What? Education that doesn't rely on coercion, humiliation, punishment or force?

Must be home ed.

Home education is the most personalised education you can get

Built around the needs, wishes, desires, motivations, interests and knowledges of each child. Drawing on the strengths of society. Involving parents and carers at every point of the way; there when required, gone when the child needs. Match that.

Home ed kids receive an excellent education

Bugger. It's just not enough of a news story is it? Are we sure we can't get in some sex and goat slaughter?

Once you enter the world of home ed, you might see the world differently

'Home ed kids are hot housed'

Yup, this house was indeed hot today.

Home ed is a community

And contains the most dissimilar, tolerant, and welcoming people I have ever known.

Home ed kids and drugs, casual sex, and drink

Strange. I never heard of a home ed parent in despair about these issues.


OK, we slyly admit to the vice called CAKE.

And we can keep our class sizes small, thanks

Our workshop teacher recently spent a day in school with 122 kids. You can bet the school will crow about the fantastic opportunity every schoolchild received. So here's some maths. How many minutes did each child receive?

The power of ideology

So complete that a member of the Great British Public can watch 20 home ed kids with parents mill about a workshop and ask, 'But how do they socialise?'

'Home schooled children may be missing out on the chance to mix with others and make friends'

That's right. If you're of a mind determined to ignore reality you can say those people we go walkabout with every week - the same people we have now known for five years - well they must be total strangers.

"Children need to learn 'about other people' "

And I guess home ed kids can't do that, what with all the social meets, walks, clubs, groups, workshops and stuff?

'Children need to be able to learn how to be free of their parents'

I totally agree. I have no idea where they are.

Yes, home ed encourages observing and thinking

Just in case anyone thought that the only place a child can observe and think is in a classroom.

Home ed kids give the best they can

Because if you are self guided, you always know yourself whether you are happy with your achievement. (And Shark's pretty happy with her wood and light sculpture, thanks.)

Of course I don't teach everything

Because this world has professional artists, artisans, linguists, musicians, dancers, instructors, curators, scientists, scholars, academics, libraries, books, resources, each other, all people, and each person's wisdom.

Yipes! Home educated children exposed to a wide range of viewpoints!

What, you mean all the meetings, groups, social activities, walksandtalks, workshops, courses, after school clubs, drama sessions, Saturday lessons, community involvement and sports groups?

We can make a difference

Because we look for new ways of doing things, we seek new connections, and we create new knowledges.

Learning by doing?

Blimey, a school introduces learning by doing and it's reported like a revelation. Richard, you need to come out of those schools and spend a bit more time in the world of home ed.

Alienated. Turned off learning. Bored. Excluded.

Nope. I never heard anyone use this language to describe any child in home education.

The world needs independent thinking

And we home educators got plenty of that.

Creativity? Is that part of the National Curriculum?

No.

Want to learn wood carving? We learn from a wood carver

Of course you could settle for a PE teacher co-opted into the design department because they have a GCSE in woodwork and whose last interaction with wood was to assemble an IKEA spice rack.

Kids can be opportunistic learners

Seriously, it wasn't my idea to turn party sweets into a database.

We have the best times of the day together

Not just the frayed ends of tired mornings and fractious evenings.

Home ed builds strong family relationships

And that's just true.

Conflict resolution. Takes as long as it takes.

And boy, do we get a lot of practice.

We can take a working lunch

Projects are not driven by another person's agenda. And when the mood grabs the project manager, she works right through lunch.

Every week there are clubs, meeting groups, play dates, lessons...

...using local playing fields, scout huts, hired halls. Home educating is a community and a lifestyle. Right in the heart of this society.