| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| daffodil dreamer |
Posted - Sep 02 2007 : 6:39:07 PM
Hi all,
Just a bit of background - I have two daughters, 11 and 9, who I wanted to homeschool from the start. Hubby was against the idea - people who live the the suburbs don't homeschool. I think he had the idea that it was just weirdo hippies in the bush and the children will not fit into society. I'm sure you all know the arguments!! Anyway the public school system is failing them - they are both very intelligent, but the schools just seem to teach twaddle. Does that make sense? The current attitude (that I have heard voiced by at least two teachers) is that as long as they are reading, it doesn't matter what. I don't agree with that! Tina, you've heard all this before from me - but I am still trying to gather info to cover all bases!!
Basically I would like them to start homeschooling next year (our school year starts in February) as we are moving at the end of this year and it would seem a good time to make the change.
I would love to hear thoughts on the following: I read this on a homeschooling forum here in Oz.
It was from a 20 year old girl who had been homeschooling her whole education, but had not attended university. So she had no 'formal' schooling at all. She said she loved homeschooling at the time, but now regrets it as she is finding it hard to get a job. She said many potential employers had commented on her 'lack' of education and said that it counted against her. I guess this wouldn't matter if your child went on the university as lots of homeschoolers have proved that they can more than hold their own in tertiary education. But what if they want to go straight into the workforce? I know the majority of people probably do believe a homeschooled child isn't getting an education - how can this be counteracted? How have your teenaged homeschoolers gone in the working world? Have any of them encountered this sort of attitude?
Any other comments/advice would be so appreciated!
Best wishes,
Jayne |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| shmeg |
Posted - Sep 05 2007 : 10:29:34 AM
Good Luck Jayne-I'm still struggling with the decision myself! I grew up with several kids who were homeschooled but some years, if they chose,went to PS as there father was a teacher. They all wen to college and are doing very well for themselves. They have traveled extensively. One is a biologist I think and the other plays in an orchestra. Hope you all are well!
-megan |
| daffodil dreamer |
Posted - Sep 04 2007 : 7:11:23 PM
Thanks Elizabeth,
The volunteering is a great idea. I also thought that once they are teenagers it would be easier for them to get a part time job as they would be able to work hours that other teenagers cannot (due to their school hours!)
It is so good to hear that you all had a wonderful homeschool experience. I would love if there was more info out there from 'graduates' of home education. All the magazines seem to focus on how important it is to keep children out of the current school system and home education from the parents' perspective - I would love to read more from the children; after all it is their schooling!
Best wishes,
Jayne |
| babysmama |
Posted - Sep 04 2007 : 4:02:23 PM
I was homeschooled for the majority of my education and had no problem getting a job as a nanny once I graduated. Neither have my three other siblings that are of working age. My oldest brother got a job fresh out of high school as a supervisor in a BIG cleaning company (much like Service Master) because the owner thought highly of homeschoolers and knew they were good at working on their own and managing problems. I have known many homeschoolers and all of them had no problem getting a job. Of course, the ones that went to college have an advantage but around here homeschoolers are thought highly of and the colleges and jobs are glad to get a homeschooler.
One suggestion is to have your teen start to volunteer somewhere a few years before seeking a job. That volunteer work looks great on a resume' and a lot of times the place where they volunteer will often them a job. Anything from helping at a humane society, reading or talking to folks in a nursing home, helping out at a pre-school, shelving books at the library, etc. Often times, with that volunteer work the resume' will be more impressive than someone from public school with no job experince. Good luck - homeschooling is amazing and does work!!
-Elizabeth |
| daffodil dreamer |
Posted - Sep 03 2007 : 6:54:49 PM
Thanks to all for replying,
I thought there were a few of you who had older children who had been homeschooled and it was reassuring to hear that they had no trouble finding jobs. Certainly I had never heard of anyone having trouble before. All the articles I have read have been about how homeschooling children are very valued in their workplaces for their iniative, work ethic, etc. But none of these articles had addressed the issue of getting the job in the first place. I guess it is just another on the list of people that you need to explain your reasons for homeschooling to - hubby's parents will 'flip out' if I am able to go ahead with homeschooling, my parents will be supportive but still worry that the children are being educated. My mum even admitted to me the other day that she would have loved to homeschool us, but didn't feel strong or confident enough to be different.
Re the legal aspects - it is actually not too onerous here. You must register with the state, but that is really just a piece of paper to let the state know that your child is accounted for. There are no home visits or testing requirements, just an annual re-registration. The state sets 12 KLAs (Key Learning Areas), which they recommend are followed as the state does reserve the right to check your records if there is a report that your child is not being taught correctly. I have heard of instances of grandparents reporting to the state, as they fear for their grandchildrens' education and welfare! The KLAs are not very onerous (as we know from the school system, the teachers are trying to cater for a lot of children in one group, so each child is pretty much taught to minimum requirements), so I would find no difficulty meeting them. Acutally the most difficult one to quantify would probably be Sport. They are supposed to do one hour of Sport a day - how do you quantify running around outside and just playing?!
I also absolutely agree that it is due to the government regulations that the school system is failing our children and I have read somewhere that homeschoolers are opting out of their responsibility to help fix the system for others. They should be staying in schools and working for the good of all to effect change. But I truly believe that the change, if it comes, will certainly be too late for my children and am not really willing to have them used a guinea pigs in some social education experiment. I have tried my best at helping out with the school, but the regulations that are coming from above are too numerous and often just plain ridiculous. For example, to tackle childhood obesity, the government has decided that from next year, the children must do two hours of Sport per day! And to fit this in, the music program has been dropped. Two hours is a lot out of one day, when many children are already struggling with basic literacy and numeracy. And basically it has just been introduced so the government can say they are tackling the problem. Then the issue of every time the government changes, the newly elected Minister for Education will change something or other just for the sake of change, again to look as though they are doing something. And our children suffer for these changes every time.
OK, I will jump down from my soapbox now!! This has actually been quite a helpful rant to get everything straight in my own head too, as I KNOW I will have to explain this and much more many, many times!
Thanks again everyone,
Best wishes,
Jayne |
| herbquilter |
Posted - Sep 03 2007 : 10:07:08 AM
Jayne,
I will make this short because I have my 2 day old grandson in my arms. I have 7 children & we have hs for 20 years. It is a lifestyle. We have rarely used some clsses & options from ps. All but have gone to college or vocational training. All but the youngest 2 (12 & 15) have great jobs. Our 2 oldest daughters are married & new mother, but continue their education. Homeschooling means life long learning & I am very pleased with the progress each child has made.
All of the kids are very social & relate to people of all ages.
My two favorite resources are; Thomas Jefferson Education & the library. HS support groups online or local are fun.
You can email me if you'd like for further information.
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist
www.herbalmomma.com
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| therusticcottage |
Posted - Sep 03 2007 : 09:49:33 AM
Jayne -- it sounds like you get the same speech from your school teachers that we get here in the US. Let me say that I totally agree with what Julie had to say about the public school system. It is NOT the teacher 90% of the time. It is the US government and the states that mandate what our kids are taught. Unfortunately it is not working because our kids are not learning the basics. When my daughter was in 2nd grade I was concerned that she was having trouble learning addition and subtraction. The kind of math that they were working on was what was required for our state test, the WASL. I told her teacher that I would work with her at home on her addition and subtraction. Her teacher said that was wonderful because she just didn't have time to teach the basics! And the teachers don't have time to do that. They are told what to teach and when to teach it.
My daughter is 13 and in 8th grade. I homeschooled her when she was in 5th grade. I went back to work full-time and was not able to continue. If I had it to do over again and I would never have sent her to public school and she would have been homeschooled all through her school years.
Homeschooling can and does work. But it takes a lot of comittment on the part of both the parents. What is wonderful about it is that your children can learn at their pace. If they don't get something in math then you can work on it until they do. There is no pressure for them to have to move on to something they don't understand because it's on the school's curriculum schedule. You can teach your children your values and choose who they socialize with which is a major plus. One thing you will hear from many is that kids who are homeschooled don't have social skills or that they are cut off from other kids. That is not true. Many times homeschoolers are more socially involved!
I don't know about the laws in Australia so be sure to check them out fully. In WA state we have to file an intent to homeschool in September of each year. Then you have to keep records of what you teach and how many hours you teach. Once a year the children have to be tested which the parent pays for. That is a good thing because it proves to the powers that be (should they ever check) that your child is learning and gives the parent an idea of any weak areas that need to be addressed.
There are many people on this forum who are seasoned homeschoolers. I'm sure they can give you much more information than I can. I spent hours on the internet doing research about it. There are many great homeschool forums that you can join and that will help greatly. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Hugs,
Kay
http://therusticcottage.wordpress.com
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| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Sep 03 2007 : 06:01:34 AM
As a school teacher I personally believe that public education should be willing to serve the needs of our children whatever they may be. IT is the teachers job to give these children the best opportunities available. However I am not so jaded that I am not seeing that that doesn't always happen. I do think in our schools we are failing our nations children. As is probably the case for you in Australia as well. In the US there is so much emphasis on Benchmark(standardized) testing that the true meaning of education is being lost. Do I blame the teachers? Only in a very small part. The state and federal gov't dictatates what we teach and when we teach it. If we want to keep our jobs we have to do what they tell us. Many US states now have what is called MERIT pay. If your students all score well on the standardized tests then you get a big bonus. If they don't you risk losing your job. Teaching is a profession where you don't expect to make the "big bucks" I certainly didn't go into it for the money. But the teachers in the US a GROSSLY underpaid on the whole. Of course if you are lucky enough to be in a large school you make more but your cost of living is higher. Anyway here in the US so much emphasis is put on the tests that teachers are unable to do what they are supposed to do...teach.
If you feel that your school is failing you then by all means you need to look at your children's best interest. In the US homeschooled kids may take the GED test to get a diploma. Technically a GED is supposed to be as good and as valid as a regular diploma. However there are people who probably don't honor this. A GED should be enough to get you a job or get you into college.
Yo mentioned that you think many people believe homeschooled kids aren't getting an education and I am going to have to go out on a limb and agree but hear me out first. At my school we have parents who have children who are not very well behaved and if the child gets in trouble too many times it is not uncommon for the parents to pull these children out of school and "homeschool" them. (by the choice of the parents) Most of these families are single parent homes and the parent works most of the day. The kids jsut play at home unsupervised but according to the state they are homeschooled. A year or so down the road these parents realize that keeping the kids at home is too much ofa hassle and they send them back to public school. Age wise these kids have advanced 2 years but education wise they have regressed.
In our highschools, girls get pregnant, boys get in trouble or bored or they jsut don't like school so rather than dropping-out a parent signs the kid up for homeschooling. No one is giving these kids an education and they continue to get in trouble.
My personal experience with homeschooling is that it is not working. Now I know there are MANY of you who homeschool and from what I have heard you are VERY involved and work very hard to see that you have well rounded and well educated children. If you feel you are able to do this than I think it is wonderful and you should go for it if there is no other option.
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| emsmommy5 |
Posted - Sep 02 2007 : 8:19:26 PM
I am homeschooling the last of our five. The oldest son went to college and got a two year computer degree and is making big bucks as an IT guy for the Port of Tacoma. The second son, currently on a mission in Russia, when at home had NO problem getting a job and his last job REALLY wants him back. Third son works in the airline industry and is a resident at our fire station and working towards that career. He plans to go to college later this year. Third child, a daughter, is currently in running start and making the Dean's list each quarter. Last, but not least, is our 15 yo daughter, wants to be a rock star. We are working on her academics as she would certainly rather do music all day than her math.
Honestly, I think functioning in society depends more on the child and there personality rather than whether or not they were homeschooled. It's all in the presentation of your education to an employer. I hate it when my kids used to say "oh we don't go to school". well, yes you do, it's just not at the same school building as alot of other kids.
It also may be the area where you live. Homeschooling in our area is widely accepted.
I am a firm believer that we each have to decide what is best for our own children. Homeschooling ours was the best decision I ever made. They are fanatastic people! Are there gaps? Sure, but there are gaps in every persons education. But it is amazing how much they know and learn and have the ability to research and look things up when they have a question. Do you have to have patience? Well, consider this.... patience is a choice not a talent.
Do you have to be a spectacular teacher? No. Are your kids going to be socially backwards? Well, that depends on what types of activities and interactions you provide for them beyond the four walls of your own home. We have been involved in sports, both at the high school and in the community leagues, dance and music, art and drama, boy scouts and fire explorer scouts, volunteering at the local food bank and charity thrift store, and many others.
We are not a school at home family. Never have been. We have good academic productive days and others where we don't get a lot of academics done. I use very little canned curriculum. But my goal was to raise good people, not necessarily academic prodigies.
So that is my two cents, for what it is worth. =)
Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth! |
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