A class divided

Will the latest crisis make homeschooling more common?

In the last few months, parents have been thrown into the deep end of the world of homeschooling. As a result, research from the UK’S leading online childcare platform (www. childcare.com) has revealed that nearly a quarter of parents will continue homeschooling after lockdown.

After getting over the initial hurdles, many parents have seen the benefits of the practise.

According to government figures, in 2019, around 60,000 children in England were homeschooled with figures rising by nearly 80% year on year.

The reasoning for this varies, but physical health, mental health and avoiding exclusion are some examples. ‘There is a growing belief among some parents that the one-size-fits-all approach that most schools take, may not be the best fit for their child,’ co-founder of Tutorful, Mark Hughes says. ‘That could be because their child struggles to keep up, has additional learning needs or would benefit from one-to-one support.’ With the ever-growing rising figures, it’s apparent that homeschooling can offer an exciting and different approach to a child’s learning.

And whilst it’s growing a reputation as ‘education that works,’ teachers and experts across the globe, are torn.

‘In general, homeschooling affords families more flexibility in their approach to education andlifestyle and, some believe it can fast-track many aspects of the curriculum,’ leading education and learning expert and founder of online learning program Tassomai.com, Murray Morrison says.

No matter the reasoning behind homeschooling, it is designed to allow flexibility to the choice of curriculum, as well as the learning style.

‘Schools are restricted to tight curriculums and, for the homeschooling community, that restriction is a great disadvantage that limits individual choice,’ Murray continues.

And on a result level, homeschoolers are proving the system works.

‘There are plenty of examples of homeschoolers achieving exceptional results results, often years ahead of their peers,’ Murray says.

‘The advantage of homeschooling for some parents is that they can be much more focused on what gets results and accelerate learning considerably in a one-toone setting.’

Like everything however, there are pitfalls to homeschooling, that even those who support it admit.

‘It’s certainly not a choice to be taken lightly – much of what children learn from school happens outside the classroom in their interactions with others and away from the

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influence of their parents,’ Murray says. ‘While homeschoolers generally replicate many social aspects through their own communities, it’s harder perhaps for some homeschooled children to develop their independence.’ With the use of tutors and groups, homeschoolers can often recreate a school environment, but in a style for them.

However, despite the rise in homeschooling, some experts are still against it, believing school offers them so much more on an educational, personal, and social level. ‘For homeschooling to work, especially on an education level, you need at-home adults who can provide the learning,’ psychologist specliaising in child development and child play, and founder of www. goodplayguide. com, Amanda Gummer, says. ‘Immediately, children with parents who have a low education themselves are put at a disadvantage.

‘Even parents with a high education, will not have knowledge in all areas and knowing something and teaching it are two very different things.’ Teachers spend years training before they can take control of a classroom. Homeschoolers believe it is a one way fits all style, teachers are trained to pass knowledge onto children. children

And although homeschooling offers a personal approach to learning, unless the parent is trained themselves, it can be become stressful.

‘If you’re being the teacher and the parent, it opens up another potential battle ground and it it’s hard to switch between the two two,’ Amanda says.

But it’s not just the children that may struggle with it. ‘Homeschooling is a 24/7 job. There’s no alone time for the parent to do their own thing. It can be hard on the parent’s mental health, especially on the days when the children may not be feeling it,’ Amanda says.

Even when you are homeschooling, children need a network of people.

Friends and family – in and outside of the home.

Whilst this can be achieved with support and tutor groups, as well as clubs, experts believe homeschoolers lose a lot of their social development due to a lack of integrating.

‘At school, children are around people from all walks of life. From that they learn about diversity, patience, respect and kindness.

‘Whilst a parent can teach these things at home, it’s not until they’re around it that they can truly understand.

‘On a social level it can really hold them back,’ Amanda says.

But it’s not just the child’s development that worries many experts.

There’s a dark side to homeschooling that many aren’t aware of. ‘Unfortunately, in many cases, homeschooling acts as a blanket to hide child abuse,’ Amanda states.

‘There are few if any assessments and safety checks on homeschoolers.’

According to British law, homeschoolers must be registered with the council.

From there, the council may or may not grant the permission to home-school and assessments can be conducted at any time.

‘When a child is being abused, it can often be spotted at school.

‘Whether physically or emotionally, it’s easier to spot by teachers and school staff.

‘At home, there’soften no one around to spot the abuse or prevent it.’

All in all, it is clear there are many pros and cons to homeschooling and it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.

‘For children who struggle with school, due to learning difficulties or emotional challenges such as bullying, homeschooling can be a fantastic way for them to thrive,’ Amanda admits.

Parents must go into homeschooling with their eyes wide open.