27 Feb 2010

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.

26 Feb 2010

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?

24 Feb 2010

'Home ed kids are hot housed'


Yup, this house was indeed hot today.

23 Feb 2010

Home ed is a community


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

22 Feb 2010

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.

21 Feb 2010

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?

20 Feb 2010

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?'

19 Feb 2010

'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.

18 Feb 2010

"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?

17 Feb 2010

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


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

16 Feb 2010

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.

15 Feb 2010

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.)

14 Feb 2010

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.

13 Feb 2010

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?

12 Feb 2010

We can make a difference


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

11 Feb 2010

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.

10 Feb 2010

Alienated. Turned off learning. Bored. Excluded.


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

9 Feb 2010

The world needs independent thinking


And we home educators got plenty of that.

7 Feb 2010

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.

6 Feb 2010

Kids can be opportunistic learners


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

5 Feb 2010

We have the best times of the day together


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

4 Feb 2010

Home ed builds strong family relationships


And that's just true.

3 Feb 2010

Conflict resolution. Takes as long as it takes.


And boy, do we get a lot of practice.

2 Feb 2010

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.

1 Feb 2010

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.