FAQ & ANSWERS ABOUT HOME SCHOOLING
WHY HOME
SCHOOL? >> IS IT LEGAL?
>> HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
WHAT ABOUT
SOCIALISING? >> WHAT ABOUT SPORTS & TEAMWORK?
WHAT
QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU NEED?
>> WHAT ABOUT CURRICULUM?
WHAT ABOUT
UNIVERSITY? >> WHAT IS UNSCHOOLING?
Compiled by Robyn, South Africa ~ © March 2005
WHY HOME SCHOOL?
family life · self image · spend more time outdoors seeing the
real world · a richer, happier life · grow up at your own speed · develop a strong sense of
self-esteem and confidence · no homework · work at your own pace · concentrate on personal interests · develop a love of learning · variety of subjects · no distractions · spend time meeting interesting
people you wouldn’t normally get to meet · see more of the world · a more relaxed, less hectic
lifestyle · one on one focus · suit learning to a particular
learning style · no fear of criticism · more confidence · travel more · spend more time with the people you
choose to be with · socialise more · sibling bonding · family closeness · participate in everyday life · explore your passions · no need to wait until after school
to start living your passions, you can start living them NOW!
See more wonderful Reasons to Homeschool in this detailed list by Laura Bankston.
“I used
to say it was for religious or philosophical reasons, and because it provided
the best possible education for the kids. But now that's changed to: it's best
for the kids because it allows them to be more complete human beings. By
following their interests, they are living in a more real world with real
people. They are their own little beings, not just a part of the big machine.”
~ Blythe Pelham
“My children wanted to be home, and I wanted to be
with them. The years go quickly, and I want as many moments with my children as
possible. I want to be here to help them navigate the daily emotional terrain
of their early lives. And to do so, I’m willing to embrace the shaky ground
that’s part of the big, wide, worthwhile deal.” ~ Lauren Brenner-Katz from the essay Homeschooling Without Reason
“The main reasons I
chose to hs are lifestyle and education. Lifestyle includes getting up whenever
we like in the morning and avoiding the 'school' rush. A less stressful
lifestyle. No homework. No exams. No peer pressure. Being able to have friends
of all ages. Holidays whenever we like. Going to the beach in the morning when
it's quiet. Spending more time as a family rather than just an hour
or two before dinner, bath, bed. Learning about real life, by being part of it
all the time. Spending lots of time just enjoying being a child. And just
living life to the full... Education includes creating a love of learning in my
girls, learning about what they are interested in when they are interested in
it. This includes things not offered at school like perhaps French,
Art or whatever. Being able to follow an interest for longer without
the interruption of a bell. Working at our own pace. Spending lots of time
learning outdoors. Practical learning like lying and looking at the clouds
when learning about them, collecting bugs when studying them etc. etc. I could
go on!” ~ Robyn, South Africa
IS IT LEGAL?
Yes, in South Africa,
home schooling your own children at home is legal. It is highly recommended that you protect
this constitutional right by becoming a member of the legal defence fund for
home education in SA –
HOW MUCH DOES IT
COST?
Home
schooling can cost as little or as much as you like, depending on the methods
and curriculum you choose for your family.
Either way, you can give your child a quality education by spending as
little or as much money as you have. You
could home school your child for next to nothing using resources such as the
library, school TV, museums, the internet, second hand materials and a few pens
and paper. Or it could cost you the same
amount as regular school fees cost if you use a full paid curriculum and
include extra books and classes, tutors and various extramural activities. The great thing is that it is all up to you
and what you can afford!
WHAT ABOUT
SOCIALISING?
“It's time for homeschoolers to tell
the truth about "socialization." It is a problem! The phone never
stops ringing, the teenager's email has crashed the computer, and the front
yard is patches of dandelions and dirt because there are always kids out there
socializing!” ~ The Truth about
Homeschooling and Socialization by Lucinda H Kennaley
“There is a very clear distinction between socialising
and socialisation. The prior is interacting with friends and people (of all ages), the latter is
accepting and conforming to the norms of the society you're in. The first
is mostly desirable whereas the second is mostly not, imho!” ~ Roland, South
Africa
“Homeschoolers are able to socialise
very well, in fact better than their institutionalised peers! They learn social
skills (what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour) first hand from their
parent's example instead of a group of rowdy, undisciplined 5 year olds! Homeschooled
children are not removed from life and placed into groups according to their
age as school children are. They learn in a family context and often also
accompany a self-employed dad to work! They thus know how to interact with
various age groups. They often have to help keep the toddlers occupied
while mom spends individual time with an older sibling. We have 9 year old
boys teaching 3 year olds in Sunday School and 6 year olds visiting
"their best friends" in Old Age Homes! They are confident in the presence
of adults (not intimidated due to an unhealthy authority figure image) and can
conduct meaningful conversations on a variety of topics due to their general
knowledge gleaned from pursuing their interests.” ~ Adele Breedt, South Africa
Home is where we learn all our
skills for life, including relationship skills.
We learn how to be polite, have manners, respect others, compromise,
show love, and be caring, sort out disputes amicably and in general how to relate
to others by living and learning together.
When in a loving and secure environment, children develop a strong sense
of self-worth that is a very important part of good social skills. Learning to respect and relate to people of
all ages and from all walks of life is very important. There are plenty of other ways for home
schooled children to socialise. Most
home schoolers belong to a local support group that meets at least once a month
and organises outings and social events with larger groups of children. Then there are the local clubs and classes,
extramural activities (see sports below), the local swimming pool, the library,
the shops and your friends. Just about
every life situation is a wonderful opportunity to socialise with other people! What did people do … years ago before state schools? Was there a world wide socialisation
crisis? Home based children have the
opportunity to, like the whole world long ago, develop meaningful friendships
with a wide variety of people of their choice.
Another essay No Thank You, We
Don’t Believe in Socialization by Lisa Russel
Also Dispelling The Myths About
Homeschooling
by Christine Webb
WHAT ABOUT SPORTS AND
TEAMWORK?
“Remember that any extra-mural activity that is available
to the school going child is also to be found for the homeschooled child. All you have to do is search! eg. speech
& drama, music lessons, art classes, ballet, modern, tap classes, chess,
baseball, hockey, horse riding, rugby, swimming, computer classes etc!” ~
Charmaine KZN
Home schooled children have plenty
of time for whatever sports, hobbies, activities, or outings they would like to
do. The choices are endless! Most towns have local sports clubs, tennis
clubs, soccer clubs, athletic clubs, the YMCA, Boy Scouts, Brownies, Girl
Guides, hiking clubs, mountain climbing, indoor cricket, ice-skating and so
on. Children do not have to attend
schools to find sports teams to which they can belong. And besides team sports, you can just go to
the local public swimming pool, park, beach or recreation centre to play games
or sports and exercise with your family or with whoever is there. Also, as far as I understand, if you are a
registered home schooler, the law requires your local school to allow you to
join in with their sports and other after school activities. Perhaps you could approach a private school
and discuss the option of allowing your child to join in with a particular
sport? There are many, many options and
all you need to do is use your imagination and let your child fulfil whatever
dreams they may have. Anything is
possible. As for teamwork, other than
the above situations, getting along in a family, and learning about sharing and
common goals etc. is about the best teamwork experience you can get!
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS
DO YOU NEED?
You need to love your child and want what is best for
them. You do not need any formal
educational training but rather just enthusiasm and a desire to learn. You can have fun learning together and creating
a wonderful learning environment.
Passing on a life long love of learning to your child is just about the
best gift you could possibly offer them.
Sending them to the most expensive private schools would not be able to
offer them this!
“If your child is going to spend most of her waking
hours in your company, it's vital to her well being that you enjoy the daily
interaction between you. This doesn't mean that there won't be moments when you
need peace and quiet and some time to yourself. However, if you are frequently
resentful of your child's need for you and you are constantly irritated by your
children's presence, homeschooling your children will not work for you.” ~ Marty Layne author of "Learning
At Home: A Mother's Guide to Homeschooling"
WHAT ABOUT
CURRICULUM?
Once you have taken your child’s
learning style and your own teaching style into consideration, you can then
decide on what curriculum option, if any, you wish to follow. There are many curriculum providers for those
who choose this route. These include
correspondence schools that provide sets of full curriculum, computer software
curriculum, internet curriculum and various other options. You can also make your own curriculum by
utilising local bookstores, libraries, children’s educational stores and the
Internet which offers many free sites with grade-specific and subject-specific
information. Local home school support
groups and associations may also arrange curriculum exchanges or second hand sales. For an excellent list of South African
Curriculum Providers, see my LINKS.
WHAT ABOUT
UNIVERSITY?
“In the US, hundreds of colleges,
universities and vocational institutes all over the nation are accepting
homeschooled students. Most are thrilled
with these intelligent, responsible, capable young people and many are actively
recruiting them. Most of these
institutions value ability and attitude over formal transcripts, diplomas or
GEDs.” ~ Home Education Magazine
In the USA, homeschoolers are accepted and recruited
by some of the top universities in the country because of their maturity,
independent thinking skills, creativity, and strong academic preparation. Homeschoolers perform above average on the
ACT. Homeschoolers also placed highest
on the SAT college entrance exams in the year 2000. In addition to academic
success, homeschoolers have had athletic success in college. Coaches are
recruiting homeschooled athletes, and in 2001 the National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) declared about 100 homeschooled students eligible for
athletics as freshmen at major universities, up from 85 the year before. An
article in Time on September 11, 2000, reported that 26 percent of 35
homeschooled applicants had been accepted into Stanford University’s 2000-2001
freshman class. This is nearly double the rate of overall acceptance (from www.homeschool.com).
There are many options in South
Africa to obtain the equivalent of a senior certificate. Brainline is
registered as an examination centre with Cambridge International Examinations
(CIE). The IGCSE (International General
Certificate of Secondary Education) is administered by CIE. IGCSE has international credibility as an
educational qualification. IGCSE is
recognised by universities and colleges throughout the world as a qualification
equivalent in standard to the British GCSE and the international GCS Ordinary
Level examinations.
There are several other options of
correspondence ‘schools’ for the higher grades. You are not required to
register with the government after Grade 9. You do all your work at home and
write exams, you can either opt for a curriculum that gives you an SA senior
certificate or an international certificate through Cambridge. Another option for
homeschoolers to obtain a matric equivalent with university entrance is the GED
homeschool matric plus a set SAT score. Below are some links to check out for
more information.
OPTIONS FOR OBTAINING YOUR SENIOR CERTIFICATE (OR EQUIVALENT) FROM HOME
British International Distance College
Hatfield Christian Online School
WHAT IS UNSCHOOLING?
“Unschooling makes the whole world, the whole of life,
our work and our learning. That is what humans are driven to do. Add to that a
good foundation of love, and we have unlimited possibilities for fulfilled
lives. Learning doesn't end when we become adults. Contrary to the goals of
conventional schooling, to complete the marathon of K-12, learning lasts as
long as we live, and the free choice to include conventional studies in the
interest of a personal goal is just one small part of the whole picture.”
~ Suzannah
Harris, editor of ‘The Unschooler” e-zine
Unschooling is also sometimes called
interest-initiated learning, child-led learning, natural learning, or life
learning. A child knows naturally what
he is interested in learning, he is hungry for knowledge and asks a lot of
questions. If we ignore this and force
him to learn what we feel we should be teaching, he could lose interest and
eventually his natural hunger for learning could be smothered altogether. If we go with what he is interested in, and
work around that, his hunger for learning will ignite and continue to burn and
grow until it is a flaming fire of knowledge.
He will remember things because he was interested in them. This is where going to school or following a
set curriculum fails. Teaching because
we want to teach something, or we have planned to teach it, may kill all desire
for learning. Children naturally know
what they want to learn and they will lead you in your teaching.
If you
have any other questions about home schooling, please email me and I will do my
best to answer!
THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED JAN 2014
Graphics on
this page are from Simply
Shantastic!
