Summary

The article distinguishes remote learning during the pandemic from traditional homeschooling or home education, emphasizing that they are not the same legally, socially, or experientially.

Abstract

The author of the article clarifies that remote learning, as implemented during the pandemic, is fundamentally different from homeschooling or home education. Legally, parents who choose to homeschool take on the full responsibility for their child's education, often signing a contract with the government to ensure their child's holistic development. Socially, homeschooled children typically engage with peers and adults in various settings, unlike remote learners who may be more isolated. Experientially, home education is child-led and self-directed, contrasting with the structured and often burdensome expectations of remote learning dictated by schools. The article suggests that the pressure of remote learning is immense for families, and it advocates for a more flexible and child-centered approach to education, akin to true home education practices.

Opinions

Remote learning during the pandemic is not equivalent to homeschooling or home education in any form.
Parents who choose to homeschool are fully responsible for their child's educational and social development, which is a conscious choice rather than an imposition due to circumstances like a pandemic.
Homeschooled children are often more socially engaged, with ample opportunities to interact with diverse groups of people, contrary to the isolation experienced by many remote learners during lockdowns.
The remote learning experience is directed by schools, creating a burden for families who must balance school expectations with the well-being of their children.
Home education is characterized by a self-directed learning approach, where children learn at their own pace without the constraints of formal lesson plans, lectures, or tests.
The author urges a distinction between remote learning and home education, highlighting the benefits and freedoms of a child-led educational approach.

Remote Learning is not Homeschooling or Home Educating

The media and remote learners are using the terms incorrectly.

Little girl dressed in a turquoise dress, pink hat, and sandals walking in a mostly dry creek bed at a local park. A day of exploring at the park. Photo by Ann Leach.

Or emergency forced learning from home or any other thing the schools call this alternative happening during the pandemic. It is not the same as homeschooling or home educating.

Many parents are forced by the schools to be the teacher in their children’s learning from home during this pandemic.

And more of them than I can count have said, “Homeschooling is hard. I would never sign up for this.” Well, I am here to tell you that what they are doing is not even closely related to what I am doing when I talk about home educating my daughter.

Remote learning in any way, shape, or form is NOT home educating. Not legally, not socially, and not experientially.

Legally

When parents choose to send their children to school for their education, they are outsourcing that task and all the responsibilities attached to it. And when the learning goes wrong, for any reason, it is on the school to make it right; although the schools are more likely to point at the child as the problem. (John Holt unpacks this in his books.)

When parents choose to base their children’s education from home, they are taking it all on — ensuring their children have opportunities for playing with playmates and making friends, ensuring their children have opportunities for experiential learning, ensuring their children are growing and healthy physically, emotionally, and intellectually. We sign a contract with the government making a promise we will do our best in these regards.

Socially

Homeschooling is a misnomer in that most of our learning happens away from home. We are more isolated now during these lockdowns than we ever were as home educators. My daughter and I are typically out 3–5 days each week where she talks with and plays with children of all ages — playmates, acquaintances, and best friends. She is more comfortable chatting with the docents at the museums than most adults are. It would never occur to her that she is not on equal footing with the adults.

Knowing how important it is to children’s development for them to have time to play and talk with other children, we prioritise opportunities for this to happen regularly.

Experientially

The schools are directing the remote learning experience. The school has expectations on the teacher who has expectations on the parents and students. The parents then also have expectations of their children.

Even when parents can see that remote learning isn’t working well for their children. It is a burden to their families. They are caught between meeting the expectations placed on them by the school and the welfare of their children. Knowing all the while, their children’s grade (the holy grail of school) and possible future success is held for ransom.

What an enormous amount of pressure! On everybody!

There has to be a better, simpler way. And there is.

Children are directing the home educating experience. As they should be. Think of an infant. No one dictates to an infant when they will eat, sleep, sit up, roll over, crawl, walk, talk, etc. They are self-directed. They observe the world around them, do countless experiments, and develop all on their own. No textbooks or lesson plans are needed.

Home education is much the same. Parents support, encourage, and facilitate their children’s learning, usually sitting on the same side of the table or side-by-side on the lounge. No lectures and no tests. Parents observe their children learning and growth.

So PLEASE stop equating remote learning or forced emergency pandemic home-based learning or whatever your school calls it with home educating. They are not the same.

The Bicycle — a New Old Form of Transportation

Just add a bicycle trailer for doing the shopping

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Originally published at https://letstalkabout.com.au on September 2, 2021.

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