| How did we do Home Education? |
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| This Christmas (2000) was the crunch point for our youngest daughter. We decided, or were forced, by the plight of our daughter's situation to look into Home Education. We had been toying with the idea for months but didn't know if it was legal, and we were scared of just what it entailed. I am dyslexic too, and as such I was scared about being able to provide an adequate education. I thought we had to do the National Curriculum, and so on. Since the de-registration of our daughter from school, we have also de-registered our son at 15, nearly 16 years old. He was not going to attain any GCSE's worth having, and hew was getting into more and more dangerous situations at school with his peers. He is now doing work experience at the animal sanctuary where he was previously working voluntarily every weekend and holidays anyway. He can take an NVQ in Animal Care in September if he chooses to do so, he does not need any formal qualifications to enter this course. There are a lot of other things he can do without formal qualifications, the army for one, where there are quite a number of jobs he could apply for if he was interested. If his birthday wasn't so late in the summer, and he was 16 years old now, he could have started the NVQ course now. As it is, the legal date of school leavers at the present time is the last Friday in June. He could actually start after this date if he wants to do so. |
| We now have a happy and contented son, who's self esteem is soaring daily, confidence is oozing out of him, and he sleeps peacefully at night as his frustrations and energy are at healthy levels, for the first time in years, forever it seems to me. Our daughter is recovering very slowly, who knows how long it will take for her to recover completely. She has been left with nerves so badly damaged she is on anti-depressants at 14 years old, also suffering severe exhaustion, and has been diagnosed with ME. She has also been vindicated for the amount of time off school suffering with her periods as she has endometriosis, and has been in hospital during May to have the growths removed. Unfortunately the endometriosis is so bad, none of the growths could be removed, she has had to be given a course of drug treatment to stop her cycle for a year so the lumps can dry out. |
| Any form of school curriculum type study still makes her feel ill, as the reminder of school is still too close for comfort. So, as we do not have to follow the National Curriculum as Home Ed'ers, we have scrapped them all together. She is studying a 2 year comprehensive Yoga Therpaist course with the British School of Yoga; this will give her a diploma when she reaches 18 years old. She wants to be an alternative therapist and will not need GCSE's anyway, so who knowa, maybe she will never take them. |
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| This is just the tip of the iceberg of my story, aren't you glad I didn't write it all??? When we first made the decision to home educate we were very scared of what we'ed done, but we felt the overwhelming need to protect our daughter whatever the cost. Since then, I have obtained a huge wealth of knowledge, fast. I have a huge folder full of information. I have decided to create this web page for those needing help to understand what's out there so to speak, and as I was relating little relevant bits of our story to those who needed encouragement and support, in the beginning of their journey along the home educating path, when my eldest daughter suggested I had a go at creating a web page. |
| I used to say 'so here it is....' but this is now my third web address as my site has grown and developed, so instead I shall say 'here it is again....' I have spent hours searching the net for the right information. I was so very grateful for all the help and invaluable support given to me by other people on the Education Otherwise site, I wanted to be able to give something back, and steer others to the many sites that are available as well. I felt so over whelmed at all that was available on the net in the way of learning sites, that at first it made me feel quite ill, I mean, how did we go about finding the right ones when there were so many? Please feel free to print off any information from this site for future reference, or to pass on to others. However, no wording is to be altered, nor any charge made. Thankyou. |
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| Have fun exploring the sites on the next page and I hope the information helps you!!! |
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