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 Advantages Found in Home-Based Education By Jason Caldwell
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Freedom to study the Bible, pray,
and teach moral and spiritual truth |
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Teacher's Influence
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State School Teachers do not start the day with prayer or include Biblical principles within their lessons. Why should they? Many of them do not believe in the God of the Bible. If you are fortunate and have a Christian teacher, the system frowns upon any open sharing of Christian values. When I was teaching in State Schools I found many other teachers and Education Department management were not comfortable with Christian values let alone prayer or Biblical teachings.
As a teacher and Principal within Queensland State Education I could never understand why so many Teachers often used witchcraft as a theme or context for creative writing or even study. There are so many wonderful things in this world which, even looking from a secular viewpoint, can be studied without alienating several families.
Yet if a teacher used the Bible or Christianity as a theme even around the Easter of Christmas message they could find themselves aggressively challenged by their colleagues or superiors.
State school teachers will probably teach evolution as scientifically proven fact - without covering the theory's major flaws, alternative views or scientific findings e.g. Creation Research.
Not only do many secular people in the State system advocate the Bible as myth, they are also comfortable with relativity, situation ethics, premarital sex, abortion, homosexuality, the occult, etc.
It seems prayer and presentation of Biblical truth is essentially ignored. If your State School allows Religious Education then it is usually 30 minutes a week and there are clear guidelines and constraints on what the usually volunteers from local churcges (if the school is lucky) are allowed to teach.
In home-based learning parent tutors are free to teach respect for the Bible and for God, with absolute values of right and wrong. Bible teachings can be freely discussed and integrated within any subject at any time.
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Children who are schooled through Distance Education are not confronted with teachers who may disbelieve God or the Bible, who may set an example of immoral speech or conduct or may view their job as a means to pay the mortgage. Even if you are not a Christian yourself, it is important to know that you are entrusting your child to someone who believes they are a special creation or being.
A concerned State School parent was speaking with my wife, Vanessa, about her young son who once enjoyed learning with confidence. Then early in the year his teacher, who he looked up to, called him “stupid” in anger, in front of the class. Since this experience things have gone from bad to worse.
Vanessa, also an experienced registered Teacher, agreed with the parent that this was “terrible and unprofessional practice,” but Vanessa also suggested that you could not expect more from a stressed teacher who probably sees teaching as just a job rather than a vocation or a ministry. Many State school teachers certainly have a very different 'agenda' to that of many parents. At Groves Christian College teachers believe that every child is a precious and special creation of God. What a contrast!
Learner Centred
Parents clearly want what is best for their children. In learner centred workshops I have seen a love for their child demonstrated, through a willingness to take on new ideas and teaching strategies. They do not worry about the extra work involved when changing existing practice, they just want what’s best for their children. Sadly I did not always find this within Queensland State Education, where in reality “best practice” is often determined by attitudes surrounding work load and limitations of resources.
While attending a State School Principals course in 2002, we viewed Education Department figures and graphs that showed the cost for work related stress leave for Education Queensland 2001, was in excess of $40million and increasing at an alarming rate each year. Although there are many teachers who do a fantastic job in State Education, for me this figure demonstrates that there are too many who do not enjoy their vital roles and many who are doing their best not to be there.
Our Distance Education parents choose to be working with their children and really want to be there. This makes a big difference!
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More effective use of time
Within Day School arrangements students spend time, waiting for buses, traveling to and from school, moving from class to class, idly waiting in lines or for teachers to arrive, listening to negative interactions between teachers and behavioural problem students, waiting for help from a busy teacher or waiting for other students who may be distracted to finish work so that their group or class can move on to the next step or concept.
Sadly, in studying teacher interactions within State classrooms the frequency of negative teacher communications can be as high, or higher than the frequency of instructions or words of encouragement or praise. These are teachers who are grappling for control of an often bored and unmotivated class who spend too much time on "busy work" (rote learning tables without understanding, unrelated closed activity worksheets, watching TV, etc.). I believe there would be very negative psychological effects on anyone who spent five hours a day, five days a week for 40 weeks of the year, listening to such a high frequency of negative communication. What is the hidden curriculum of such an environment? What self and worldview concepts are formed?
In the home school, the teacher works directly with each student, progressing when the child is ready. Usually parents who want to work with their children have positive interaction styles and are truly learner centred. Many students learn more in 3-5 hours within home based learning than students who are away from home for 7 hours and then come home from school to additional homework.
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Individualized teaching and personal attention
Instead of one teacher dealing with a class of 20-32 students, home-based parent tutors are dealing directly with each child with support of our staff just a phone call away. In a classroom, each student has little access to the teacher's time. Within Distance Education there is more interaction between adults and children. Problems can readily be perceived and dealt with. If the child has a question or needs attention, help is more easily available.
Because the incidence of adult input and support is much higher within the home based situation, it is easier to meet individual needs. The pace can be adapted to the needs of the student. Slow learners can be led at their own pace. Gifted students can be advanced and challenged.
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More flexible use of time
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Better discipline and behavioural standards |
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Better control of peer influences |
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We believe our Distance Education families need an individualised long-term program for each student and to set goals and utilise a daily planned schedule. However, parents can still feel free to fit in special learning opportunities that fixed classroom hours may not allow. Students can take special field trips, attend interesting events, or visit with informative people. Families can plan vacations during the off- season while other kids must be at classes. We have many students who schedule their academic work around Church Ministry, representative sports training and coaching, music programmes and part-time work.
Quality learning outcomes
Reports have abundantly documented the high incidence of students who are passing through our State Schooling system and leaving without the basic academic skills they require. In home based learning parents work directly with their children. They see immediately if the child is not learning well, so they can take action to resolve the problem. |
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Unfortunately, State School standards of behaviour and discipline seem to have diminished over the years. As a result State Schools are not always emotionally or physically safe environments. Peer pressure seems to be the strongest influence in many students’ lives and even students from good homes may adopt poor behavioural standards and rude behaviours. Students are often mistreated by other students who have little regard for others. Within a loving home environment parents are free to manage the behaviour of their children, setting higher standards and exercising control over the influences of negative peer pressure.
It is interesting to see how students who have solid foundations laid while they are young and impressionable are better able to withstand peer pressure later in life, demonstrating independence and confidence. |
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One of the biggest problems in State Schools is the bad influence some students have on others. Sadly many homes do not encourage healthy social behaviour and leave it up to schools to address this issue. Distance Education students associate with the children that their family chooses for them to associate with. This weakens the harmful influence of "bad crowds."
Strong Family Relationship
When children are at school 6-7 hours a day (not counting extra-curricular activities), family ties may be weakened, especially if family values are contradicted by teachers or other student influences. Spending time together, as a family is special and naturally strengthens family bonds.
Our families study, work, play, and pray together. Children learn to love and appreciate parents, brothers, and sisters. They enjoy and learn to relate to children of various ages and adults - not just their own age group.
Through extra curricular activities, youth groups, clubs and sports our students enjoy developing relationship skills within constructive situations. With programme flexibility and more effective use of time, home-based education often allows for greater involvement in extra curricular activities.
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Teachers who know and understand each student
Parents have lived with each of their children since birth. Who could better know their individual strengths and weaknesses? A classroom teacher may take months to get to know each student well and sometimes a quiet student is never even noticed.
Better self concept
Students at State Schools often face rejection and mockery from other kids for struggling to grasp skills, being a gifted learner, too tall or short, having different religious views or otherwise being an individual. This creates a rejection of individual differences and damages self-concept. Parents on the other hand, generally appreciate the specific qualities and abilities of their own children.
This encourages a celebration of individual differences and an acceptance of others. Above all, the faith your children will have the chance to develop in God, will give an understanding of the exciting plans God has for all of our lives and how special we all are to Him.
Better Preparation for Life
Studies have found that home-based learning environments produce students with equal learning outcomes, generally higher behavioural standards and healthier self-concept in comparison to State day school students.
In 2003 Education Queensland completed a large review of Home Schooling and families with Independent Distance Education schools. Their findings, similar to other studies have been very favourable towards home-based learning. As the media has publicised these findings, it is interesting to see public opinion changing and more families dispelling the myths and misconceptions.
For many of our parents their most desired outcome for their children to develop a "real life" faith in God, while gaining the academic skills and qualifications they require to ensure future opportunities. If this is your goal you need to ask, “are my children most likely to develop a strong faith if they are placed within an environment consisting almost entirely of people who advocate principles contrary to our own family beliefs?
Children at an impressionable age need the opportunity to form strong foundations upon which they can build their future lives and fulfil their God given destiny.
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