Home Education
#31
Re: Home Education
Apparently, it is possible to do this in Toronto...you can live your whole life without having to interact with the proletariat who frequent such places as Tim Horton's, drive Cavaliers, worship at the throne of Don Cherry etc and retain one's detachment from the unhyphenated.
#32
Re: Home Education
i think thats a bit harsh, its something new i've not seen discussed on here before so its bound to attract comment.
#33
Re: Home Education
Sorry I had no intention of turning this forum into a debate on the pros and cons of home education - I just wanted to find out if there are any expats home educating.
But as you are debating it I though you'd like to hear that a
"Study Shows Home-Educated Become Model Citizens
A new study released today by the Canadian Centre for Home Education reveals
that home-educated adults excel in all measured areas of adult life.
The study surveyed adults whose parents responded to a 1994 study on home
education. Ranging in age from 15 to 34, they answered questions on a
variety of topics with comparable data from Statistics Canada. The results
were astounding.
When measured against the Canadian average, home-educated adults were more
socially engaged and almost twice as likely to have voted in a federal
election. Average income was higher with more sources of investment income
and self employment, and no cases of government support as the primary
source of income. They were happier in their work and their lives in
general. When reflecting on the value of being home educated, most felt that
it was an advantage in their adult life.
"In terms of income, education, entrepreneurial endeavours, involvement in
their community, and all the other characteristics measured, home-educated
adults not only excel, but also make meaningful contributions to their
communities. They are the type of neighbours we all want," says president
Paul Faris.
The study Fifteen Years Later: Home-Educated Canadian Adults is available in
full form and as a synopsis at www.hslda.ca/cche."
But as you are debating it I though you'd like to hear that a
"Study Shows Home-Educated Become Model Citizens
A new study released today by the Canadian Centre for Home Education reveals
that home-educated adults excel in all measured areas of adult life.
The study surveyed adults whose parents responded to a 1994 study on home
education. Ranging in age from 15 to 34, they answered questions on a
variety of topics with comparable data from Statistics Canada. The results
were astounding.
When measured against the Canadian average, home-educated adults were more
socially engaged and almost twice as likely to have voted in a federal
election. Average income was higher with more sources of investment income
and self employment, and no cases of government support as the primary
source of income. They were happier in their work and their lives in
general. When reflecting on the value of being home educated, most felt that
it was an advantage in their adult life.
"In terms of income, education, entrepreneurial endeavours, involvement in
their community, and all the other characteristics measured, home-educated
adults not only excel, but also make meaningful contributions to their
communities. They are the type of neighbours we all want," says president
Paul Faris.
The study Fifteen Years Later: Home-Educated Canadian Adults is available in
full form and as a synopsis at www.hslda.ca/cche."
i wonder how many home schooled children have gone on to be serial killers compared to kids who go to school. thats a survey i'd like to read.
#34
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: North
Posts: 1,357
Re: Home Education
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.
#35
Re: Home Education
The only thing I disagree with what you have stated here is where you say that education is children learning things their parents don't know. Yes, a lot of parents would not be capable of teaching to say GCSE standard - I agree with that. But, education is not just purely academic; one of the points of being a parent is to train your kids to be good member of society, to have decent moral standards, to teach right from wrong etc. This is also educating them - parents have much to teach their kids. Unless you meant purely academic education. In which case, I agree.
#37
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Re: Home Education
indeed, and if you have your own interests, you will find a way to persue them. Now there are some people who want to keep their childrens education limited, mostly the uber-religious parents, but a lot of parents also are very liberal and want to encourage their children to learn.
I've also found homeschooled children tend to be way ahead of their peers, as they actually can go over stuff they have trouble with, as many times as they need and not focuss for ages on things they already 'get'.
As to the education a company of peers provides, I'd hope it was the teacher providing support for learning (be the teacher parent or professional teacher), not the peers - as the only teaching some of them provide is 'might is right'.
As to teaching languages - I'm all for it, preferably get 5 parents who all speak different languages together and as they have kids, have each parent take all the kids one day a week (working hours) to babysit and only talk to them in the 'non standard' language (chinese, spanish, whatever). Hey, multilingual kid.
To be clear - i"m not opposed to homeschool kids hanging out with other kids, homeschooled, at sports clubs, after school clubs or whatever. I'm against organised gangs called 'classes'.
In my opinion home school encourages learning, not just book learning but socialisation with all ages, not just your age, and teaches you to communicate respectfully with others, as well as teaching you your strengths and weaknesses.
As to freedom of religion, a controlling parent of a child in a normal school system may impose his or her values as well, as may a straight parent. How many school-educated children who are gay or bisexual are afraid to come out to their parents? I'm school educated, and my parents are athiests- I'm pagan, and my brother agnostic, despite the parents being very pro-science.
And neither of us learned that in school!
I've also found homeschooled children tend to be way ahead of their peers, as they actually can go over stuff they have trouble with, as many times as they need and not focuss for ages on things they already 'get'.
As to the education a company of peers provides, I'd hope it was the teacher providing support for learning (be the teacher parent or professional teacher), not the peers - as the only teaching some of them provide is 'might is right'.
As to teaching languages - I'm all for it, preferably get 5 parents who all speak different languages together and as they have kids, have each parent take all the kids one day a week (working hours) to babysit and only talk to them in the 'non standard' language (chinese, spanish, whatever). Hey, multilingual kid.
To be clear - i"m not opposed to homeschool kids hanging out with other kids, homeschooled, at sports clubs, after school clubs or whatever. I'm against organised gangs called 'classes'.
In my opinion home school encourages learning, not just book learning but socialisation with all ages, not just your age, and teaches you to communicate respectfully with others, as well as teaching you your strengths and weaknesses.
As to freedom of religion, a controlling parent of a child in a normal school system may impose his or her values as well, as may a straight parent. How many school-educated children who are gay or bisexual are afraid to come out to their parents? I'm school educated, and my parents are athiests- I'm pagan, and my brother agnostic, despite the parents being very pro-science.
And neither of us learned that in school!
Within the bounds of the judgement system of the parents. That's fine in a limited sort of way but it's necessarily something less than education in the company of peers can provide.
A simple example, one of my children was in a class where many students spoke Spanish, interested to hear what they were saying, she learned Spanish. She would not have had any reason to be exposed to Spanish had she been schooled in her, francophone, household.
More contentiously, a home schooled child is unlikely to be exposed to religions other than that of the household, the option to be a Muslim, to be Jewish, to take up devil worship, is not likely to be offered by aetheist parents.
And then there's sex. Is it easy, for example, to be gay when home schooled by straight parents?
Home schooling is, I think, inappropriately impositional. It restricts rather than promotes education.
A simple example, one of my children was in a class where many students spoke Spanish, interested to hear what they were saying, she learned Spanish. She would not have had any reason to be exposed to Spanish had she been schooled in her, francophone, household.
More contentiously, a home schooled child is unlikely to be exposed to religions other than that of the household, the option to be a Muslim, to be Jewish, to take up devil worship, is not likely to be offered by aetheist parents.
And then there's sex. Is it easy, for example, to be gay when home schooled by straight parents?
Home schooling is, I think, inappropriately impositional. It restricts rather than promotes education.
#40
Re: Home Education
Just thought I would put in my two cents worth. After a disturbing divorce from a very abusive husband and father, my children and I took off up a mountain in Nelson BC for a year. We lived in a home on the side of a mountain that we could only reach after walking up a 1 mile from where we parked our 4x4 vehicle.
All three of my boys are dyslexic along with some other learning disabilities, they were doing okay in regular school but not great. We had many nights up late trying to do the homework assigned to the whole class and then having to get them up in the morning very tired and grumpy. When we decided to try the home schooling, we set up a routine that worked for them and myself. Although, at first they did miss the interaction of their school chums, they started to do much better academically as they were able to take the time to really understand what they were learning, not just repeating the exercise so they would get good marks.
When they returned to regular school the following year, they were advanced in their school studies and had much more confidence in themselves. Home schooling is not everyones cup of tea but then neither is public or private schooling, for us a combination of both worked just fine. My boys all now have good careers, are all socially well rounded indivuals who if asked what the best year in their life was they would say the year we lived on the mountain. When asked why they will say because, they learned how to enjoy learning and not how to just learn
All three of my boys are dyslexic along with some other learning disabilities, they were doing okay in regular school but not great. We had many nights up late trying to do the homework assigned to the whole class and then having to get them up in the morning very tired and grumpy. When we decided to try the home schooling, we set up a routine that worked for them and myself. Although, at first they did miss the interaction of their school chums, they started to do much better academically as they were able to take the time to really understand what they were learning, not just repeating the exercise so they would get good marks.
When they returned to regular school the following year, they were advanced in their school studies and had much more confidence in themselves. Home schooling is not everyones cup of tea but then neither is public or private schooling, for us a combination of both worked just fine. My boys all now have good careers, are all socially well rounded indivuals who if asked what the best year in their life was they would say the year we lived on the mountain. When asked why they will say because, they learned how to enjoy learning and not how to just learn
#41
Re: Home Education
To the OP - there is a vibrant and extensive HE community in Canada. We looked closely at SK but are assured that the ethic is Canada-wide.
Do make sure that you understand local legislation; it varies by Province but registration is nowhere near the draconian licence to HE that Badman is trying to introduce here.
To the nay-sayers on this thread BUG OUT - UNTIL YOU'VE DONE IT YOU KNOW NOTHING!
Do make sure that you understand local legislation; it varies by Province but registration is nowhere near the draconian licence to HE that Badman is trying to introduce here.
To the nay-sayers on this thread BUG OUT - UNTIL YOU'VE DONE IT YOU KNOW NOTHING!
#43
Re: Home Education
You know quite a bit about the basics of those things in the same way as you can teach a blind man the physics behind light being defracted by atmospheric water droplets and being split into its component colours in sequence. The blind man will never experience the wonder of seeing a rainbow in the same way as you will never experience the wonders of those things you have not done.
#44
Re: Home Education
The lady who we're renting from at the moment home schools, she has four boys aged between 2 and 11 and is due a 5th.
She's very pro it and is very up on all the positives about it. Works for her, wouldn't work for me. There does seem to be quite a lot of people home schooling on VI so if it's your thing, you'll meet a fair number of others doing it.