"Should I, Shall I, Can I, Will I?" Part Two - Page 5
© Joan Archer
Some parents have access to a separate school that is neither public nor formal. For example, some churches operate their own schools, but with no "accredited" teachers. Students are taught by their and/or other parents, with a structured day. They go to a designated building for their daily learning. Without accredited teachers, some states refer to this as "homeschool."
Still other parents form a "co-operative" type of school that the children can attend every day, or only on selected days. For those parents who are especially concerned with the social development of their child, the co-op provides a number of other children and adults to interact with. These are especially popular with rural homeschoolers, providing the whole family with an opportunity for social interaction.
An interesting twist on home education is The School of the Air in Australia. In the Outback, many children have no access to a school. "School" is transmitted over the radio, and children do their assignments at home, mail them in, and receive their grades via correspondence. This is also the case in some areas of Canada. If the students have questions, they can simply phone or radio them in, and the teacher answers them. One of the major benefits of this program is that all parties involved (parents are responsible for their child's education, so often "listen in") know what is expected of the child, and when.
Children in the United States can also do correspondence courses for homeschool. There are many different schools which operate this way, and also some curriculum providers. When all materials have been completed, they send a diploma. For the educationally squeamish, they also keep student transcripts for any potential college or university to peruse. Homeschool parents may also keep their own transcripts, but it always seems so much better written on a fancy letterhead with a big-shot name attached.
Some children are enrolled in selected classes at their local public school as a sort of "take out" learning in addition to their regular studies. Some get to be involved in classes in their local community college (In some states colleges will allow their age requirements to be waived if the student is not a full time student, taking only one or two classes). Some learn science from joining 4-H, nature from joining hiking groups, and literature appreciation from joining book discussion clubs. Home education is limited only by the imagination. It is important to teach children that learning is everywhere, and how to take advantage of that fact.
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