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The number of families choosing to home educate has risen rapidly in the past few years as parents seek greater flexibility.

It’s no secret that many parents are frustrated with the ‘one size fits all’ approach to education, but a growing number are choosing to take their children out of mainstream education and home educate them instead. The ABC reports that in Western Australia alone, the number of children being home schooled has risen 65% in the last five years, and in other states there has been a significant increase. So would you be willing to educate your children at home?

A Big Responsibility

The decision to take your children out of mainstream education isn’t an easy one, and many parents are deterred by the huge responsibility they face in taking on the schooling of their children. “I don’t have a problem with home schooling, but I think it is a tough job,” former CEO of The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (and now Director General, Department of Education in Western Australia), Lisa Rodgers, said. “It’s highly unlikely that kids will have parents who are able to teach the specialist content across all the curriculum domains.” Those choosing to home school not only need to consider whether it is right for their children, but also whether it is feasible financially, as many parents could not afford to stay home and teach their kids themselves.

Putting Students First

Commenting on Mumsnet post, one homeschool advocate said schools are no longer putting students first. “The more time I spend in schools, the less of a good idea I think they are,” they said. “Too many times I see decisions being made because of money or management and not because of the best interest of the pupils. There is also something about schools that turns children off learning and I find the whole thing quite depressing.”

We definitely think that the school environment is not right for every child as it is currently, especially with the increasing focus on assessment and results, but for many parents, the alternative is personally and financially out of reach.

Have you ever considered home educating your children? Share your story in the comments.

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  • Simple answer from me….. No. I dont think I would have been very good at it and I would have found it too stressful

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  • I’ve been homeschooling my son since 2015. he was bullied badly at primary school, his anxiety was high.

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  • If I could have my time again, I would home school my son. He struggled with learning difficulties that the school never seemed to be able to accommodate and he was constantly bullied throughout primary and high school. His whole schooling experience was horrible and it has left him with self-esteem issues that have followed him into adulthood. I think home schooling would have benefited him greatly but I listened to much to the school and put way to much faith in them when clearly it was not the best option for my son. :(

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  • School holidays in lock down is just reminding me why school is so great for all of us.

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  • I would love to home school my kids but only in k-1 grades. I don’t love the idea of my 5 year old learning in such a structured school environment at that age and would prefer a more play based exploratory approach to learning. From 7 and above I would be happier with schooling with peers and subject matter experts. Homeschooling won’t be an option for me unfortunately due to financial reasons. It would be interesting for the government to provide funding for homeschooling families who don’t access the funds that go to the mainstream schooling system.

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  • I’l do anything I can to give my kids a leg up

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  • We have chosen to homeschool my 5 year old son. So far for us it’s the perfect arrangement and he is thriving. It suits us and I absolutely love it.

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  • My sister home-schools her youngest 2. I will send my son to school when hes old enough. I need adult time, me time, and time to work etc. Take my hat off to home-schooling parents, but its not for me.

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  • I would choose going to school.

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  • We are currently home schooling our children and did so last year as well – HOWEVER – that was only because of COVID-19. Would I do it as a choice? No way! My kids need their friends, their independence, their ability to play outdoors and learn more diverse things than what I can teach them at home.

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  • I am homeschooling my niece as she can to attend school due to anxiety issues. She is not only doing much better but she is catching up when she was so far behind especially in mathematics. I think it comes down to the needs of the individual child.

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  • We had no choice last year, thanks covid. Certainly benefits to both, especially hard homeschooling if your child isn’t interested and you have more than one child!

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  • I would not home school the kids. The teachers at school are amazing and kids need to socialise with others of their own age group.

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  • There would certainly be some benefits, but also some things i would worry the kids were missing out in.

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  • I see the pros and cons, but not for us.

    Reply

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