Can anyone home educate or do you need to have a teaching qualification?
Anyone who really wants to home educate can do so. Home education is a natural extension of child rearing. One-on-one contact leads to an individual approach to learning. There are many available resources: the internet, distance learning, school methods, experts, family members and other social networks.
Is it legal?
Parents can home educate if the child has exemption from compulsory education. You can be exempted from compulsory education if you can demonstrate that there are no schools in the vicinity that match your life philosophy.
In our society, freedom of belief and education play an important role. This is why home education touches on fundamental constitutional and human rights.
Is there supervision of the quality of the education?
At present there is no supervision of home education. A study commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, carried out in the period 2008-2010, showed that home education does not require supervision. In several home educating countries in Europe and North America, governments also find supervision unnecessary as multiple studies have shown that home educated children receive excellent education from conscientious parents. The current situation may change in the Netherlands. The political world is once again considering the option of introducing supervision. The outcome of this debate is at present unclear.
Is it possible to home educate past the age of primary school?
Yes, it is. There are many ways of obtaining secondary school diplomas. Some home educating families make use of distance learning, so that a child can obtain either a number of certificates or an entire diploma. As a result, children have no trouble transitioning to professional or higher education.
How does one home educate?
Just as there are many different kinds of school with varying teaching methods and materials, there are also different forms of home education. Parents who choose home education take the time to extensively explore all the available options before they start. They choose the methods that are best suited to their family and their child’s learning style.
The daily practice varies strongly from family to family and from day to day. Some families have a designated schoolroom; others work at the kitchen table. Some have strict daily schedules, while others are more flexible in their planning in order to accommodate their children’s interests and questions. Some days are spent visiting museums or attending workshops, or working together with other home educated children on projects, or preparing for a musical, or practicing the art of presentation. Other days are primarily spent at home, reading a good book, working on a project, completing lessons from a textbook or playing educational games.
Do home educated children have friends?
School is not the only place where children can grow and meet others. It turns out that in terms of socio-emotional development, home educated children are doing as well as their school-going peers.
Home educated children meet others at sports clubs, scouting groups, music schools, at playgrounds, during family visits, at their friends’ house, etc.
This is also what we see in practice when we look at our children; they have friends, they show initiative and they are well developed.
What does it cost?
The amount of money parents spend on home education varies greatly. Do you want to buy completely new learning materials or are you fine with less expensive second-hand versions? Maybe you don’t want to use a particular method, but to focus instead on projects and themes? A lot of information and materials can be obtained via the internet. The library is free for all children. Activities and outings do not have to be expensive if you take the time to look around.
Contact
If you have any other questions about home education, please contact us.