Homeschooling: What’s the Real Story?

We’re living in a world that is, today, vastly different to the one we knew only a few short years ago. In so many ways, it seems unlikely that life will ever be the same and so many children and babies won’t even know any different. Mine certainly won’t.

(Is it just me or do you feel like you’re an 80 year old man, declaring that children today have no idea what life was like, and that you walked 100 miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways?)

Global statistics reveal an unprecedented upturn in the number of families choosing to homeschool their children - likely as a consequence of lockdowns, school closures, poor health and travel restrictions. According to recent data published by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), the number of students being educated within the home increased by 20% in 2020, with similar data generated in other Eastern states which underwent a period of school closures.

It would be a step too far for us to speculate as to the most common reasons parents have made these drastic changes, though difficulties with distance learning at home and mental health seem likely candidates.

The consequences of Covid-19 have, clearly, been widespread. Difficulties with distance learning at home, mental health struggles and changing family dynamics seem likely reasons as to why parents have made the seemingly drastic decision to take on responsibility for the education of their children and commit to home education. To clarify, home education, or homeschooling, differs from distance education or ‘home learning’, as news media have called it in recent times, as the parent or caregiver accepts sole responsibility to prepare and deliver learning content to their children, according to the regulations of their respective state. Distance education – where the child learns content online, prepared and delivered by a school or other educational instruction – is an entirely different ballgame, and not what we’re exploring here.

Due to the increased interest in homeschooling, we thought we would ask a few parents about their experiences, to better allow others to make informed choices about their children’s education, or simply to satiate curiosity about this seemingly unorthodox path. Here, we have questions posed to, and answered by, Chris White (our very own) and Myra Kaur.

Firstly, the obvious: what made you choose to homeschool?

Chris says that “it was actually suggested to us by a psychologist who had seen our kids for psychometric testing. We had tried quite a few different schools with our first two kids… it was a lot of travelling and still a lot of advocating for them both. By the time number three had endured two miserable years, we thought we’d try homeschool for a year and see how things went. That was 12 years and two kids ago.”

“Ultimately the lack of communication” was a huge issue for Myra Kaur, with her eldest struggling with the pace of learning, bullying issues and troubles with home learning during Covid-19 lockdowns. Like many parents, Myra decided that she couldn’t possibly “leave [her] kids in such a situation.”

It seems that a common factor here was a belief that schools weren’t meeting the individual needs of the learners, with both mothers feeling that their children were falling behind – both academically and, more worryingly, in terms of the mental health and wellbeing of their children. As an educator myself, it is easily acknowledged that schools, like Ken Robinson has famously said, are a product of Industrialisation, a ‘one size fits all’ model of education. Ultimately, such a model has failings – as these parents have discovered.

So, let’s reframe this conversation and explore some positives. What has been most enjoyable about your experience homeschooling your children?

“The time spent with my kids! The ease, flexibility, choices and friendships have been wonderful and so rewarding.” – Chris White

“Learning with my kids, sharing in their excitement when they learn new things and the ability to spend more time with them.” – Myra Kaur

The part of these responses that resonates with me most strongly is that sharing in the learning journey – that’s why I love being in the classroom, too. That beautiful lightbulb moment, where a learner makes a connection, understands, gets it, is just the best thing to see and be a partner in.

What are the advantages to homeschooling, in your experience?

Both mothers, interestingly, cite catering to their “kids’ interests and learning styles”, teaching “the kids in a way that works for them.” This ability to differentiate and work to the strengths and needs of the individual child is, of course, something all teachers aim to do. In practice, though, it can certainly be difficult – there are the rigid routines of bell times, class schedules, and a set learning environment, after all.

Chris adds that the socialising opportunities are a huge advantage, in her mind. Her kids are able to “mix with many people of different ages and are confident with everyone. They have not been exposed to bullying or other playground dynamics as part of their academic life as we choose to mix with like-minded families for learning activities. Through their extra-curricula pursuits they have seen such behaviours, but the mix has seemed to result in more mature, resilient children with healthy coping strategies.”

Myra says that the sense of “control over what your kids learn and how” is important to her, and she doesn’t mind the “flexible schedule”, freedom of learning space and increased opportunities for family time and cheaper holidays.

Let’s deal with some of the worries and concerns that parents and critics may have about homeschooling. Ladies, what are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced as a homeschooling parent?

“Having others, not homeschoolers, not respecting your time at home to school, thinking that we are always available because we are at home. The interruptions are difficult and numerous.” – Chris White

Similarly, Myra says that “finding our own routine was the biggest challenge, as what works for one child does not work for all of them.”

A common criticism of homeschooling is a perceived lack of social interaction. What are your thoughts on this?

Chris smiles – this is a familiar question. “All fellow homeschoolers laugh at this one. It couldn’t be further from the truth. We don’t have a classroom to sit in 5 days a week. Our ‘classroom’ is wherever we make it. We organise outings and activities with fellow homeschoolers all the time. Certainly, Covid-19 has changed things (hopefully temporarily), but pre-Covid we had activities on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week and then would have excursions on other days approximately once a month. Each parent would take turns organising the Monday group – painting, ice-skating, sport, bike-riding, etc. Fridays were swimming and free play, for example. My kids also had sports activities every day of the week, so socialising wasn’t really an issue for them.”

Myra adds that people should “try to learn more about homeschooling, rather than making assumptions.” She finds that her children have “strong friendships based on interests” rather than because of geographic location and school catchment areas.

I’ll add to this one – of my mother’s four children, the two who have been homeschooled are definitely the most confident, socially.

Is becoming a homeschooling parent easy?

“Yes! It is certainly daunting at first and there were definitely times in the first few months where I really doubted myself. It’s a huge responsibility. I remember getting my first homeschooled child to sit the Year 3 NAPLAN to see if he was travelling well. He smashed everything, and from then on I enjoyed it so much more.” – Chris White

What’s the process?

“Apply for registration through your state education body. For those in NSW, it is through NESA. An Authorised Supervisor will visit with you, wanting to see a learning area, your program, how you will document learning experiences as well as reviews and results. This Supervisor will then decide on your length of registration, from 3 months up to 2 years. I have always found these individuals to be incredibly helpful. They want you to do well and will guide you as much as possible but they do need to see that you are doing the right thing by your child.” – Chris White

“There [are] a lot of example plans and homeschooling communities willing to help out.” – Myra Kaur

How do you know that you have taught your child effectively?

Like any teacher, a Myra says that a homeschooling parent is able to “see the progress” and “follow the curriculum” while working at the child’s pace and ensuring that each “gap” is filled before moving onto the next stage of learning.

Chris adds that “no one knows your child like you do. If they are struggling with a concept then you stick at it a little longer. If they catch on quickly, then you can move on. If you have concerns you seek help. NAPLAN and university competitions are open to homeschoolers as well as the SATs. Know that you’re not always going to get it right but no one else will be as invested as you.”

Of course, part of the homeschooling registration also requires that you provide proof and learning samples, so there is also the Authorised Supervisor who checks in and monitors your teaching and learning progress.

What tips would you give to someone just getting started?

“There is no better teacher for your child than you,” Myra says, adding that you shouldn’t “doubt yourself.”

“That it will be okay,” says Chris. “Ask for help from other homeschooling parents. Go to as many get-togethers as possible, pick people’s brains and find a group that suits your family. We’ve all been there and know how overwhelming it can be.”

We’d love to know your thoughts and any further questions we might pose to these parents – comment below or on our Instagram post and we will get back to you as soon as we can!