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Page 1 of 5 ONE SIZE FITS ALL?
With many parents believing that educating disabled kids in mainstream school can be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, it seems increasing numbers are opting for home education. Melissa Holmes investigates the pros and cons of for youngsters with disabilities, and speaks to parents who have decided to go it alone.
According to experts at the University of London, home education is an “astonishingly efficient way to learn,” and it’s estimated that some 50,000 children in the UK receive their schooling at home. There are numerous reasons why parents choose to take their kids out of school – from bullying to religious preferences – and it’s perfectly legal to do so. By law, parents are responsible for ensuring their child receives a suitable education, whether that’s in school or out in the wider world.
TAKING THE PLUNGE
With disabled kids now being educated alongside their mainstream peers, some parents feel that their children aren’t getting the in-class support they need, so they’re opting to teach their kids at home instead. The growing trend is certainly evident online, where communities of mums and dads share their home education experiences and offer advice to others who are considering taking the plunge and removing their child from mainstream schooling.
Nicola Humphreys decided to home educate her son because of bullying: “O’Shea became increasingly upset about going to school. Despite meetings with the head teacher, the bullying wasn't dealt with appropriately. My son began wetting the bed and having nightmares, so I looked at the alternatives.” 11-year-old O’Shea has Dyspraxia, and Nicola feels that home education has given her son the chance to enjoy a positive learning experience with one-to-one lessons that were tailored to his needs. O’Shea got used to a timetable system and his mum noticed a real improvement in his learning, to the extent that he’s recently started attending a local all boys mainstream secondary as Nicola wasn’t confident she’d be able to teach him what he needed to learn at secondary level.
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