Sarah at heartsdesire

[OkToBeTakei]

I saw 'Sarah from Ireland ' commenting on Zsu's recent drivel. Obviously she was totally agreeing with her.

Anyway, shocker she decided to homeschool, using the below method

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

Homeschooling, What We Decided...

As you may remember from this post, my husband and I were once again back at the point of prayer over our homeschooling! I won't bore you all by lamenting over our previous choices, but simply fill you in on what we decided through much prayer, consideration and advice from other Christian home educating friends.

We knew from past experience that we simply could not rely on ourselves to review and remove the worldly content from the Irish State textbooks. There is definitely too much of it to start with, I'd be there all day long with my faithful Sharpie! Seriously though, we make mistakes, and may miss something that is not in our childrens best interests to read. So we finally decided to make a full switch to a Christian curriculum. What a relief that was!

I really dislike researching curriculum; it makes my head hurt! As we were also importing it from overseas, there was the extra issue of not really being able to make an informed choice, due to the fact that we couldn't get a hands-on look at samples from each publisher. We consulted with our Pastor who both recommended BJU and A Beka. We decided to go with A Beka, as I felt that that would be the best choice for us, plus I felt the BJU website was somewhat confusing.

The day our packages arrived (thankfully, the exorbitant postage ensured that they were delivered VERY quickly) we were all so excited! Dylan also, as he had a couple of things coming from A Beka: a hymnal, CD, another math book (he is almost finished with the "senior infants/K5" one he started in September!!) and Bible memory cards. Amy and I went through each book individually and I was very impressed with both the moral and academic content. In all honesty I found the academic content to be superior compared with the Irish public school books. Our Pastor's wife was such a blessing to us, when making decisions regarding our order. She was the only person who advised us (using her own homeschooling experience) to buy the "teachers editions" also. Based on her recommendation, my husband agreed we should get them one time, and then see whether it would be good to buy them subsequent years. I don't know about you all, but I LOVE them! I feel that they help me stay on track and be more efficient with our schooling, plus marking is so easy and fast having all the answers right there too! So yes, we are LOVING our new school materials; I only wish that every child in our country had access to such high standard curriculum.

The reason being this EVIL was in the Irish curriculum text books

Just recently Amy brought her (state approved) geography text book, to show me something she had found that was "bad" . I took a look...

Better education facilities often lead to lower birthrates. People who are literate are more likely to understand and take part in family planning schemes aimed at reducing birth rates. Educated women are more likely to work outside the home, rather than have large families.

In Germany and Ireland, education is compulsory and of a high standard. Many couples plan small families so that both men and women can have careers outside the home.

Many poorer Brazilians, especially poorer women, receive little formal education and seldom of they have the option of pursuing a career. They tend instead to have large families.

The Place Of Women In Society

When women enjoy equality with men, they are empowered to make more decisions relating to their own lives an lifestyles. In general, as the decision making power of women increases, birthrates tend to decrease.

In countries such as Ireland and Germany, improved education and awareness of equality has resulted in general equality between males and females. Women can normally choose family planning and to work outside the home. This results in falling birth rates. Forty years ago, Irish mothers had an average of four children. they now have an average of under two.

Question, does she not have to evidence that she is providing her children an education? If so does it not have to meet curriculum standards? I know the US is different state to state. Was wondering about GB and Ireland.

Also in her heartsdesire to be like Zsu I noted her son's anorak was feckin' manky.

OH Edited to add. I think she may have made the text book stuff up :lol:

[slickcat79]

Just researching homeschool curricula makes her head hurt, but she had to be advised to buy the teachers' edition of the book? Trust me honey, you're going to need it :roll:

[Irishy]

Honestly, this chick makes me stabby. She wants to live like a fundy, go away Sarah, up and live in America where you'll find many many like minded friends. All that's going to happen to you in rural Ireland is, you'll spend time and energy on fucking up your kids, they'll turn into adults, and they'll disappoint you. Because there is no future for fundies here. YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE. Even your husband is just doing it to keep you happy. You're a shameful stain on my homeland. Piss off.

ETA you're not the only stain, but you're my pet one. Also no offence to the lovely Americans out there.

[SisiL78]

Oh, those poor kids will have even worse grammar than her.

For starters, if it makes your "head hurt" to research curriculum then maybe you aren't fit to be a teacher. And if you cannot write well then you are not fit to educate others in the art of writing.

Also, if a child "gets through" a textbook in a third of the time it should take then maybe that textbook is not of the "high standard" that you seem to think it is. Maybe your child is unchallenged and too smart for your "schooling".

They don't believe in women having an education that gives them options outside of the home. But, then they want these women to educate the boys that will have to support a family with a job outside of the home. That doesn't make any sense. Both the boys and girls are getting shortchanged, but the boys are expected to achieve something careerwise and to provide for the tons of children the girls are supposed to pop out. How is that fair to anyone in the situation?

[Sola]

Question, does she not have to evidence that she is providing her children an education? If so does it not have to meet curriculum standards? I know the US is different state to state. Was wondering about GB and Ireland.

Also in her heartsdesire to be like Zsu I noted her son's anorak was feckin' manky.

OH Edited to add. I think she may have made the text book stuff up :lol:

I don't know about Ireland, but here in the England it does vary by local authority. If you remove your child from school then you have to let them know you plan to home educate. Generally you'll have a meeting with them to ensure you are serious, going into it with eyes open and know what you are doing. That said, you do not need to have a degree or anything like that to HE your children. The LA might advise, give suggestions and provide information of other HE groups such as Education Otherwise and HE-Special. Some LAs insist on yearly visits where they will check on progress, look at your curriculum, offer suggestions etc. Some don't bother. If your child has never attended school then you don't even have to let them know so it's possible that you would never have any LA contact. Most people do let their LA know though, even if the child has never attended school. For Statemented children (children with disabilities serious enough to require a Statement of Educational Needs), the process is slightly different as you have to ask permission to remove your child from school. Most often the LA will agree because they tend to give you a Notice to Cease Statement when you do and that lets them off from their legal obligation to provide what is written in the statement. A few LAs will keep the statement and continue to provide the provision therein; generally things like PT, OT and SALT, but they are the exception and not the rule. The LA that I work for does have input and we check families once a year (more if there are concerns) and I do know of two cases in the last twelve months, both which I had to prepare reports for, in which parents were served with Notice to Attend School orders. Both these families were 'unschooling' but the kids had learned fuck all and were basically running wild all day long. We do have some good Unschooling families too who are left to get on with it mostly.

Over recent years oversight has been more involved ever since the Victoria Climbie case and the resulting report. No LA wants to be caught with their pants down over lack of oversight if a HE child died so they are getting involved more. There is no legal duty for them to though. It is the parents responsibility to educate their child, at school or otherwise (which is where Education Otherwise gets their name from). There is no duty on parents of HE children to use the National Curriculum, but the education offered must be 'Broad and Balanced'. Most families here who HE don't use a ready bought curriculum out of a box. They just study what they want when they want and will take guidelines from the NC. There is a small, but growing, population of Christian HEers who are using A BEKA and ACE but they are a minority.

I'm not sure of the legalities in Scotland, NI and Wales.

[OkToBeTakei]

I don't know about Ireland, but here in the England it does vary by local authority. If you remove your child from school then you have to let them know you plan to home educate. Generally you'll have a meeting with them to ensure you are serious, going into it with eyes open and know what you are doing. That said, you do not need to have a degree or anything like that to HE your children. The LA might advise, give suggestions and provide information of other HE groups such as Education Otherwise and HE-Special. Some LAs insist on yearly visits where they will check on progress, look at your curriculum, offer suggestions etc. Some don't bother. If your child has never attended school then you don't even have to let them know so it's possible that you would never have any LA contact. Most people do let their LA know though, even if the child has never attended school. For Statemented children (children with disabilities serious enough to require a Statement of Educational Needs), the process is slightly different as you have to ask permission to remove your child from school. Most often the LA will agree because they tend to give you a Notice to Cease Statement when you do and that lets them off from their legal obligation to provide what is written in the statement. A few LAs will keep the statement and continue to provide the provision therein; generally things like PT, OT and SALT, but they are the exception and not the rule. The LA that I work for does have input and we check families once a year (more if there are concerns) and I do know of two cases in the last twelve months, both which I had to prepare reports for, in which parents were served with Notice to Attend School orders. Both these families were 'unschooling' but the kids had learned fuck all and were basically running wild all day long. We do have some good Unschooling families too who are left to get on with it mostly.

Over recent years oversight has been more involved ever since the Victoria Climbie case and the resulting report. No LA wants to be caught with their pants down over lack of oversight if a HE child died so they are getting involved more. There is no legal duty for them to though. It is the parents responsibility to educate their child, at school or otherwise (which is where Education Otherwise gets their name from). There is no duty on parents of HE children to use the National Curriculum, but the education offered must be 'Broad and Balanced'. Most families here who HE don't use a ready bought curriculum out of a box. They just study what they want when they want and will take guidelines from the NC. There is a small, but growing, population of Christian HEers who are using A BEKA and ACE but they are a minority.

I'm not sure of the legalities in Scotland, NI and Wales.

Wow that is really interesting. I had no idea you did not HAVE to inform the LA. I suppose all those 'if you don't go to school your Dad goes to jail' playground stories must have stuck in my head. :lol:

I am sure some Christian HE are good. Just hard to imagine reading what one does here. So I am glad it is still a minority although perturbed it is growing. I suspect that type of radical conservative belief would not get much of a stronghold here. Certainly not a proportion of the population which could make a difference. The horror that the US election could have been is not something I wish to visit here.

Victoria Climbie was a heartbreaking case.

I get the feeling Irishy is not keen on Sarah, just a mild feeling. Anyone else? :lol:

[Sola]

Wow that is really interesting. I had no idea you did not HAVE to inform the LA. I suppose all those 'if you don't go to school your Dad goes to jail' playground stories must have stuck in my head. :lol:

I am sure some Christian HE are good. Just hard to imagine reading what one does here. So I am glad it is still a minority although perturbed it is growing. I suspect that type of radical conservative belief would not get much of a stronghold here. Certainly not a proportion of the population which could make a difference. The horror that the US election could have been is not something I wish to visit here.

Victoria Climbie was a heartbreaking case.

I get the feeling Irishy is not keen on Sarah, just a mild feeling. Anyone else? :lol:

You have to inform them if your child is already enrolled in school. But if your child has never attended school, say has just reached the school entry age, but has never been on a school roll, then no you don't have to. Things are possibly changing, as I said the Victoria Climbie sent some huge shockwaves through the system. There are moves to have greater oversight of HEers and I think it will end with parents having to inform the LA of their intent to HE even when their child has never been on a school roll.

[OkToBeTakei]

Homeschooling is absolutely not an option for me. I would make the worst teacher known to man. But I can see why others would want to do this, and admire them for doing so. I also think that anybody taking their children's education seriously would welcome any input/advice/scrutiny even from their LA. It would be those with their own agendas who would not I suspect.

[ILoveJellybeans]

If researching curriculums makes your head hurt, you are not capable of teaching.

If you are so closed minded you have to sharpie out content in school books for children that you think is innapropriate, your child will be better off going to school.

[moodygirl86]

Sarah is a twat. No other word for it.

[Dollypeeps]

Homeschooling in Scotland is that you ask permission from the LA in your area and it can take 6-8 weeks, but if you move out of area you don't , you just don't enrol them.

You can do anything in the way of teaching and submit a report every year as most don't visit you.

I decided to do the pics and videos for the year we homeschooled. Also every friday was project day or night. (son has ADHD and other issues and this was pre dx) so he was awake at night to. I lived on a farm so he would do his project on the wildlife there or his favourite Dr Who.

I did the write up every 3 months and submit them to the LA for review they never answered me at all till we decided that son should return to school as we felt he was ready and he asked also. This was when I was praised as was son on what we did daily.

Maths

English Writing, grammar, spellings. Essays, letters. Short stories, reading. Now the Dr helped here a lot and now he reads for fun. :D

History Scottish and Irish at the time, he will tell you proudly all about what he had learnt.

PE

Science

Languages learning of, he chose Spanish and took it as a subject at school too.

Art

Our project which we changed ever month was mainly in the beginning all Dr Who based on the histories he went to. This kept him interested a lot. Then the wildlife on the farm as we had owls and bats along with the foxes and others.

This was some of the things we did daily.

When he returned to school it was on PT basic as we all felt it would overwhelm him but he was on target on most subjects. PE was easy for him but knackering for me.

He is medicated but is a joy now he can sleep at night cos his batteries can recharge but I wouldn't change that year we had together and I wouldn't change his choice of going back to school either. It's not all reciting the bible as that learns fuck all really.

Also who gives meds to a child that are for an adult ffs no way that is plain stupid.

[samurai_sarah]

I saw 'Sarah from Ireland ' commenting on Zsu's recent drivel. Obviously she was totally agreeing with her.

Anyway, shocker she decided to homeschool, using the below method

(snip)

(snip)

So...is she honestly saying that she wants her daughters to be poor, and that it's "bad" to want better for your own children? I don't know any poor, Brazilian women personally, but I have some experience with a migrant community from a poor country with limited education facilities. Statistically, the women of "my" migrant community limited their children to one or two, (two being the majority), because they knew what it was to be poor, and wanted better for their children. Education was key in that, for both sexes. I'm going to stop here, before I start ranting about the stories "my" women told me about what it means to be poor to the point of starvation. How anyone can think that poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and forced childbirth is a "good" thing, is beyond me. In the words of Simone Weil: "Clearly, you've never been hungry!" /rant