ACTIVEO

Each family comes to home education for its own, unique reasons. Everyone’s story is slightly different, but here are some common themes:

Informed Choice. Some adults, even before they become parents, study education systems and consider different educational philosophies prior to enacting their right to choose the form of education that they will offer their children. Younger siblings of children that failed to thrive at school often find that they are offered the option of home-education as their parents have become more informed about and confident in providing it.

Failure to Thrive in School. Many parents’ introduction to home education is brought about by an emergency. A once happy, healthy 4 year-old changes out of all recognition by the age of seven. Bullying, school phobia, eating disorders, behavioural problems, persistent ill-health, chronic distress, obsessions and tantrums - are all typical symptoms that drive worried and confused parents on the search for a solution for their troubled child.

Parents who remove troubled children from school often report complete cessation of problems - even extreme problems like violence and self-harming. Equally it can take several years for a badly damaged child to fully regain their true potential, but progress is so tangible that these children often never return to traditional schooling.

A child with a disability, a special gift or a special need may find their difficulties compounded as they become subject to two major classifications: age and disability. Classification by disability is so unrefined that totally inappropriate and harmful groupings result.

Bright Misfits. Some children show academic prowess of a magnitude that cannot be be accommodated in regular schools. If misdiagnosed or misdirected, these children can become ill through inescapable stress or boredom. Sometimes such children thrive on a fast-track learning programme at home under the protection of their parents.

Hot Housing. Conversely, some parents of children with very ordinary abilities believe that an intense educational programme at home, away from the distractions of everyday life with other children, is all that stands between their sperm and egg fusion and a genius of world-class order.

Religious Reasons. Some families find that their religious beliefs cannot be accommodated in state run or independent schools. Their religious communities, combined with contact with similarly minded home educators, provides the social basis of their children’s educational system.