I live in australia and i am considering home schooling my 15 year old daughter.?

Question

My daughter has depression and anxiety and is having a lot of trouble in main stream high school. We feel that the school /teachers are unable to help her to the extent needed. We are in a country town so a different school really isnt an option. Could hone schooling be the answer?

Answer 1

yes!

i am 15 and i had the same problems last year.

i am now homeschooled.

i think it is great.

i love in ohio but it cant be that different.

homeschools usually supply a computer and all of the books.

if you are lucky and find a school like mine (Ohio Connections Academy) you wont have to pay for anything and your daughter will get public school accountability.

i hope this helps and i hope everything works out okay with your daughter!

Answer 2

Hi, Hannah here, *smile*.

Could home-education (the local term for 'homeschooling') be the answer for you and your daughter? Yes, I  would say: 'Absolutely!' IMO, home-education is often the way to go.

I'm 15, Australian and, along with my siblings, have been home-educated all my life (except for five weeks). My two older siblings are both at Uni 'despite' never having set foot in a school (nor having a UAI). We live on a cattle station a two-day drive from the closest school so, yep, I know all about 'lack of options', *grin*.

For general/nationwide info and resources:

http://www.hea.asn

http://www.education.gov.au/goved/search...

http://www.muslimhomeschool.net/   Don't worry if you're not Muslim; there is still heaps of useful and interesting info on this site. IMO, one of the best home-ed sites in Oz.

Also:

http://australianhomeschoolcurriculum.co...

http://www.naturalparenting.com.au/flex/...

http://www.home-ed.vic.edu.au/

http://www.educationchoices.com.au

http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine... (or any other of Beverley's websites)

You didn't say whereabouts you are so I've chucked in some links for all states/territories just to get you started.

NT:  http://www.deet.nt.gov.au/education/prog...

SA:

http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/aboutdept/defa...

http://sahome-ed.beverleypaine.com

WA:

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/homee...

Qld:

http://education.qld.gov.au/homeeducatio...

Tassie:

http://www.distance.tased.edu.au/support...

http://www.theac.org.au/

Vic:

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/aboutsch...

http://www.home-ed.vic.edu.au

NSW:

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/man...

ACT:

http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_educati...

PS Don't pay too much heed to other peoples' concerns about your daughter's social life and socialisation if she was to be home-educated -- those things are very much the concern (obsession!) of American nay-sayers. I swear I'd been home-educated for 15 years and *never* had anyone in Oz commented on my perceived lack of social skills, social opportunities etc until I came onto this board!!

If she were to be home-educated, your daughter will have as many opportunities as any other 15yr old girl who is growing up in an Australian country town...and heaps more time than her school-going peers to take advantage of, and enjoy, them. As I already said: I live on a cattle station in a remote area and am deemed, by Centrelink, to be an 'isolated child' and even I still manage to have a social life!

As for 'therapy' and 'counselling', well, I reckon that depends a lot on where you live and what realistic possibility there is of your daughter being able to access (or not) those sort of services. To me, that sort of comment just shows the poster's naivety and complete ignorance of the reality of growing up/living in 'rural & remote Australia'. Still I don't know if there'd be *any* way your daughter could talk about her difficulties with a counsellor or therapist -- or would even want to!

I suspect the poster who recommended 'counselling' as a solution to your daughter's school difficulties is N. American...or at least, not a teenager growing up in a country town in rural Australia! As a fellow teenager from a not-too-disimilar background, I'd be more concerned that, once it got round town that your daughter had been seeing a counsellor, that would be what causes her to be rejected by and isolated from her peer group far quicker and to a far greater extent than simply being home-educated ever would!

Anyway I've no idea what your access to mental health services is like where you are; but here, one's only option for 'counselling' would be '20 minutes with an RFDS Nurse, in 8 months time, if he/she can somehow manage to make the time to squeeze you in'.

Saying that though, all the 'healthcare professionals' and 'educational professionals' I know/have heard of or read about are very much pro-home education as a way of managing kids' school problems and difficulties.

Answer 3

Yes deffenitley home school her. I'm 15, and my mom decided to homeschool me for the first time(my sophomore year). You have no idea how grateful I am to her for that. I've been in public school my entire life, and it really is hard, especially when it comes to dealing with peers and peer pressure. I can understand how your daughter feels. Honestly teachers don't help, they just aren't the same, in the old days teachers actually cared for the student, now they don't care whether you fail the class or pass. I absolutely LOVE homeschooling. You should choose the same!!

Answer 4

it is option that you should be looking into as well. aside from the  getting her the full curriculum, you might want to have her try writing as well. with her condition,  writing can be an avenue where she can express her thoughts and feelings more...

Answer 5

yes! i was failing in maths, alot. then i did homeschool, they gave me workbooks to help me. Now only a year later im back at school i'm ahead! yipeee! i'm an A grade student in maths!

Answer 6

This is a hard one because there are positives and negatives to each option.

15 is a crucial age, the worst and most important part of teenage years. Taking her out of school at such an age could have disasterous effects. If she doesnt associate or stay in contact with other people her age, her social skills will receed and when she does associate with people her age after a while being home schooled away from her age group, she will feel kind of 'alienated' and the teens around her will probebly treat her differently because of her being home schooled.

On the other hand, if she is having trouble in mainstream high school and this is affecting her grades, homeschooling her will defiently be beneficial. She will be able to concerntrate more and she will be able to learn at her own pace and with a learning style that suits her. Her grades will improve and she will be able to sort out the problems that she is experiancing now easier.

If you leave her in mainstream high school, she could be the target of bullying and if she cant concerntrate on her learning, she will get worse and worse at her school work. However, she will benefit from the social interaction of teens her age group.

Have you tried councelling and therapy??? I would try those first before i decide to home school her. If you have tried them and they didnt work and you decide to home school her, then i would make sure that she is able to participate in activities with other teens, for example, sporting teams or scouts or girlguides.

But in the end, the choice is up to you, I hope that i made it easier for you.

Goodluck :)

Answer 7

HANNAH!  WHERE ARE YOU?

Yes, homeschooling is definitely an answer.  It can be the savior of kids who are suffering in the school system; public school is not for everyone.

Many families homeschool the world over.  Start researching curriculum materials; there are so many to choose from and your choice needs to reflect your daughter's learning style and educational expectations.  

Look back on this board for more information and ideas.