I Think Our Kids Aren't Being Educated

Here's to you RisingVirginia. I have 2 kids, the oldest a girl, who both started at an inner suburban gov't school in Melbourne, Australia with a 'good reputation' for what it's worth. The girl worked hard, made friends that she still sees today, went on to complete a Dip. Ed. and is now a qualified primary teacher. That same school did not work as well for the boy. He went into the correct grade for his age but there were many kids in this grade who were older, underachieving and not progressing successfully through the system and it worked to his detriment to be put into that stream. I spoke to his teacher after school one day and she agreed that he was disengaged but simply had no idea why. All the signs were there but his mum and I were slow to see them because of the school's 'good reputation' among other parents in our suburb. He became disenchanted with school and he began missing activities here and there because the expected performance level was no challenge (for him). It appears that the school earned that 'good reputation' with it's safety net policy towards underachievers, but being in that group discouraged him and held him back. His mum was first to notice and said to me that it was difficult to get him out of bed on school mornings. I noticed the same thing on occasions when he slept over at my place during the week. Somehow or another we met up with a group of parents who were homeschooling their own kids mainly because their professional life or livelihood had disrupted their kids' education and as responsible parents they wanted to give them a better chance. I don't think we could have managed it on our own but linking up with a small group of other parents who were already homeschooling was a great way to begin. Right from the start his attitude, not only towards school but life as a whole changed dramatically. He became more outgoing and wanted to be with his school friends even at weekends. Instead of being a nameless number in a rabble of about fifty underachievers his learning took place in a much smaller group of about five or so kids in a kind of extended family. Parents who knew that the free gov't system had let their kids down believed that they could create a better alternative by getting involved, pooling their resources and taking personal responsibility for their kids' education. It's not for everyone. Being divorced we faced some real challenges providing for our two children in a fair, honest and reasonable way. The first and possibly hardest step we took was recognising that our son had already detached from the reputedly good state school system that had worked so well for his older sister. There's no single system that works equally well for all families. No two kids have exactly the same outlook on life. The alternative we chose for our son was more challenging for all of us but also more beneficial.

What makes you think they'll be sheltered? It's funny you say that because I'm going to expose my children to the real world far more than most do. School isn't the only thing that exists in this world for a child. I will not be working, I'm going to dedicate my life to my children and be a stay at home mother and wife. Why would it be draining? My children will be helpful and obedient. I'm aware of what could go wrong, I'm also aware of how much could go wrong if they're in public school.
I went to public school, worst time of my life. Don't remember a single thing I learned. It was awful, no structure or respect demanded by the teachers. Just a silly system altogether. But like I said, my children will be far from sheltered. Please don't judge or assume.

Fangirl I agree so many parents these days are careless. We need a balance here on earth. Every child is born with a promise to fulfill but so many parents are failing their children. Society has changed for the worse

What you are proposing may work.

Neglectful parents will fail at home school or traditional school or anything else they try.

Parenting is work. Some people ignore that fact home school or not.

Most kids I know that are or were homeschooled have been failed by society and their parents. Home school isn't an excuse to do and learn nothing.

This can also be hard to do with parents that are not knowledgeable in the field of teaching. Just because you know how to do something doesn't mean you know how to teach it. Doing and teaching are not the same thing.

good let them stay at home and you shelter them their whole lives and miss out on basic life skills they'd get nowhere but school like interracting with peers, being tolerant of others who may be different coz basically school is society theres everyone in it, sharing even when there isnt enough for yourself,theyd learn that nobody cares about anyone out here so they gotta be nice to et people to be nice to them but not too nice so as to be exploited, that not everything is gonna come their way like u make it happen at home. all these are vital in anyone's life because yea you might determine their school scheedule to make them comfortable but the tight schedules in school are more important to build them into working people later in life coz you wont be the one to determine their working schedule when they finally get employed and exposure they get at school is very important for social development, thru school they can learn that nobody is perfect, book smart isnt always equal to successful and rich,theyd appreciate different talents and participate in extra curricular activities to better themselves(unless you got a football field in you home and theres each talent in your home)you might be avoiding bullying but in some way it teahes kids survival in this cruel world like they gotta stick up for themselves or ally with the bad boys which is basically a survival skill in all areas of life and kids also need privacy to mess up sometimes without their parents knowing like we do in school coz everytime parents know everything they do it becomes stressful for us. anyway if youve made up your mind theres nothing much i can do about it, i just hope its the best your doing or will do for them.

Muld, well thank you.

But I'm going to beat a dead horse for a moment and probably put myself at odds with rising.

Even with the gamble of how well the parent can teach isn't good enough for me. Sure, I could take that risk. Outside of that risk I see too many impossible downsides to overcome.

Integrating children into society as productive citizens is important. I think the social downside great elapses the POSSIBLE benefit that the parent would make a better teacher then the professional teachers.

If kids are not faced with diversity of the communities around them, they will always struggle with social problems and have a harder time resolving differences from people of different cultural backgrounds.

It breads an us and them mentality where they will separate themselves from people of their own age group.

I hate our current education system as much as anyone else, but that doesn't mean that any other option is better than the status quo. Especially because of the state requirements to homeschool. You still must teach a similar class curriculum as seen in public schools. So what's the difference you want to make?

If you value religion to the point where you isolate yourself from society and isolate your children as well, then I worry about it.

If religion isn't the reason, then I'm really confused about what other reasons there are.

I don't hate the idea of homeschooling, but it does trouble me sometimes. I do discourage it.

Hi again Furiousfrog. Like most people I face constraints of time and money that make it very difficult for me to attend to everything that needs to be done. It is very easy for ordinary people to say to them self that they have no direct control over people and things outside of themselves and therefore their kid(s) just have to make the best of whatever paltry education the government of our brave new world can still afford to pay for after financing numerous foreign wars and giving generous tax cuts to the corporate sector trying to buy favour from the rich and leaving the poorest to wait for the 'trickle down' effect of that economic policy to kick in. For me the biggest challenge by far was seeing that the state school system was failing our son so badly and that there was something I could do about it other than bankroll an expensive private school alternative which is not necessarily always a better education. I could not afford to take time off work to tutor our son myself nor was I qualified to satisfy all of the statutory requirements on my own but by teaming up with other responsible and concerned parents our pooled resources and shared experience meant that we could provide our kids with the schooling they deserved in a fairer and more reasonable way than what they had been offered at their local state school.

Not everyone goes to College, and why learn it when you're already an adult? Why not learn it slowly as you grow up? That's how it should be done, in my opinion. Thank you for reading and commenting though.

Well Virginia if you want 20 kids get started! You are a passionate young lady that is already planning for her future children... Wish many woman your age were as dedicated.

Hello Furiousfrog. The difference for me was not the class curriculum but how well the class curriculum was taught. My 10 year old boy in state school was integrated into a stream of underachievers who were older than him and repeating the class curriculum because they had not accomplished the usual educational requirements for their age in state school. The alternative that his mum and I provided by home schooling produced an immediate change in his outlook and approach to life as a whole. At state school he was not integrated into a stream that would make him a productive citizen. His teacher knew he was disengaged but could not tell me why. I figured it out for myself when he described typical class activities to me. I am not a school teacher myself, in fact I was employed as a computer programmer developing and supporting applications for use in public hospitals in Australia, but I know from my own experience that most 10 year olds do not need to do two hours of remedial clock faces daily at school and I knew at once why he was so discouraged by his school work. Get it? I knew but his school teacher didn't. It would have been irresponsible for me to blindly trust the future of his educational development to the state school system which was clearly failing him so badly.

This is exactly why I homeschool my daughter! I also breast feed her and she's 4, we have much in common but I am much older than you are. Love to talk

I'm not 100% sure yet, but basically a dress with tights for my girls and slacks with a nice shirt for my boys. With our house initials embroidered onto them.

Not homeschooling, but my daughters education does not stop at the end of her school day. It is my responsibility to teach her the things the schools miss

Muldoon, I feel like everyone one of the homeschoolers I've ever met was taught religion as a priority. It also seems religion is the main reason why kids were held in homeschool.


I agree with what you are saying, but if religious beliefs are the only reason people are separating themselves and their kids from the world, I don't know if that is an advanced student.

I don't know of any other reasons.

It seems for advanced students, I encountered kids coming out of homeschool into very rigious curriculums like I was already in.

Most parents had a hard time teaching Algeria II to 6th graders. The amount of time and energy needed for that level of study makes it difficult for parents to focus on more then one kid at a time.

I guess I can remember one child that was home schooled because of mental disabilities.

What other things would you be overcoming? Especially because homeschooled learning still has a minimum requirement of core classes demanded by states in order to be recognized as home schooling.

I'm sorry, your arguement is sound. I don't see that actually happening anywhere, but I would love to be proven wrong.

@RisingVirginia geez! i didnt mean to be offensive. just wanted u to know that theres lots of chances that something could go wrong along the way. and it will be ery emotionally, physically and financial draining for you especially if youll be going to work. besides do you know of any important person or leader who's lived a sheltered life all through and ended up where they are? you might shelter them but the exposure at school is more important and competing is part of what contributes to how good theyll be...you know like a kid might get a 60% and think its great until they find out some people at school get 90% so its like a challenge to them. oh and spelling isnt what determines success or how life will be and people dont become rich or famous by spelling well coz nobody cares. dont rip them the chance to lead normal lives, keep them dependant on you in a way that they cant live without you, cant eat anything unless you cooked it, cant do anything untill mommy says then the minute you die they end up in rehab or a penetentiary

I came from a private school that had homeschoolers always coming in and out of it.

I have several aunts who homeschooled.

Homeschooling is only as good as the patents. It also take away from a sense of deadlines I find.

When homeschooled kids came.to school, they often didn't understand homework was due the next day, and lacked the disciple and social skills to work in groups.

I've noticed my cousins absorbing their parents marital problems because that is all they see.

Because of the social thing you are pointing out. So even when they did their hours of sports with other kids, they still seemed to be lacking in certain social developments.

They were too busy absorbing their parents lives instead of other kids their age.

Im not a professional, and I don't hate all homeschooling. I'm sure you are smart and can raise your children well. But it seems like kids working together in school has a huge factor to.play in school.

Even if the content of the schools suck.

@FruiousFrog that's an accurate observation. Homeschooling isn't for everyone but can be quite effect for advanced home students. It depends what is holding you back in public schools and can you overcome that through the home teachings? I'm glad RisingVirginia chose this topic. Thx!

I did, but i think you will spread yourself really thin doing that will 20 children. Choice is yours. But i still will disagree.

I don't know how it would be possible to teach all.of that to 20 kids and still have social development in community.

Best of luck, and god bless.

20 Children? Are we talking biological or are you adopting? xD

But still, they teach some bullshit in schools, they need to prepare kids for the future, not make them look good with qualifications they will never need.

Yeah, send them to school so they can learn to spell like you, right? Lol. My children will have none of thes issues you described and will have ALL the skills you mentioned.

@Ruby The people who need to have loads of kids are the smart people, too many smart people are....well smart and don't want loads of kids xD we need to repopulate the next generation lol

Happy it worked for you will.

You seem smart, and were able to homeschool. That's posotivly fantastic.

#Makechildrengreatagain

Say what you want about Trump but that quote works for everything xD

Thank you, Miss Ruby. Unfortunately I am stuck waiting for the right man to Father my children.

Virginia can I message you? I need advice! And I dig your level of maturity...please

Of course you can, Miss Ruby! I would be happy to talk with you, and thank you.

As long as they get a good education i doesn't matter I think

I don't homeschool my children, but maybe I should! Good argument.

Can you please come and be our head of education over here? :)

Just sent you a message ma'am.

@FF good point. I guess I didn't think of the religious angle or I might have narrowed it down more.
It would take a sharp parent to get it really right. But then, when you have that your chances go up that their kids may have the same DNA.
I have not done any homework schooling.

Thats a very noble goal Ms. Virginia

Thank you FangirlSarah! What a nice thing to say! And FuriousFrog, I plan on having 20 children so they'll have other siblings to work with and I will have much structure and deadlines. It'll be just like school. I even plan to have a "schoolhouse" built on my land eventually.

We homeschooled

WONDERFUL POST!

Thank you, Larry

Thank you! :)

I just explained my reasoning though. And mentioned that my children will be socialized. And that the curriculum will be added to... Did you read my post? Lol.

May I send you a private message Sir? I would love to ask you about your homeschooling experience.

I wish I could homeschool my girls! I'm going to look into it, because this was a really informational post!

I think you were mother Teresa in your previous life...you should become a nurse and save people n stuff!

I plan to have biological children and adopt as well, children who have been abused or neglected.

Good points! You are really mature for your age! You must have had great parents!

I think homeschooling is far better than public school too.

I agree with you. It basically comes down to the parents.

Thank you sir, God bless you as well.

Super agree with a lot here