Hello Sajo (and all),
Strangely enough I hit this forum for the same reason – seemed like an opportunity to create a little debate where there isn’t. A bit too much ‘back patting’ & too little information is on offer for true expansion of this topic. I want to know exactly how the various proponents of Home Ed do it – few are telling!
The picture I’m receiving is one of a ‘crossover’ between public & private ed, where the parent(s) take full & detailed responsibility for their kids ed. The parent is the ‘principal’. When one takes into account the communication possibilities offered by the internet, home ed is quite feasible. But for most, not yet.
I have assumed ‘the teacher’ role in home ed to be primarily held by the parent – this appears to be, anecdotally, not the case. But simple fears still remain. The parent is not ‘at arms length’ when judging the performance of the child overall. The child will also be denied academic ‘competition’ as offered by mass education. The child will also be denied the opportunity to experience, largely, the challenges offered where one mixes daily with hundreds of other kids.
Would it not simply be a better thing if we had a school system that did the right things? I have faith that enough noise in the right way can change what is obviously a troubled school system, a system that most kids have contact with. I also think that the proponents of home ed sometimes take the easy way out.
A good start would be an independent, formal ‘home ed’ co-operative – it could simultaneously benefit the participants & create a ‘noise’ noticed by government etc.

Swilkie, I applaud your bravery. Once more you have decided to comment unencumbered by any facts or knowledge of the subject whatsoever.
Diversity in education does appear to be an anathema to you, but perhaps you need to make your intolerance less obvious. Then someone may take your desire for debate seriously.

Swilkie, if you had done any research into the subject at all, or even if you had read previous posts properly, your questions would have already been answered.

You would realise that home educators do not desire to recreate a school environment within their homes. They believe that education should be viewed holistically and not just as something that is ladled out in institutions such as schools. Therefore, the parent is not the principal, nor do they desire to rate or standardise their children’s education in relation to others. However if you do any reading you will discover that generally home educated children out perform their schooled peers in standardised tests.

Home educators are already formed into large organised groups, again if you do some research you will discover this for your self. In America the groups are often highly political and have become so large that home education is accepted in the mainstream as a viable education alternative. In Australia we have large groups such as HEA who are very active and provide many services for their members nationwide. There are also large groups within each state who are also highly active and do consult with government over issues that pertain to them.

There has been much independent research done in the area of home education. If you just spend time looking it up, you may be a little more informed and a little less judgemental

Sajo. I am sorry if my comment disturbed you. My comment about your comment was not meant to imply that you were against homeschooling as an alternative. It was only meant to show, that there are those who believe that if there isn’t some controversy being discussed or happening that things become boring, and that it doesn’t help the situation, and they are quite prepared to consciously antagonize if they feel that the purpose warrants it or even just for fun. Regardless of how it affects those involved.

I have a different attitude. I think that whilst parent groups are arguing about who and what is better etc., our Government has succeeded in dividing the groups. When the groups are divided they are much less of a threat to our Government than if they combine!.

I believe that showing support and understanding, sharing ideas and yes even “patting each other on the back” is more of a threat to our Government than all of us fighting against each other about who is better and who is right.

I believe homeschoolers do their bit to show their disappointment in the system by removing their children. If all families kept their children home, the Government would have to do something! You cannot ask homeschoolers to do any more than what they already are as they have lives to lead, children to educate, and other issues in their life.

The majority of people are in the Public Schools. The are the ones that need to get off their butt and do something about the system, but they are too scared because the system is controlled by bullies and if you speak up you know that your children will suffer – the system has your children’s psychological, emotional, educational and career future in their hands and they can pull any string they like.

Nobody should have that much power – especially without supervision, question or challenge!

It seems we're getting further away from the original article which was about bullying in schools and how "Home education can help prevent bullying", to questioning home education itself.

Home education exists, in many forms, from natural learning to formal methods, like it or not. All of it works. If you love your children and want the best for them and their future, you are going to succeed with it for you'll do your darndest to provide them with what they need to flourish. My children did not flourish at school, no matter what I did there as a parent.

When I first went into this, high school subject levels at home seemed daunting. I decided that for anything I couldn’t help them with or didn’t have the skills in, I would find somebody who did. It turned out that I haven’t needed to call in many others at all. This could all change tomorrow if one of them wants to learn advanced physics, and that flexibility is just one plus of home education.

‘Nuff said on that…

Saw the following on the web this morning, attributed to Roger Schank, Chief learning officer of Trump University, which seems quite relevant at this point:

Quote:
School is bad for children

Schools are structured today in much the same way as they have been
for hundreds of years. Schools should simply cease to exist as we
know them.

The Government needs to get out of the education business and stop
thinking it knows what children should know and then testing them
constantly to see if they regurgitate whatever they have been spoon-
fed.

We need to stop producing a nation of stressed-out students who
learn how to please the teacher instead of pleasing themselves.

We need to produce adults who love learning, not adults who avoid
all learning because it reminds them of the horrors of school.

We need to stop thinking that all children need to learn the same
stuff. We need to create adults who can think for themselves.

Call school off. Turn them into apartments.
Unquote

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/03/wedge03.xml&DCMP=EMC-new_03012006

Eco. Home education does not help prevent bullying. What it does is it helps protect the students that are able to be homeschooled, from being bullied. Those that haven't got the homeschooling option remain targets.

If the bullies were made to be homeschooled and the parents were required to deal with their own children's behaviour, with help and support, then it would help 'prevent' bullying.

I don’t think its fair to say that schools, per say, are for bad children. It’s the adults that are the ones that are behaving badly not the children because the adults should be disciplining the children, supporting them and providing a safe, caring and appropriate learning environment for them to develop.

It’s not the children’s fault. What can they do? In school children are not valued as individuals and nobody is required to listen to the children or to acknowledge or consider their feelings, personality and needs!