AberystwythGirl

We're landing in BC Canada in April 2010 but not moving immediately. We are hoping to eventually live near Penticton in BC. We currently home educate our 2 children and wonder if anyone else is home educating?

Oink

Its usually only the extremely religious who home school here. The schools do a half way decent job here, and most parents are ill equipped to take on such a task and as such the child inevitably ends up just doing work sheets.

Almost Canadian

Ah, but at least they are always top of the class

Oink

". . . to keep oneself from being polluted by the world by not being yoked together with unbelievers."

lifeisajourney

Hi,

I just wanted to counter some of the previous posts by saying that I have come across many more people who home school here than in the UK. It's not my thing, but I can see why some might choose to go down that route. I believe there are quite well run home school associations across the country, depending on your religious persuasion or your approach to learning, so you're likely to find people not too far doing the same as you. Local art schools/art museums etc often run special workshops specifically for home schooled children.

MB-Realtor

We home schooled our youngest (Dyslexic, not due to religion), the government is a bit more involved than the UK, have to tell the local education board your work plans etc., fill in a few forms, at least here in MB. Other than that, no problems.

AberystwythGirl

Thanks for the reply - we dont do it for any religious reasons - just want to give our kids the best start we can.

Butch Cassidy

At risk of offending--

Send them to a GOOD school where they will be educated by PROFESSIONALS and be able to INTERACT with their PEERS.

Oink

You have to inform the local authority (LA) in the UK if you want to home educate your child. They will do an assessment to make sure the child is in a safe environment and receiving a full time education, suitable to their needs and abilities. You must demonstrate that effective systems are in place to deal with those concerns.

I've done quite a bit of research on home schooling in the US and unfortunately the vast majority of parents are unqualified to lead the instruction and so they rely on 'organizations' to provide the materials and curriculum. Personally, I have nothing against home schooling but only if the parent/s are suitably qualified.

dbd33

I have very much against it. I think education is children learning things their parents don't know. An element of that is academic, clever people standing in front of a class imparting knowledge and, for that, there are home options. Another element though is children meeting people from cultures their parents don't know and you can't fake that at home, you have to push the children out into the multiculture to meet whomever they meet.

rae

i agree, and with dbd also. i understand there will always be exceptions and some cases where there are little or no alternative. to parents who take this you have my admiration. to those with kids who could easily attend a local school with no problems for them or you, i feel you have a duty to let them grow in as normal a fashion as possible.

Chookie

Actually, you don't (inform the LA that is)

You only have to ensure that your child is receiving an adequate education, you are under no obligation to inform anyone.

However, if your child was previously in a school before you decided to home educate, the school will inform the LA that you are now home-educating, and they may decide to visit you to check that a suitable education is being carried out.

If your child never went to school, the LA will not know about your child and as a result they will never check up.

I home educated one of my children for a year when we were living in the UK, and as she had never been to school, no one actually knew anything about her.

Oink

I certainly know where you are coming from. I personally believe that a combination of formal schooling and parental supplementation with the child's schoolwork is the best as it provides for a more 'rounded' experience.

That said, research suggests that from a strictly academic standard perspective, there's not a lot in it as regards performance at the same grade level. The problem lies with unqualified and frankly pretty thick parents doing the schooling. In the US, regulation for home schooling is severely lacking.

Oink

You are right that it wasn't required by law (although if you want them to help you'll have to) to inform the LA but due to a new review on this issue I suspect it is now required or will be soon, as there will be changes to the 1996 Education Act covering this.

PMM

Hi

You should read: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/home_school/ for what is required to home school in BC.