I was asked recently to put together an article on home education. That request seemed timely, considering schools in the district have already been shut down, may be shut down, or live with the annual threat of being shut down.
Probably a good place to start is for some definitions. True “home education” (also known as homeschooling) is where parents assume full responsiblity for the daily education of their own children. A variation of such includes a cluster of children, gathered together in a common venue (often a church basement), under the approved tutelage of a qualified teacher.
And when I say “qualified,” I do not necessarily mean “certified.” “Certified” means the teacher has an education degree from a university; whereas “qualified” means that they have the life skills to run a classroom. Someday I would love to explore these differences further.
And just for the record, friends, home education is legal, welcomed, and growing here in Alberta.
I have been involved in the home education movement for over twenty-five years, both here and in BC. Over those years, my wife and I have founded and led support groups, spoken at homeschool-related events, and have taught or are teaching all nine of our kids at home. And for these past five years, I have been the editor of the magazine that serves the home education community here in Alberta—a periodical goes to approximately 3500 homes.
I believe, then, that I am somewhat qualified to write about the subject!
People choose to home educate for various reasons. Some have issues with the public school, be it a teacher or the curriculum; others have problems with negative peer pressure. Still others choose to keep their kids at home for social, religious, or academic reasons. Further considerations could include the following: a more flexible schedule, specific core subjects, even simply a genuine drive to do what's best for the child.
Whatever the reason, the parents must choose what form of education is best for their child.
Home education has become so mainstream, ironically, it's almost disappointing! Within a couple months of this column, the annual Alberta home education convention will be held in Red Deer at the Westerner. There will be hundreds of families present, a mere drop in the bucket of those actively teaching their kids at home. On top of that, there will be scores of exhibits, mostly of curriculum and aids--plus plenary sessions, keynote speakers, and vendor workshops—to say nothing of lots of good connections.
Strangely enough, while we as a family have homeschooled for the education of all our kids, I personally have been a (full-time and now part-time) classroom teacher for the past twenty years. I love teaching and I feel called to teach, but home education has worked best for our family.
Many of my friends are public school teachers, and they are doing a great job. Many other teacher friends have decided that, for them, home education is the best option. My wife, both a certified and a qualified teacher, chose to pursue that route. This year, we will graduate our sixth of nine children. The ones that have moved on have become very productive members of this culture—one of the many goals of any educational system.
When a school closes down, and children are faced with a one-hour bus ride, then homeschooling becomes a great alternative. When a school goes only to a certain grade, and high school is too far away in another community, homeschooling makes sense. When the student can combine basic academic skills with obvious vocational interests, then homeschooling is a viable option.
Some have felt that home education is the so-called new kid on the educational block. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. If one wants to study history, public schools are the latest trend, probably around 100 years old. Homeschooling has been around for centuries; it just looks different from its predecessor, namely, parental apprenticeship and mentoring.
The government of Alberta has very high expectations for homeschooling—certainly the highest in Canada, and probably all of North America. One way this is maintained is to have certified teachers visit the homes of those who are registered with a particular school board, resident or non-resident. That is, in fact, what I do for a living: My students are registered at a local school, Cherry Coulee Christian Academy; my wife and I visit homes from Medicine Hat to Cowley, from Milk River to La Crete. Plus, we keep in contact with our families by phone.
Just as an aside, home education saves the government millions of dollars every year, through a low reimbursement formula, and the results are positively disproportionate to the investment.
Is home education for everybody? Absolutely...not! It has worked well for hundreds, indeed thousands, of families throughout Alberta. Every parent must make that choice as to how their children are to be educated. Home education just happens to be one of those choices.
One word of advice here: Don't let school get in the way of education!
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