an update, my daughter received a scholarship and she wants to go to school….
I'm a PhD student and I say the same about my study. Is it odd?