Have you been toying with the idea of pulling your child out of school and schooling him/her at home instead…?
Has it been one of those decisions that have never actually taken off because of the many question marks surrounding it…?
Well…. our research shows that you are not alone.
The concept of home-schooling started out as something quite alien with many parents thinking it would never take off. But over the last couple of years more and more people have warmed to the idea and its reception has been increasing quite substantially over time.
The Wikipedia definition of home-schooling states that “Home education, also called homeschooling or home school, is an educational alternative in which children are educated at home by their parents, in contrast to the compulsory attendance which takes place in an institution with a campus such as a public school or private school.”
The stats
According to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA), local authorities reported 60,544 children as being home educated on 29 March 2019, compared to 52,770 on the same date in 2018. These numbers may, however, not be a true reflection of the situation, as there is no legal duty for parents to notify their local authorities that they are home educating.
Recent figures also show that Home-schooling in other Western Countries is also continuing to grow.
Reasons
Most who advocate for home education will have individual motivations to do so. The views on the academic and social implications of home education are varied and are constantly the source of vibrant debate. Some feel that they can more effectively tailor their child’s academic program to suit individual strengths and weaknesses, especially with children who are gifted or have learning disabilities. There are also others who are religious parents and tend to see non-religious education as contrary to their moral or religious systems.
There are also parents who feel that the negative social pressures of schools, such as bullying, drugs, school violence, and other school-related problems, have an adverse impact on a child's development. In spite of the above, there are parents who simply like the idea of teaching their own children as opposed to letting someone else do the honours.
Concerns
A common concern voiced amongst the unconvinced group of parents about home-educated children used to be that they lack the social interaction with students and society that they would probably be more exposed to in a school environment.
Solutions
Today, these concerns have been addressed in so many different ways. Many home-education families join numerous organizations that support this initiative: home-education cooperatives, independent study programs, support groups and specialized enrichment groups for physical education, art, music, and debate. Many families are also active in community groups – on / offline.
We also shouldn’t forget that home-schooled children generally socialize with other children in the same way that other school children do. They have their extra-curricular activities, they attend social events, have personal visits and sleep-overs etc. They also interact through sports teams, clubs, and religious groups.
Outcome
The academic effectiveness of home-schooling is largely a foregone conclusion. A large number of studies have established the academic integrity of home education programs. The studies have shown that on average, home-schooled students can outperform their non-home-schooled peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The performance gaps between minorities and gender that we hear of so often in the mainstream schools are also pretty much to a minimum (or non-existent) amongst home-schooled students.
Conclusion
As with anything else you would be considering for the first time, the concept of home-schooling can be quite daunting, even with the wide range of support systems at our disposal in these times. It can still be quite overwhelming to think that the future of your child’s education could literally be in your hands and it would be up to you as to whether that is made or destroyed.
In as much as you are the parent and as such will have a great deal of control over your child’s educational direction at that stage, it is still advisable to talk this over with your child. Have discussions with other parents who may be already home-schooling their child. Do your research into the concept. Most of all, have a good think about whether this is something you would be able to commit to for the stipulated duration.
Should you decide to go ahead, look for tuition centres to support your efforts at home as this will help reinforce the structure you have set up.
Leaders are Readers can help with the support needed to bolster your home-schooling efforts. We have been helping children improve academically for 20 years and have tailored our award-winning curriculum-based programmes to cater to your child’s academic needs.
For more information, contact using any of the means below:
01992 651 300
https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/what-next
https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/try-out-a-lesson
We look forward to hearing from you!
