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Ramrod
06-10-2003, 13:32
We are considering educating our kids at home. Does anyone here do this already?

Taf
06-10-2003, 17:27
We do it all the time 'cos teachers are bleeding useless these days... they still go to school though... helps fill the day for them....

Ramrod
06-10-2003, 17:37
We do it all the time 'cos teachers are bleeding useless these days... they still go to school though... helps fill the day for them....Know of anyone who is home schooling exclusively?

Chris
06-10-2003, 17:50
Know of anyone who is home schooling exclusively?
Nope, although we have thought about it. Our son is only 1 but if we're still living around here when he hits school age, I would shudder at the thought of sending him to any of the local schools (especially if we were there long enough for us to contemplate one of the town's bog-standard mediocre comprehensives) :disturbd:

trebor
06-10-2003, 18:10
We are considering educating our kids at home. Does anyone here do this already?
friends of mine tried it with their girl, it worked until they had another child at which point they could not give both the attention they needed. things may have been different if both children had been a similar age in terms of their education requirements. their is a potential downside to starting full time education at home the children miss out on the social side of education
ie they never have to learn to get on with 30 other kids. also worth considering
is, if you change your mind about home education at what age would a child find it hard to start going to school, how well would a 10 year old for example adapt to having to go to school for the first time.

it's a serious decision to make and a lot of time and commitment to give, think very long and hard about your choice.

Ramrod
06-10-2003, 19:13
it's a serious decision to make and a lot of time and commitment to give, think very long and hard about your choice.
Oh we have done/ are still thinking. :)
Ours are just 15 months apart. We are only considering it because we both hated school and it looks like we won't be able to get them into the best school in our area.

Visibleman
07-10-2003, 18:15
Personally private education is the way forward...thatâââ₠¬Ã…¡Ã‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s if you have the cash to send them to private schools. Although a lot of people may think there is little difference between them, itââ‚ ¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s the fact they come out with a "private school tag" (had to write an essay about this). Basically when it comes to employment, the manager/boss will look at the CV, see privately educated and they have the job (something similar to this anyways). And to be honest, I think its true since my bro was privately educated and ive always been in state education and there are differences between us. Also, you will find that most privately educated students at the age of 10-14 will already know what they want to be and what grades/subjects to get in order to get there etc. Whereas me, im 18 and havenââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t got a clue what to do in a years time †“ although I have a rough idea where I want to be, but obviously not to the standard of a privately educated pupil.

However, personally home education sounds good, but in theory it doesnââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t work. The main reason for this is because the child has be brought up on their own and have not learnt to co-operate with other students and what no, so when it comes to the work place they will always want their way and havenââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t learnt the skills to discuss with other people etc etc

Anyways, hope this helps mate :)
Dom

Jerrek
08-10-2003, 08:24
I was in a government school until grade 4 or so. My parents took me out and homeschooled my brother, my sister, and I for the next few years. The reason? We moved all over the world and I couldn't stay in one school.

I finished and graduated grade 12 before settling into Canada, and then decided to go to a private school here for one year to get a proper Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

If you are in a neighborhood with lots of kids, AND go to a church with lots of kids, AND you take your kids to activities with lots of kids around them, by all means, home schooling is great. They need the social interaction though.

Otherwise, if you can afford it, private schools are the best.

The system I was educated on, School of Tomorrow, can be used in both private schools and for home schooling.

Check it out:

http://www.schooloftomorrow.com/


The idea of School of Tomorrow is SELF PACED work. You do not go at the rate that others and the teacher are going, but at your own rate. You have to set DIALY goals of how much you want to do in each course.

Each course is divided up into 12 PACEs (self paced books) that correspond to 12 months. You work through the PACE, and at the end you write a test. You need 90% to pass.

Courses that I took in elementary school are English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Building. This continues on, and in grade 6 you start a sixth course called Literature Study. In grade 8 you can start picking your own courses.

If you switch to this system from a government school, like I did, you do what is called a diagnostic test. It is basically a test, in each course, that is really, really long. It basically gets harder and harder and harder as you continue. You write until you can do no more and then you stop. That is where you will begin your education.

I finished grade 4 or 5 in government school, and had to go back to grade 2 in English, grade 3 in science, but managed to get ahead to grade 6 in math.

You don't need to progress equally fast in all courses. It is recommended, but if you're weak in English you can go slower.

You basically sit in a classroom with all the other students in the school. You face the wall and are separated from other students. You work by yourself. If you need a teacher, you put up a flag ontop of the railing. A teacher will then come and help you out with things you don't understand. If you need a monitor [for going to the washroom, taking a test, asking permission to proceed to a next section, etc., non-education related stuff], you put up a different flag. (We put up a country flag for the teacher and a Christian flag for the monitor.)

Excellent scope. It is Christian oriented (Protestant). It does teach Creation and evolution (but it tells you why evolution fails), and it does teach you the way to salvation constantly. You are required to memorize a verse in every PACE and can't write the test without reciting it from memory.

towny, if you want, ask for a free catalog. :) I'm sure there are ACE schools in England.

Ramrod
08-10-2003, 23:35
Yup, we want to privately educate them but our first choice of private school has a waiting list so either we go for another private school (lets face it.....not bad really) or we go for home ed.

Maggy
09-10-2003, 00:48
I have thought about it for my youngest son for a while as he was having so much trouble with bullying(and he goes to one of the two best state schools in the area) but he began to find his feet and I couldn't afford not to work so I gave up on the idea.I think the biggest problem is what to do about getting to the level required for public exams.If you can manage that it can be a good idea.

I think that you have to deal with it on the basis of how each individual child would benefit.Some may not and would be better off in a state school or private school,another may well do very well with home schooling for some of the reasons Jerrick gave.You know your children best so you will have to make up your own mind nearer the time.Whatever you decide make sure you investigate all the schools thoroughly before you have to decide especially as some schools may well have waiting lists and you would need to book places very quickly(yes even with crappy old state schools).

Incog.

Ramrod
09-10-2003, 01:11
I have thought about it for my youngest son for a while as he was having so much trouble with bullying(and he goes to one of the two best state schools in the area) but he began to find his feet and I couldn't afford not to work so I gave up on the idea.I think the biggest problem is what to do about getting to the level required for public exams.If you can manage that it can be a good idea. Most home ed kids don't seem to have a problem with the academic side of things....as far as I can tell from reading about the subject.

I think that you have to deal with it on the basis of how each individual child would benefit.Some may not and would be better off in a state school or private school,another may well do very well with home schooling for some of the reasons Jerrick gave.You know your children best so you will have to make up your own mind nearer the time. Thats the problem...they're only little at the moment! Whatever you decide make sure you investigate all the schools thoroughly before you have to decide especially as some schools may well have waiting lists and you would need to book places very quickly(yes even with crappy old state schools).

Incog.Yes, we've found that out! The trouble is that we have moved about a lot.