I Thought I'd add this

I can't abide homeschool bashing by people who don't know what homeschooling is really about. I found such a thread on the new government site called "MySchool". I had to reply. (Here's the link.)

I'll put my words here though, in case they go missing...
This seems to be a bit of an anti-homeschooling and a school bashing thread.

Firstly, I homeschool my 5 children. I could never imagine sending them to school. Why? Because school has never and doesn't seem to have the ability to address the needs of all students. People forget that homeschooling existed BEFORE school was institutionalised, and it is very natural and a reasonable choice for a parent to make. Yes, orginally I had my daughter and son in school but I regret it. They picked up bad habits, and my daughter was bullied, 6 years on still not fully recovered. But I digress...

Natural learning/unschooling is the term you are looking for Alana. This is a valid path, but one of many paths a parent who homeschols can make. There is also school at home, Charlotte Mason, Steiner, Ready to go Curriculum, Internet based, religious based and eclectic are all choices one can make.

Obviously, you are all uninformed and making assumptions about something you really know nothing about. Alana, two homeschooled children do not represent the homeschooling community as a whole. Marion, sadly you have a picture of homeschooling that is lacking. Yes, the education system is failing, it is doomed to fail as is, or make children into mindless workers who don't think outside the box.

Don't take my word for it read celebrated ex-teacher from New York John Gatto Taylor's criticism of modern schools
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_Gatto

Marion I'd also like to ask why you didn't tap into the huge homeschool communty of Qld? I've lived there and I know there are many homeschool activities and communities of varying styles all around, easy to google, find on Yahoo groups. Sure its lonely if you don't socialise, but the people are there if you want to meet them. When I was up there were two informal play groups meeting in North Brisbane, one of which met in various parks weekly and had a lending library and are so willing to help newcomers, very lovely community. Of course other groups run excersions and science classes and all kinds of interesting activities. Theres a Sunshine group, a christian group, Briby Island group that all meet and support one another, and that's just off the top of my head.

Of homeschooling children I know they are beautiful and individual people, they aren't socially backward, some like to be introvert but that's natural in any setting, school or no. Homeschoolers tend to be more able to associate without barriers of sex and age, they are tolerant. School settings are the ones which I have found to be the unnatural setting, putting children same age together they tend to have some rather nasty interactions (rarely this happens with home educated children). Teenagers don't have the same peer pressure to conform or consume or go through fads.

And Glenn, I'm not bashing the people involved in schooling, its just the system, the teachers themselves have been 'set up' to perform their roles and have been educated to think in one way. Teachers do seem to be critical of homeschooling (it is their means of income). I know a principal very well and he is open minded enough to 'wait and see' how my children turn out.

I think the government/education system could do better by opening their minds. I rather like the model (I can't take credit, but I can't recall it's name) where its an open education system, where the teacher has a more facilitator role, its age open I believe, ie adults and children can learn in the same class. It onus is on the self, you go research and work on individual or group projects and learn what you need as you complete it, the teacher is a sounding board and various discussions are the means of communicating ideas. There is a communal learning space that is rather like a library with computers and there are spaces set aside for various activites cooking, science, technical learning like sewing/metal work/wood work etc. No one is forced to learn anything but encouraged to discover, naturally learn and to interact with others as they learn. I believe some split off and learn a trade (which they presumably have experience with already) at age 12, where they take an apprentiship.) Not unlike how it used to be in the past. The theory is one can base their natural predispositions into become really really good at one thing, something they can have real pleasure in and not worry too much about a shallow attempt to learn everything and come away not really being great at anything.

Raven turned 3 today!

Formal learning is out on birthdays! Doesn't mean it stops though! There is always natural learning going on all the time. So Raven's birthday, a day of fun, happiness and frustration too.

The morning began well, we visited Nan and Pop, and Nan set them up for a lovely little party whilst they watched Scooby Doo live action movie. Andrew was at his psychiatrist appointment, being rather frustrated that the dosage for the anti depressant wasn't upped to a decent enough level.

Later we braved the weather, which was wet and a little cold and headed up to Tolosa Street Reserve for a BBQ, which they enjoyed, but no one was into having their photo taken today :( - especially birthday boy. They played together really well, which is very nice as it doesn't always happen. Then it was time for ice cream and plays at Hungry Jacks at Raven's request. Since it was becoming so late (because we had to wait for the appointment in the morning making everything else later) we were not looking forward to making nor eating pizza. So Raven told us "sammich" in other words toasted sandwiches. It was his day so why not? We headed into the supermarket to get things for this, and we mistakenly left the other children in the car.

BIG mistake. I knew something was up, so I left as soon as we got to the check outs to find the children had used the left over eggs meant for Raven's cake to decorate the car besides us :embarressed:. This was not good. It caused a pretty low downer in Andrew and I still had to get a cake cooked without the eggs and give him/them thier presents. Raven had been asking pretty adamantly all day for his cake, I couldn't let him down. And I'd realised I'd broken our mix master recently (you know cheap crap - not worth buying). Things were quickly spiralling out of control.

I tried getting Andrew to be a part of the gift giving, but he fell asleep without response so I put it together and gave the gifts out. As you may be aware, we have a birthday tradition - the birthday child gives gifts to the other children, always. I had mixed feelings about this particular time, very unhappy. But I gave them out anyway.

Here is what Raven received (photos tomorrow): An african drum (as he loves music) and another wooden instrument and the other children recieved other wooden instruments to compliment this. He also got wooden Thomas the Tank Engine add ons for his/their train table and a bilingual game for Spanish. All he wanted to play with was his Thomas, but he'll enjoy the rest of the gifts in turn.

Anyway back to the cake. I was at a loss, I didn't want to substitute a whole cup of oil for the oil and 3 eggs, so I put less oil in and added more water and it ended up OK. Andrew was conscious again and took over just as I was ready to put the cake in the oven and the children were watching Walking With Monsters again so they were all OK. Then comes the phone call from my sister needing help as she has decided to begin homeschooling her children. This took an hour and then it was a rush job to decorate the cake, dish it out, read books and send them off to bed. We managed so it was OK in the end, but it could have really made Raven's birthday very sad if we hadn't, if one more thing had have gone wrong.

My sister is at the daunting but exciting stage of the very beginning homeschooling parent. Not at all DeSchooled in the least, worried about the little things (to me now, anyway) such as fears about adequacy and socialisation, removing them from school etc. These are non problems to someone who has homeschooled for some years, but very real and big to someone just starting. I had these concerns too, when I pulled Labyrinth and Dante out of school - I even had phone calls from the school worried about them. I didn't even attempt to register in Queensland. No point, they are ridiculous up there. Here, no problem, they are easy to deal with and no hassles whatsoever.

So, yes, I've done it illegally before, and I'll do it again if I have to. It's that important to me. Would you send your child into an environment to have them systematically honed into a worker bee? Hell No!

I think she will attempt the School At Home, which only works for absolute hard asses, which I know her too well - this probably won't suit her family. But this is a family based thing, and what works for one won't be true for another. It's all about CHOICES. I don't have to pay loads of money for a superior education, an alternative education, I can provide it myself. Any parent can, providing they have the right facilities ie, the ability to read/write and do research.

I've mentioned before we're eclectic, leaning towards unschooling plus basics. Child driven or led perhaps. But that is just it, and reflective in what we gave Raven for his gifts today - we have a touch of Steiner-Waldorf in there too. Natural wooden musical instruments and wooden train set materials. Its not just because they are more difficult to break, its about getting their hands on real things, things that matter, things derived a little more directly from nature. Its not about being told what to learn, its about providing them with various kinds of things/experiences/resources and letting them discover some wonderful things, all on their own, and if they wish some guidance.

Well enough... I'm tired, and I'm going to bed. Today has been full of laughter and tears, and I've loved my children and I might have felt a bit betrayed by them today. There is some bad with the good to realise just how good the good is sometimes.

And if it was your car - I sincerely and deeply apologise. This is not normally the actions of my children, they have been punished (they would have recieved $20 pocket money- the extra for finishing off a level in HOP, but that is now regretfully not happening. The money will go towards something else that is needed now, not to them directly.)

Q.