Alternative schooling - Correspondence

[Schoolie]

Has anyone gone down the correspondence school tack?  Just investigating and found that for a full years tuition via correspondence we would be looking at $4,000 per kid per year.  This is using the NZ correspondence school.

[social interaction?]

But isn't the social interaction of being with other kids in school daily an important part of education? Given pretty much everyone else will be in school all day, what will you do to ensure your kids are developing socially as well?

[anadvert]

I think the OP post is an ad, pretty sure I have seen it before. For what it's worth it would probably be cheaper to home school and go to the home school meets ups if money is the problem. Probably more fun and more choice and flexibility too.

[Yes social interaction]

I agree with the "social interaction" poster.  If money is an issue, send them to a local Singaporean school.  It would still be better than keeping them at home.  I know somebody in their sixties who was home-schooled and although he has been quite sucessful in life, he is still socially awkward.

[Could be..]

I agree with the "social interaction" poster.  If money is an issue, send them to a local Singaporean school.  It would still be better than keeping them at home.  I know somebody in their sixties who was home-schooled and although he has been quite sucessful in life, he is still socially awkward.

Maybe he was home-schooled because he was socially awkward! Of course these days we know the correct term for his awkwardness.

[butiknow]

I agree with the "social interaction" poster.  If money is an issue, send them to a local Singaporean school.  It would still be better than keeping them at home.  I know somebody in their sixties who was home-schooled and although he has been quite sucessful in life, he is still socially awkward.

I know lots of socially awkward people - and they all went to school!

[I have]

two kids who are very happy at an international school here, but that hardly means that any other alternative form of schooling is going to convert them into some form of aliens!! Don't know why people assume that homeschoolers are going to necessarily be debarred by their parents from having any meaningful interaction with other kids their age.

[Schoolie]

No not an ad.  Got a very socialable kid who does lots of activities outside of the local school he attends.  Just hasn't been working so well for us lately and we were looking into alternatives. Correspondence school gives you all the tuition with access to qualified teachers. For us it would be an education within the curriculum we would eventually get back to.  They do virtual classrooms and heaps of stuff.  Was just wondering if anyone had looked into it or are using it.  As we've been out of the country too long we don't qualify to get it free or greatly discounted. When you homeschool you have to source all the learning material yourself so I can't see that it would more expensive. Would be very interested to know if anyone is using this.

[The ref]

One family in my condo block is home schooling using the NZ correspondence school and the eldest (8yo) has been put into a local school for reasons of social interaction, getting out of the house, etc.

I heard there were people who gropup together, hire a teacher to help in the home schooling and to give social interaction.  I am currently thinking of this while my children progress through the waiting lists for my school of choice.

I have also heard of correspondence school out of Perth which is a better time zone if contact is needed with teachers.

[ishq]

For $4000 for correspondence, the local school option seems to make more sense.

[SAE]

One family in my condo block is home schooling using the NZ correspondence school and the eldest (8yo) has been put into a local school for reasons of social interaction, getting out of the house, etc.

I heard there were people who gropup together, hire a teacher to help in the home schooling and to give social interaction.  I am currently thinking of this while my children progress through the waiting lists for my school of choice.

I have also heard of correspondence school out of Perth which is a better time zone if contact is needed with teachers.

As a non believer in homeschooling I am curious as to why people who chose to teach their children at home would hire a teacher - surely this makes the whole home schooling ethos null and void?

[scorn]

Home-schoolers get accepted into top universities at higher rates than regular students so while there may be social issues for some kids it's certainly not the norm.

[The ref]

One family in my condo block is home schooling using the NZ correspondence school and the eldest (8yo) has been put into a local school for reasons of social interaction, getting out of the house, etc.

I heard there were people who gropup together, hire a teacher to help in the home schooling and to give social interaction.  I am currently thinking of this while my children progress through the waiting lists for my school of choice.

I have also heard of correspondence school out of Perth which is a better time zone if contact is needed with teachers.

As a non believer in homeschooling I am curious as to why people who chose to teach their children at home would hire a teacher - surely this makes the whole home schooling ethos null and void?

Simple economics or timing.  If you want your children to use the same curriculum as back home, you are looking at $19,000 to $28,000 per year for international schools and a waiting list of around a year for some schools (like UWC, Tanglin). If you are on a wait list it makes sense to home school rather than put in one school only to change later.

It is also much cheaper if a few families get together.  If two families with four children got together they would save a fortune.

[secondary school]

I thought I read last year that local schools were going to increase the amount that foreigners had to pay to attend, somewhere along the lines of about $5,000 per year - is that not correct?

Anyhow, I know (and have known) quite a few home schooled kids here, some who are no longer home schooled and are at university now (and doing very well both socially and academically) and a couple who were home schooled through primary and went to school when they were secondary age.  One of the many advantages of home schooling that I've seen is that they have a much shorter day simply because they get their work done so much quicker - no changing classrooms, teachers spending lots of time with one kid and neglecting the others etc - they can do a whole school day's work in about 3 hours if they knuckle down.

But for some people they still have to pay for other classes and I've known parents put their kids in art, music or extra maths classes simply because they haven't got the training or facility to do it at home, so they do get to socialise through that kind of thing.

As a non believer in homeschooling I am curious as to why people who chose to teach their children at home would hire a teacher - surely this makes the whole home schooling ethos null and void?

not everyone who teaches their child at home is a teacher themselves and for some there can be certain aspects to the work that they're simply not qualified to teach, especially if they're still home schooling when the child is older.

[plenty]

of ways to get social interaction in Singapore.  Had a couple of kids at our condo who were home schooled.  They would be down in the playground or the pool from 4pm like every other kid.