Home Schooling - discuss

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Gazer

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I know someone who insists on home schooling her kids. She only has a matric herself and is adamant that her kids are getting a better education than if they were taught by teachers who are educated in pedagogy, psychology of education, diadactics etc.

She's also not too concerned about them being accepted into tertiary education because she's given them a good Christian education... :\ and (in her view) that is more important than vocational/professional education.

Besides the restricted social and sporting interaction these kids get, these kids are not exposed to different cultures, beliefs etc.

My beliefs - kids should be exposed to different backgrounds, cultures, team sports, bullies, religions etc and then have the freedom to choose their life path without the restriction of schooling imposed on them by their parents.

Mods - feel free to move this if this forum is inappropriate

:confused:
 
Home schooling is just siff.

But hey, if you're a fundamentalist creationist like in so many home schooling cases then maybe it works for you... I mean, your kids. :rolleyes: ;)
 
People who were home schooled...

Authors....
Helen Beatrix Potter
C.S. Lewis
Charles Dickens
Mark Twain
Pearl S. Buck
Hans Christian Andersen
Frank Lloyd Wright
George Bernard Shaw

President John Adams (went to Harvard at age 15).
Other Presidents....
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Winston Churchill
Benjamin Franklin

others...
Whoopi Goldberg
Dakota Fanning
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Charlie Chaplin
Thomas Edison
Woodrow Wilson

More here.

We have a 21 y.o. girl in our church who just graduated from WITS with her degree in Actuarial Science, was home schooled all the way through.
 
Garyvdh said:
People who were home schooled...
Click to expand...

Um...for many of those, there wasn't any alternative!

Personally, I don't believe in home schooling. Unless the parent is a qualified teacher, the education is likely to be sub-standard. Also, the kids won't get the diversity of opinions and styles at school, nor the extensive social interaction.

There are exceptions, sure - talented people tend to shine through - but they're exceptions.
 
Claymore said:
Um...for many of those, there wasn't any alternative!

Personally, I don't believe in home schooling. Unless the parent is a qualified teacher, the education is likely to be sub-standard. Also, the kids won't get the diversity of opinions and styles at school, nor the extensive social interaction.

There are exceptions, sure - talented people tend to shine through - but they're exceptions.
Click to expand...

You mean like what the ANC wants them to be taught? With 40 kids to a teacher? while the drug dealers wait at the gates?
 
Garyvdh said:
You mean like what the ANC wants them to be taught? With 40 kids to a teacher? while the drug dealers wait at the gates?
Click to expand...

Govt schooling isn't the only alternative. There are private schools (with Christian teachings -if that's what you want). Their classes usually have a maximum of 20 to a class.

Btw, when I was at primary school in the early 70s (and I have pictures to prove it) there were 40 kids in my class.
 
Garyvdh said:
You mean like what the ANC wants them to be taught? With 40 kids to a teacher? while the drug dealers wait at the gates?
Click to expand...

That is something that has to be dealt with but by large it is still better to what one will receive at home if the parents don't know what they are doing.
 
Your friend needs to be shot on sight

Seriously, you are stealing allot for the kid/kids. I fully agree with you about interaction and sport and so forth. Your friends is a complete retard ;)
 
Picard said:
That is something that has to be dealt with but by large it is still better to what one will receive at home if the parents don't know what they are doing.
Click to expand...

Sure. I don't think parents who have not thought it out and seriously weighed up all the pros and cons should dive into it willy nilly. It is a huge time investment, and a sacrifice cos the parent doing the home-schooling pretty much has to do without a salary. The curriculum is also a major factor... but there are some very very good curriculums out there... both religious and secular. Some of them require more discipline than others, some of them are more self-teaching (video or DVD instruction) than others . And when it comes to social interaction and sport there are also lots of options. Scouts, Chess club, Swimming club, etc.

There is the assurance that the parents can handle their own discipline of the child, the flexibility of going on holiday any time of the year, the cost savings on school fees and uniforms... etc.

As I said above this is also weighed against the cons of the SA school system. A government mandated indoctrination system, lack of discipline, threat of safety, fuel transport costs, drugs, lack of good teachers, high school fees, etc.
 
Gazer said:
Govt schooling isn't the only alternative. There are private schools (with Christian teachings -if that's what you want). Their classes usually have a maximum of 20 to a class.

Btw, when I was at primary school in the early 70s (and I have pictures to prove it) there were 40 kids in my class.
Click to expand...

Not everyone can afford those private school fees. :(
 
Private schools only for my kids ....... even if it kills me.

(even if I'm out the country by the time I have liteys)
 
Pitbull said:
Your friend needs to be shot on sight

Seriously, you are stealing allot for the kid/kids. I fully agree with you about interaction and sport and so forth. Your friends is a complete retard ;)
Click to expand...

I would hope that it is not just her alone. She can't do this without a husband. As the kids get older and older I will have to play a bigger role in their education even though the system is designed for a lot of self-teaching.

My wife and I both have University degrees, hers is fortunately in education (I married good). I have two under-graduate degrees and my masters.

My eldest son (just turned 10) is three years advanced beyond his maths level and has already finished a year of Latin. My daughter (8) is two years advanced in her maths level. They both read copiously and have excellent vocabulary. I credit a lot of that to my wife... but also to the curriculum.
 
Garyvdh said:
I would hope that it is not just her alone. She can't do this without a husband. As the kids get older and older I will have to play a bigger role in their education even though the system is designed for a lot of self-teaching.

My wife and I both have University degrees, hers is fortunately in education (I married good). I have two under-graduate degrees and my masters.

My eldest son (just turned 10) is three years advanced beyond his maths level and has already finished a year of Latin. My daughter (8) is two years advanced in her maths level. They both read copiously and have excellent vocabulary. I credit a lot of that to my wife... but also to the curriculum.
Click to expand...

*pictures house full of large headed boffins* :p:D
 
Home schooling is both good and bad, if the person teaching them knows what they are doing then there is a big advantage in terms of one on one attention and ability to develop their skills, but you have to right one of matric exams and actually get marks in order to get into a tertiary institution.

On the flip side, is the total lack of development of social skills, I knew a person who was being home schooled and they had no means of dealing with other people and generally just didn't know how to behave themselves and what is socially acceptable behaviour.

As for the mother in the first post, you don't stand a chance and you are gonna screw your children up permantly, how unfair is it not giving your child even the slightest chance of getting a tertiary education (or for that matter a job without a matric)
 
Garyvdh said:
I would hope that it is not just her alone. She can't do this without a husband. As the kids get older and older I will have to play a bigger role in their education even though the system is designed for a lot of self-teaching.

My wife and I both have University degrees, hers is fortunately in education (I married good). I have two under-graduate degrees and my masters.

My eldest son (just turned 10) is three years advanced beyond his maths level and has already finished a year of Latin. My daughter (8) is two years advanced in her maths level. They both read copiously and have excellent vocabulary. I credit a lot of that to my wife... but also to the curriculum.
Click to expand...

Is your kids home school'd ?

I hope not. I would say yes, parents have a huge influance in their kids schooling and need to help where and when they can. But to deprive your kids of the outside world is wrong in a million ways. Period. They can have an IQ of 200 they will still not make it in the real world without social skills. That is a fact
 
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