Although this short piece is not just about Homeschooling UK, the reason for starting it this way is simply because the interest in homeschooling UK kids is showing a dramatic increase in recent times, especially now that we have computers, Homeschool software and free Homeschooling resources online making it a whole lot easier to set up a homeschool in 2012 and beyond.
However, one of the biggest concerns on this is the homeschool socialization issue. The homeschool socialization matter has been researched by one Californian doctor who said that a high percentage of home students become unstable and judgmental of the world around them. The main reasons give are that homeschoolers are deprived of proper social development due to the confines of a home school education.
The homeschooling UK concerns are not echoed in the United States however, and many believe that the homeschool socialization issue is nothing more than government tactics to discourage parents from taking their kids out of mainstream education. But why this sudden rush to teach the children at home anyway? Well, Just turn on any news channel or documentary on the educational system and it’s enough to make any parent worry about their kid’s future. In the USA for example, it’s official that American students are far behind their European counterparts in important subjects such as Maths and science. But education aside, there are also concerns about harassment, drug abuse, alcoholism, and peer pressure to rebel!
About Home Schooling Education & Homeschooling Benefits
Homeschooling is starting to have a history to it now thanks to it growing popularity and implementation taken by brave and committed families. But is the homeschool history showing it to be a good thing, or the worst educational cock-up ever allowed to happen? How do homeschooled graduates benefit?
The concept of home schooling the kids is not so new in all countries, but homeschooling UK children is still something that is mostly unheard of in British society. This is not to say that the majority of parents are happy with conventional schooling, but probably more to do with the British not seeing the homeschooling benefits outweigh the pitfalls. After all, if you are to employ the services of home school tutor(s), it can be very costly. If you are committed to doing the teaching yourself, it will mean you can't work a full time job, and will have to become extremely committed to the course.
Making a decision is of course much easier today than it's ever been thanks to instantly accessible resources online. The internet is also responsible to a large extent of making families aware of the home education options available whereas before it, very few parents would have known of the home school possibilities. Many today are looking into homeschooling. UK families are not quite as enthusiastic as the Americans and some European nations, but it is catching on here nonetheless.
Like a lot of new ideas within societies, it is the bold that have to be thanked, as it is they who are brave enough to try out new things which then get tweaked and modified over time until perfected, or at least vastly improved upon. This is the same with homeschooling. UK patents thinking seriously about this have a plethora of information, reports, reviews, and the shared experiences of those who have gone before them. This wealth of resource and information, to include such issues as homeschool socialization, and limited peer interaction, have all been experienced before by others parents are happy to pass on those experiences.
Although many parents zoom in on the homeschooling benefits, it's important also to way up those cons along with the pros, and after reading this short piece you will realise that there are a number of them to consider, with homeschool socialization issues being among the main concerns. There is of course a good support network as mentioned previously, but it's not just the concept of homeschooling to think about with regards to the kids, but is it something that the parents themselves can cope with assuming that it will be the parent(s) who are to be the educators.
Homeschool Socialisation & the Homeschooling Classroom
On the face of it, Home Schooling the kids might sound like a fantastic idea to many parents. But like we've mentioned in this articles, it may not be right for you, your kids, or your house, which is why you need to think about this from all angles. Is there a place in the home that could be allocated for a classroom? How real could the problems of homeschool socialization be with your kids? Oh, the list is endless and needs serious consideration, which is why you have to seek the help of professional planners to help you look into this in minute detail.
It has to be noted that there is a huge difference between sitting down with the kids from time to time and helping them with their homework than there is to becoming their professional mentors. This is why there is such an extensive network of people and resources in US and homeschooling UK projects. Avoiding those homeschool socialization issues is also something to vigilant of and something which is not considered with mainstream education.
The Advantages of Home schooled Kids. The Conclusion!
There will be some parents that really do want to get into homeschooling. UK families in particular are taking the concept of teaching the kids at home very seriously. But just because they want to, doesn’t mean they can. Some people are just not cut out for things, anything, no matter how determined they are. Paying for private tutors is another option that is out reach for many homes.
But putting all the problems aside for a moment, including adaptability, costs, and homeschool socialization issues, there are without doubt some fantastic benefits and outcomes to home educated kids, but this is not something that can be done half-hearted. At the end of the day, the children's future is in the hands of those who take them out of main stream education and the homeschooling programs the put them into..
It's been mentioned earlier in this article and we'll finish by saying again, and that is homeschooling will not suit everyone, even if it appears like an ideal situation at first thought. It's a huge step and takes a lot of carful thought and consideration. For more on Homeschooling UK or Europe, just check out the great homeschooling articles and resources online, including the Abeka curriculum if you want a Christian aporach. You might also want to zoom in of the homeschool socialization issues which are becoming more talked about as the popularity of the home school increases.
The Pros and Cons of Homescooling your Kids
We're going to be listing some of the disadvantages experienced by some parents who have taken the homeschooling route. In this first of 10 we look at responsibility.
Homeschooling Consideration #1 Responsibility
Parents, not teachers, become solely responsible for their kids education. This mean the blame cannot be placed on bad schools, governments, or teachers should the results be substandard.
Homeschooling Consideration #2 Time Overdose
Is there such a thing as spending 'too much time' with your kids? Some busy parents feel they miss out on a lot of precious moments as their kids grow up, but that won't be an issue if the parents themselves homeschool the children. That said, there has been some negative feedback from some Mums & Dads who say that having the kids 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, has yielded some negative relationship issues.
Homeschooling Consideration #3 Loss of Freedom
Loss of Freedom: Many parents look forward to the day when their kids start school. Although Mums and Dads can still be busy, they will lose that freedom of time when the children are homeschooled. You'll no longer be able to just pop to the shops or visit a friend during the day when you feel like it. You time becomes very much chained to the schedule of the home school.
Homeschooling Consideration #4 Paying Taxes
Taxes: Depending what country you are running your home school operation from, you will want to look at the tax situation. You could find that homeschoolers do not have any exemption from school taxes. Like all taxes paid, even if you do have to pay, there are mostly likely ways to legitimately pay less rather than more, providing you know how to manage your home school.
Homeschooling Consideration #5 Socialisation Issues:
Lack of Social Opportunities: We're touched on this already to some degree, but we'll say again because this is so important. Kids need to compete, they need to be around their peers, and they need time out from the classroom. Unless you have a huge house on lots of ground, then you'll probably not have a playground as such. Nor will you have a gym or a sports field. There will be no music rooms or science labs.
The list of what a school has Vs what a home school doesn’t have is endless and should definitely be taken into consideration.
Homeschooling Consideration #6 Criticism from Others:
Taking the kids out of main stream education system will never be without its critics. It may cause many a debate between you and those who oppose it. The way around this is to have your reasons well rehearsed and good answers to any negative comments thrown your way. It's probably fair to say that everyone who homeschools will receive at least some criticism from others.
Homeschooling Consideration #6 Transition.
Both parents and their kids often find it a difficult time when the day comes for the kids to flee the nest and move onto public school or university. Homeschooled kids who did well in grasping and developing basic educational skills, namely reading, writing, and or course, mathematics, should fare just fine, but those who didn’t do so well may find the this transition a difficult one. Having the ability to teach well really is a top consideration parents have to take before deciding on homeschooling their children.
