Gen – I often spend time with my children doing exactly the sort of exercises you mention. I think they learn far more at home than they do at school. Their teachers have commented on their general knowledge and the fact they could read before Kindergarten. So in effect I have been homeschooling. However, I doubt I have the patience to do it all day every day for another thirteen years. I worry what effect this would have and how they would cope returning to the school system. I won’t pretend to be able to teach calculus or chaos theory. This is a job for someone who really knows their subject. I also wonder how you plan and implement a curriculum for three children at different learning stages. It is a difficult decision.

SamA and Susie Blackmore– I am quite convinced that homeschooling can be at least as good as conventional schooling. I never said otherwise just pointed out that schools, teachers and schoolchildren are not the bed of evil that some posters portrayed.

Bullying can be reduced in schools if parents and teachers are committed. There are lots of success stories. Homeschooling separates the victim from the bully and if it is your own child then yes it works. However, it isn’t an option for most children and it can only make things worse for the next poor soul.

I sincerely hope that governments do not interfere with the right to homeschool or take time out for educational or family activities.

All the teachers I have ever known have been well educated – some were truly inspirational and others hopeless but none have had problems with basic English. I’m not sure where all these awful teachers and schools are but I am glad I don’t live there

I have been home-educating now for nearly two (school) years, but as it is said you are teaching from the day of your childs birth, so then I have been home-educating for the past 8 years. The current schooling system is not the only option ( thankfully ) for our children, as it can't cater for all the different types of children and their learning styles. In this society if you are a bit different than the "normal" then you are a target for bullying, whether you are an adult or child.
I have found one of the many benefits of home-education is that my children can grow confident about who they are without having to be put into a certain "box". They still enjoy other childrens company on a very regular basis, but they are not scared to stand up for themselves if something happens. In principal I don't mind the idea of registration for homeschooling, but the thought of not being able to teach my children at their own interest levels and being told exactly what to do,when to do it ( in terms of having to do this in year 2 and that in year 3) and the threat of not being able to continue to educate my children for life by living and educating the way we currently do is worrying. These lovely children have been given to us, not the government and are therefore our own responsibilty. We have chosen this option for our whole family and are enjoying seeing our children flourish and grow within our family and our wider community.

Why is it that when a real viable alternative to mass schooling is proposed to aleviate some of societies problems, the govenment don't even show the slightest interest? Except to try and quash it. I'm sure if they had a working party to come up with the idea of home tutoring they would consider themselves very clever.

What is even more astounding is that they make themselves deliberatly elusive. We vote for these people, if they are not listening to what is being said, then it is time to go to the people who are prepared to listen. Before more of our children are permanently damaged by inappropriate education methods.

Regarding parents’ ability to home educate; their ability to get their students to a high academic level; and on home ed kids reentering formal schooling:

1. Dr Rudner’s research covered 20,760 home educated students in America and found that in every subject at every grade level, they scored significantly higher than their public and private school counterparts.
2. Test scores of children whose parents had ever held a teaching degree were only three percentile points higher than those whose parents had not.
3. Children who were taught at home by mothers who had never finished high school, still scored well above public and private school students.
4. Lyman’s research concluded that “home schooling has produced literate students with minimal government interference at a fraction of the cost of any government program.”
5. A UCLA project showed that the average school student receives 7 minutes of personal attention a day but that home learners receive between 100 and 300 minutes of attention per day.
6. Home educated students gain entrance to many of our universities and an American study showed that 74% of home educated adults aged 18 -24 had taken college-level courses compared with 46% of the general population.
7. Jeff Richardson from Monash University spent seven years researching home education and ‘showed overwhelmingly’ that home ed students re-entering the school system or going on to university ‘perform extremely well, above average, when they reenter formal education.’ This was apparent regardless of the degree of formality of home instruction or the type of curriculum adhered to.

Sajo, you say “Bullying can be reduced in schools if parents and teachers are committed.” Evelyn Field, Australian expert and author of Bully Busting writes, “under optimal conditions bullying can be reduced by up to fifty percent” but that “it cannot be eradicated.

1. I agree that homeschooling is a vital and valid part of educating our children.
2. I believe that governments would do well to fund and support home schooling.
3. I believe with parental, teacher and student making a combined effort that bullying in schools can be reduced.
4. I believe that public schooling is a vital and valid part of educating our children & that government support is equally vital.

I do not understand why Sajo's posts are being attacked. S/he has not at any time argued against home schooling, simply that it is not always an option for all parents and that funding for home schooling should not be at the expense of public schooling.

I and Sajo do not disagree with home schooling - just that public schooling requires support as well. Public schooling has been neglected in recent years and in recent years we have seen an escalation in crime and bullying.

In recent years - private schools have received increases in government funding and support. This has been at the expense of public schooling.

Home schooling is a part of the answer to bullying but not the complete answer. If only life was that simple

I have been reading articles here for the last couple of months and never before have I been so influenced by a discussion that I have wanted to post too. Whilst I was not particularly swayed by the article itself, the comments after it have been inspiring
Before now I had no idea that homeschooling existed in Australia. This discussion has led me to find out more, and the more I discover the more I am convinced . To Gen, Nicola, Eco and Lyn, your comments have inspired me the most. You point out exactly what is wrong with the system, and you show a better way of learning and a better way of life. I thank you for opening up a door for me to a world I didn’t know existed