Questions

As people are starting to ask the usual home ed questions I thought I would pre empt them and write the answers here.

I assumed the first questions people would ask were "Is it legal?" (yes) and "do you have to be a teacher?" (no). Surprisingly they weren't, but just in case, In England and Wales the education of the child is the responsibility of the parent. This education can be from a school or "otherwise". Check out the Education Act 1996 for further information.

The first question that I am always asked is "how will they socialise?" "won't they be isolated?". I don't intend to keep my children locked in a cupboard under the stairs or chained to a desk. We will take them out in the real world, they will socialise with shopkeepers, people in our community and people in the street. I already take T to home ed groups so the others can just come along with us. We will visit museums, Art gallery's, parks and library's. My children will get outside and meet people, don't you worry.

Another bug bear of mine is when people ask me if I am mad and how will I cope spending all of my time with my children. I like spending time with my children, I enjoy watching them learn and play and grow.
There will be times that I am not with my children, like when they are in bed or visiting family. They are quite happy to take themselves off and play together without my input for an hour or two.

I have also been asked how I will make sure my children can cope in the real world. I have read another blog where the writer has answered this question more eloquently than I ever could. http://freedomineducationunderthreat.blogspot.com/2009/09/but-they-need-to-learn-how-to-cope-in.html

The final questions are "Do you have to teach the National Curriculum?", "What about taking exams?" and "How will they get a job?". You don't have to teach the national curriculum but I will take at look at it now and again for ideas. As far as exams and jobs are concerned I am not going to worry just yet. J may be 12 but there are still a few years until we have to think about it.

I will try and come back tomorrow to talk about our educational philosophy.

Bye for now.