People who are doing this, what does ‘learning’ look like? I would be interested in seeing your first hand replies…

No help but interested too. Just replying so this is on my “recent activity”.

I know a woman that does this.. no set routine.. no pattern for bedtimes and getting up.. no pattern for eating

Total utter chaos, but it’s pretty **** awesome and their home always looks like it’s only millimetres away from a thorough raid from social services..

but they keep passing the inspections and her kids are furiously bright and interesting

But at some point an element of routine and conformity will be introduced,I have doubts over how the above children will manage that.

Well yeah that’s a consideration.. But I have a hunch that as much as your fears may be well-founded, it’s also possible that the kids will be competent and adaptable..

Is there any science to back up the theory that we must make our kids endure years and years of strict conditioning for them to be able to function in society?
I wonder if maybe socialisation might prove to be more of an issue at some point..

I’m not biased either way incidentally, my kids attend normal schools and I’m much more of a strict conformist as a parent than I ever expected to be.. I just find the subject fascinating

My friends did this whilst sailing around the world for 5 years..

Eldest was 5 and youngest 2 when they left, parents had a plan to self school whilst on the yacht and started out with a structure from thier local school and thier own university they went to years ago. Both parents are highly educated (surgeon/anethitist/dentist and his wife is an eye surgeon) so they kinda knew about structure and planning and such.

We didn’t think they would have any problems at all but since returning to the UK they both mentioned the time and effort to school the kids was way harder and longer than they’d planned and imagined. Anyway they’re back now and TBH I’ve never seen such bright and well balanced kids in a long time. They have now found a school for both kids and it’s only been 6mths since returning and so far the kids have settled in quite well but not used to the rigid structure of UK schooling.
Time will tell.

I’m a teacher and was thinking more about further education and the workplace TBH. While the need to pass exams forces a certain structure,the vast majority of us can point to a wide variety of accommodation of different learning styles catered for. My experience of the few home schooled kids I have taught would suggest that it is not socialisation,as they still play with other kids outside the family unit. It is adapting to meeting deadlines and defined topics they struggle with. Oh,and PS….Mrs H Schooler; I write questions for the SQA,while I accept you know your child better than I do, I maybe understand both the final exam and what you have to do to pass it a wee bit better…

Thanks for your opinions any first hand parents out there? X

While the need to pass exams forces a certain structure,

This for me is the key bit, as no matter how you educate a child society will judge them by how many exams they pass. Yes I know all about the successful people with no qualifications, but if you don’t get any then you have to either be very poor, or lucky.

I have friends who have bualked at the rigid structure of mainstream schooling and send the kids to a Steiner school. I can certainly see the attraction. I just hope that when mine goes to school next year I can bring the required level of chaos to his life outside school and help him keep schooling in perspective. We’ll see. I think the many problems and faults of state education make other options look attractive but home schooling seems too extreme the other way. Less pressure, less testing and more fun would be nice but the current lot want us to be like Korea.

Watch ‘Surfwise’ if you can (it’s on Netflix at the moment). The Paskowitz family do this, without any home schooling at all. The kids do eventually come to resent the lack of opportunity they were faced with due to not sitting public examinations of any kind.

Thanks everyone … Anyone actually doing it?… Yunki what did you view to be awesome about it… I guess having a good memory and proving something e.g end result in this country is more important than the process and enjoying learning as we live day by day
. Did you know that there is no legal requirement to follow a curriculum in the UK …

There is a strong homeschooling movement in the US. There is a pretty wide range of people that it appeals to; from far left eco hippies to right wing preppers. And of course some relatively normal people, too. 😉

A lot of public schools are providing a cyberschool option as well.

In Scotland they will test lit and numeracy.

What did I think was awesome..?

I liked the way that the kids were questioning and exuberant and appeared to be respectful of adult opinion and interaction without seeming cowed and inferior.. I think maybe due to the nature of classroom teaching, we have to impress upon our kids the need to view adults as authoritarian for reasons of maintaining order amongst a mixed group of kids..which could inhibit curiosity as it’s just simply not always practical for kids to express an enquiring mind in a free flowing and natural way in the classroom environment..

And I know that it’s a cliche but teaching kids to simply pass exams doesn’t necessarily seem like a very wholesome way of preparing kids for the real world..

The system does seem flawed but as a parent and main care provider for my own two kids, I know I haven’t personally got the energy to provide a sufficient level of home education so I’m really not sure what the answer is