The change in my god child when he was removed from the school where he was bullied was dramatic. The sheer relief that he was not going to be subjected to degrading, humiliating and offensive behaviour any more was palpable. He once more became happy, interested and confident in his own abilities. How can it be right to subject children to this day after day, and how sad that we as people in control allow it to continue. The government will make the situation worse by forcing children to be in school everyday, as they will make things worse by meddling with home education. Why is it they refuse to acknowledge we are an information rich society where home educators are trail blazing the way to bring education into the 21st century. The government should be supporting them not restricting them with draconian rules and regulations. Leave the bullies to themselves in school and leave the home educators to their system that works, a system that works with love, nourishment and family values.

Home education presents so many solutions to societal and educational problems. The bullying aspect of institutionalised schooling is ingrained. It simply does not occur when parents, who have a vested interest in their children's emotional and physical well-being, are present. Home education physically protects the child, as well as fostering a genuine love of learning provided by involved parents, and not retricteded by a coercive 'minimum standard' set by an anonymous educrat.

As far as I'm aware Politically-correct hidden agenda = Bracks Government!

My family has had issues with bullying at school but not just from students but from teachers and the Education System. Two are on Distance Education on Psychological and medical grounds as a result of serious psychological and emotional issues as a result of their treatment at school.

Here is what my children say. It’s the adults that are the problem as many of them are racist and bullies and if they don’t like a kid they make it obvious. My children are of Lebanese background and intellectually gifted and they have found that more often than not the teachers either ostracize them or publicly humiliate them. The other kids notice the fact that the teacher is treating them unfairly, so in order to be on the teacher’s good side they take the teachers cue as they know that the teacher and school will turn a blind eye and that bullies are protected. Of course there has been the odd occasion where they have had a teacher who is not like that, but it has been the minority.

Same thing happens in the playground. My children say there is no supervision, discipline, no control and bullying behaviour is rife.

Schools seem to think that it is my children's perspective that is the problem and that they are just too sensitive and it’s just kids being kids. I say it’s louts in the making. I have sat in the playground and watched, it isn't my children's perspective that is the problem, its the fact that the standards have dropped to such a low standard that there are those that think it is normal for another kid to walk past someone and knock them out of the way or to ram into another child with the “its an accident’ excuse – time and time again.

Push and shove is seen as normal. Spinning school bags and letting go is seen as normal. Kicking balls into others is seen as normal. Insulting others is seen as normal.

Adults are not supervising the children and setting a good example. That is not normal.

Hi
Bullying such an important issue that needs to be dealt with in our school system. I applaud homeeducaters for taking the initiative to actively and effectively protect and educate their children. For the person that mentioned we are running away from dealing with the issue of bullying by removing kids from school to HS you have no idea what you are saying.

We should never deliberately place our children in a situation where they are systematically bullied to do so equals abuse in my book. I can say this from experience having being emotionally physically and sexually abused for years in the school system and no one cared.. Not even the teachers who refused to believe us when we tried to tell them. It took legal action to stop the physical abuse after I was battered for no reason everyday I walked in the school grounds. I am telling you this because I think more parents need to take this issue very seriously, it can affect our kids lives for a very long time

I have Homeschooled at various times two of my own disabled children due to bullying and during this time they have excelled intellectually, physically and emotionally. Bullying robs children of so much whether they have the tools to deal with it or not. I think Home schooling in my experience has been the answer to not only the bullying issues but to many other issues that plaque our school system.

good on you Susan, its great to have a voice out there that is lobbying for a better alternative

Good point gbyrneg50, some people think we are living in the 1950’s rather than almost 2006. Schools are not succeeding, so why are we clinging to this antiquated system that is obviously not working. From what I can tell homeschooling would seem to be a highly successful, forward thinking and enriching educational experience for children. It is a shame we can not say that about the school system. It seems that the government’s new educational act only seeks to restrict any education movement other than it’s own dysfunctional state schools. Well done homeschoolers both here and overseas, you have shown us that there is another way other than the tired clapped out school system.

I wasn't suggesting that we should leave our children to be bullied day after day - only that we should deal with the bullies not teach them that their unsocial behaviour pays off. Homeschooling has a lot of merits - I have even considered it myself but for other reasons. However it is not applicable to most parents who are unable or lack sufficient patience or skills to homeschool to a high standard. Are you suggesting that only those children whose parents are able and willing to homeschool should be protected from bullying? It should however be available on a temporary basis while schools sort out any bullying behaviour. Bullies left to their own become bigger bullies later on. Our children will meet up with them eventually and the outcomes are likely to be as bad if not worse in adulthood. Removing victims from schools may help individual children but does absolutely nothing to prevent it happening again. Or is OK as long as it only happens to someones else's child?