I felt totally inspired reading peoples experiences of home education. My daughter who is now 14 is also home educated and has not set foot in a secondary school. She has many friends and is enjoying pursuing her main interests of drama and art at GCSE level and hopes to do 2 more next year with her home educated friends. She is friendly, sociable and is able to communicate with adults on a equal level. My son was home educated for four years secured a place at our local college to do a BTEC in performing arts. The college were very impressed with his audition and interview. The course is at a A level standard despite doing no GCSE's but instead focusing on his interests at home. He has settled into college life very well.

Lynne, Bournemouth, England

Home education does not have to be expensive to be effective. Freedom to pursue interests, sustained interest from significant adults, and access to the world as a classroom make the learning environment of home educated children a very rich one - and that is before one adds in obvious academic resources.

Cathy Koetsier, Winchester, Hampshire

Well done for drawing all the home-schooled people out of the wood-work.

I am not sure I recognise the point of this article.
Of course if a child does not fit into the state or private education systems they should be home educated, and as long as the social side of their development is continued, they should be none the worse for it.

Is anyone surprised that home-schooled children can become successful, sociable adults? Why?


PS.In all this cases, parents' devotion to their children is highly commendable.

Chris, Exeter,

In view of this governments recent targetting of home education through its DfES consultation on elective home education, I feel your article is very timely.

We have home educated both our boys, (11 & 19) from age zero. The 19 year old is now at Imperial College studying maths and computing.

In the light of the recent UNICEF report putting the UK near the bottom of the league for child welfare, I feel it should be every childs right to be home educated. At the very least parents who opt for this are saving the state money, and providing happier, psychologically well balanced adults. Oh and lets not forget, better educated too!!!

Pam Perryman, Cheltenham, UK

Thank you for highlighting one of the models of home education. Here's another one! We chose home education as a positive first choice option. We do not emply tutors and teach our nine year old ourselves. Most learning with neurotypical children takes place by observation, modelling and by example. So, we just live life and learn through life.

Our daughter has not had to endure bullying, violence or some of the other associated traumas of schooling. She has schooled and home educated friends, plays in an orchestra, is a violinist and pianist, gymnast and ballerina. She is one of the friendliest young ladies I know and would trust her anywhere. Her creativity can grow at her own pace, her learning or achievement is not compared to anyone else's.

We are privileged to live in the UK and are able to exercise our rights as parents. We cost the Treasury nothing, although we (as tax payers) continue to pay for the education of children in schools. That's fine by us, but please remember that we are not doing anything wrong by educating our own child in the best possible environment.

Susanna Matthan, Billinghay, UK

Both my children have been home educated all their compulsory education years, without tutors and without any exceptional parents :)

We have done child led learning, with my contribution being to help and facilitate as required, to bring things they may be interested in to their attention, but definitely not to prescribe what they learn. They have both been hungry to learn and having never been taught learning is boring, or hard work, they have learned extremely well. My lad (21) went on to college, then uni and is now doing a PhD (the youngest entrant on their PhD program ever), my daughter (11) currently spends her time writing good fantasy fiction and reading 2 or 3 books per day (Terry Pratchett being the favourite right now), or attending her drama group or one of the other 5 home ed groups she goes to each week along with some of the other 120+ kids who are home educated locally.
They are both confident, happy, sociable and mature people.

I left school with 4 low grade O levels - not exceptional at all. If I can home educate, anyone can.

Janet Ford, Sheffield, England

We are, or so we are told, living in a life long learning environment. What my sons needed to learn they were not being taught at school. How can you fit into mainstream life if you have neither social skills or effective communication skills? My sons are both autistic and it was expected that because they are clever they would just pick up these skills sitting next to their neurotypical peers in class. This is not the way it works for autistic children and my eldest son had a total nervous breakdown because he was just expected to 'fit in' with no support. Even though this happened to my eldest my youngest was also expected to 'fit in' without support. I did what any parent who loves their children would do. I took them out of the system and set about teaching them the skills they will require to 'fit in' to a mainstream life. Because they are both clever once they have aquired the skills they need to 'fit in' they can both return to learn and take care of themselves unsupported.

Carole Rutherford, Sunderland, United Kingdom

I left school with poor CSE grades but got into a college to do secretarial studies and got lots of typing/shorthand qualifications and one 'O' level English. I went on to do a degree in Sociology when I was much older. There are many ways to getting 'qualifications' if you need them. Home education does not stop anyone from taking these and, in my opinion, prepares children to think first rather than learn by rote something which they need to regurgitate and never interest them again later in life. Children who can think for themselves actually do know the answer to questions and are interested in the subject itself.

Parents who home educate have to just love their children they don't have to be a superparent. I think it's fab that your son is home educated but parent's who can't afford tutors do facilitate and help children in their learning in many other ways including teaching them by finding out information for themselves - that's what teachers do the night before a class!

Karen, Durham, UK

From one home educating family to another- thanks for this!

There is so much ignorance and prejudice around home education, it is great to see this positive statement.

This community is currently concerned about the proposed full public consultation promised on this subject.

You can find a relevant website here with full details:

Freedom for Children to Grow: The Home Education Campaign

http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/

annette, sheffield,