Deciding to educate your child at home is a big step to take, and it’s important for both you and your child that you make an informed choice. Here we explore the pros and cons of homeschooling and outline some things to consider before finalising your decision…
Why homeschool?
All over the world, parents have made the choice to educate their child at home. Their reasons for doing so vary as widely as their circumstances, beliefs, and desires, but over the years we’ve seen a few common themes emerge.
Reasons for considering homeschooling may include:
- Lack of progress or underachievement at school
- Inadequate course variety
- Frustration with teaching standards
- Concerns for their child’s safety;
- Behavioural issues
- Religious reasons;
- Medical reasons/ disabilities;
- Travelling difficulties.
In addition, many parents are now choosing to homeschool because they wish to be directly involved in their child’s education – and some children find it easier to learn at home rather than in a school environment.
What are the pros and cons of homeschooling?
Whatever your reason for considering home study, it’s important to consider how such a move will affect you and your child. There are distinct and powerful advantages to homeschooling, but there are also other factors to bear in mind.
Pros
- As a parent, you’re more aware of the capabilities of your child and the progress he or she is making;
- Family bonds are often strengthened as you share views, ideas and thoughts;
- You’ll spend less time travelling, as all the learning takes place within the home environment. The time gained will allow your child more freedom to pursue valuable hobbies and interests;
- You’ll have more control over the curriculum and method of teaching;
- Learning can be paced more accurately to match your child’s capabilities;
- The home environment is easier to control – generally much less noisy and hectic than a school, for instance.
Cons
The main concern for parents considering home education or homeschooling is that they will be ultimately and solely responsible for their child’s education, which is a big responsibility to take on. If you educate your child through Wolsey Hall, however, that responsibility is shared – we believe firmly that homeschooling families should be given appropriate levels of support, and you will always have someone on hand to help, whether it’s our Directors of Studies or your child’s Course Manager or Tutor.
Your child needs to feel comfortable with the idea of homeschooling for it to work.
You will want to find ways to provide a social life for your child. The internet offers many ways of making contact with other families who are homeschooling their children, and hobbies and other activities can be a good chance to socialise.
You don’t have to go it alone
We understand that educating your child from home can be a daunting task, and so we’re particularly concerned with making sure that young students enrolled on any of our home-based Primary, Secondary, IGCSE or A level courses receive support and encouragement – as do their families.
Even the most intrepid home educators may find themselves seeking help at points – many parents, for instance, feel comfortable homeschooling until they’re faced with external exams. So if you’re considering home education but are worried about feeling alone or adrift, Wolsey Hall Oxford may be a good solution.
For those of you already on your own homeschooling journey, we would love to hear what you consider the pros and cons of homeschooling have been for you.
Get in touch with [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you!
