| There is always a case for home schooling and | | | | professionals, legal support and educators with |
| parents choose to home educate their children for | | | | specialities which are sometimes easier taught by |
| a broad range of reasons. For every case there | | | | someone else. This, of course, is in addition to |
| are voices of opposition and doubt. This article is | | | | organising activities for members to do together |
| one of a series addressing a range of the notions | | | | from informal walks in local national parkland |
| raised by these voices - the concern over | | | | through to planned learning activities across all |
| parental resourcefulness. | | | | learning domains, that are presented by home |
| In the Adelaide newspaper, The Advertiser | | | | educators or professionals that they bring in to |
| (Australia), there was recently an article entitled | | | | speak on the topic. Recently, a home schooling |
| 'In a Class of Their Own' which reported on the | | | | mother arranged for a member of the |
| increase in home schooling numbers in the last | | | | Department of Primary Industries and Resources |
| year. The article also had the comment made by | | | | to come and explain geological concepts including |
| a teacher, with 35 years experience, who chose | | | | how to identify minerals and crystals. The |
| to remain unnamed, that it would be impossible | | | | educator from the department usually only |
| for a parent to provide the level of education | | | | presented to upper secondary students and |
| needed to properly educate a student. | | | | university students and was somewhat amazed |
| She stated, "Some parents might be able to cope | | | | at the ability of home-based students from the |
| with the lower grades of junior primary subjects, | | | | age of five to fifteen also actively taking in all that |
| but you would start to need a degree of | | | | he explained to them. How wrong was that |
| specialisation to give them the best information | | | | teacher in her thoughts? |
| for the variety of subjects." Continuing she said, | | | | This, of course, coincided this week with a report |
| "In secondary school it would be impossible to be | | | | coming from Flinders University's Science 21 (also |
| an expert at all subjects - from German to | | | | known as Flinders Centre for Science Education in |
| English - and I believe these parents are depriving | | | | the 21st Century) that examined the qualifications |
| children of essential learning experience." | | | | of science teachers in South Australian schools. |
| As a knowledgeable parent, I shake my head in | | | | The report detailed that they had found that only |
| dismay. This teacher's viewpoint assumes that a | | | | 84% of general science teachers for Years 8-10 |
| parent, themselves, has not studied beyond their | | | | students were qualified and the findings only got |
| own secondary school years. It is odd that they | | | | worse from there. In senior classes (Year 11 |
| neglect that home educating parents have a very | | | | & 12) the results dropped off significantly. In |
| broad range of post-secondary qualifications | | | | Biology only 75% of teachers were appropriately |
| including agriculture and viticulture, engineering and | | | | qualified, in Chemistry only 72% held the standard |
| business, medicine and law, and oddly enough - | | | | of qualification expected and in Physics only 57% |
| teaching at both primary and secondary levels. | | | | held the appropriate qualifications. In fact, if your |
| How is it that the skills that parents have acquired | | | | child's teacher in South Australia is aged between |
| on both their academic and career paths not | | | | 30 and 34 years of age you have approximately |
| acknowledged by this teacher? | | | | a 1 in 5 chance that their teacher is appropriately |
| A second assumption by this teacher was made | | | | qualified. Sadly too, geology did not rate a mention |
| in a further comment in which she said, "There is | | | | as there were only 4 responding teachers who |
| also a lack of exposure to a range of teaching | | | | were all qualified but that last year there were |
| styles and teaching methods. They are just | | | | only eight geology classes held in the entire state |
| getting the same old boring mum." Now as a | | | | leaving little space for broad comparison. |
| mother who is home educating this comment, in | | | | I find this to be an interesting contrast to the |
| an of itself, is downright offensive. It suggests | | | | argument put forward by the 35-year |
| that mothers firstly are boring as well as not | | | | experienced teacher and it makes me wonder |
| being capable of utilising varied approaches when | | | | what the qualification results would be for |
| facilitating the learning of their children. | | | | subjects outside of the sciences. Would we see |
| Further to this though, is an answer that can be | | | | the same trend for the state to be below the |
| encapsulate why home schooling is so effective - | | | | national average as well as below what many |
| networking. There is this widely thought belief that | | | | fee-paying parents expect from our education |
| home schooling means school at home. When this | | | | departments? It is food for thought, is it not? |
| viewpoint is taken often in conjures thoughts of a | | | | Perhaps, it was a good thing that this teacher |
| mother hovering over her children's shoulders with | | | | remained anonymous because I, for one, would |
| ruler in hand, with her offspring sitting in front of | | | | like to have been able to write a letter asking for |
| books and mother correcting every mistake as it | | | | clarifications on her thoughts especially in |
| is made. For many home educating families this | | | | consideration of this recent report. |
| could not be further from the truth! Modern home | | | | I could determine that, in many respects, this |
| schooling families, in contrast, often report that | | | | report puts more weight to the case for home |
| they need to reel their children home because | | | | schooling. Home schooling parents are resourceful |
| they are out and about so much. | | | | enough to find those teachers who are qualified |
| This aside, the networking ability of home | | | | who are willing to support students in specific |
| educators enables them to quickly and easily link | | | | academic studies where parental knowledge falls |
| them to experts in fields outside their skill sets | | | | short. At the same time, too, parents have the |
| that are both inside and outside the home | | | | opportunity to educate their children in skills, crafts |
| schooling community. If you are wondering how | | | | and academia that is not taught in traditional |
| this all happens then you need to start finding you | | | | schooling models - left instead for Universities or |
| local and state home schooling groups. Often | | | | work places. The quality of education that home |
| these groups operate both with a physical | | | | schooling parents provide is not just weighted |
| presence as well as an online presence. Often you | | | | against their ability to meet curriculum outcomes |
| will be able to find both state based support | | | | (which is how applications are measured) but |
| groups and home education groups that are | | | | when it comes to preparing young adults, it is also |
| oriented to the nature of your family or learning | | | | the amazing breadth of experiences in both |
| approaches by simply doing a search on Yahoo | | | | academic learning, social exposure, and interaction |
| groups. | | | | with our world that truly make home education a |
| These groups link members to books, curriculum, | | | | quality choice for many families. |
| courses, and specialists including medical | | | | |