Introduction
The Right to Education initiative is a global organization ensuring all children have access to quality learning. The Education Act of 1981 emphasized that all children in the UK, regardless of their situation, should receive a basic education. Students with special education needs or disabilities (SEND) may not have a similar learning rate compared to children without disabilities. They must be exposed to a conducive learning environment where their unique needs may be addressed.
Homeschooling is an education option in the UK where parents or guardians opt to educate the child at home because of their special needs to control their learning. Homeschooling is more appropriate for a SEND child because the parent can exert more control over their education to meet their specific needs, which may not be met in a school setting. Parents can take all the responsibility for their children’s education or delegate it to academic experts.
As of 2021, the number of students in the UK registered for home education was 81,200 (Lee et al., 2021). Some of the universities in the UK accept homeschooled children, depending on the course complexity and requirements. Homeschooling is one of the most effective methods, producing better academic qualifications in the long run.
This essay is structured logically for effective transition and presentation of ideas. It identifies the topic as social, political, and practical issues and then offers supporting arguments. Alternative arguments are presented to counter the supportive claims on the topic. The line argument is finally presented to offer examples of why home-based learning must be strengthened before the conclusion.
Topic Identification
Homeschooling is gaining momentum in different parts of the world. In the UK, more parents continue enrolling their students in homeschooling to control their children’s learning outcomes and ensure that the learners are not affected by environmental factors. The topic may be political, social, or practice-based because of its impact. It is political since it is enshrined in the UK constitution and a social issue because it affects a child’s ability to socialize and make new friends. It is a practice-based issue since the parent can choose to offer it part-time or full-time, depending on the provision of the law.
Further, SEND children have special needs that may not be adequately addressed in the school setting. As parents lobby for the legalization of an activity or an option, it qualifies as a political issue and requires political goodwill to be ratified (Peng & Kievit, 2020). Political leadership is therefore required to propose changes in the education system to create room for children with special needs.
Students exposed to the school may be introduced to social ills such as drug abuse because of the negative company in school. The deliberate action of educating the SEND children from home is to eliminate the social influence due to peer pressure to obtain the required outcome in the discourse. Parents and guardians may also opt for homeschooling to empower students with special social skills not included in the school curriculum.
The outcome can be easily predetermined whenever people undergo homeschooling, leading to positive outcomes in the discourse (Lee et al., 2021). As parents expose their children to home learning, they are expected to understand the practice for a positive outcome. Adoption of homeschooling enhances practicality and allows students to explore their talents and abilities as they learn.
Debate
Parents have a role in ensuring that their children have an appropriate learning environment and effective educational outcomes in the discourse. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory states that the learning environment significantly impacts a child’s learning (Peng & Kievit, 2020). The number of homeschooled students has been increasing exponentially in the UK. In 2019, the number of registered homeschoolers was 60,500 (Lee et al., 2021). The number, however, rose to 81,200 in 2021, meaning that more parents and guardians are pleased with the flexibility offered by the education setting (Lee et al., 2021). The number of students in homeschooling may be higher than the recorded value since it is not mandatory to register the students under the program.
Parents who opt to teach their children at home must ensure that the education provided is efficient, suitable for the child at their age, and aligned with the student’s needs. However, different associations in the UK have opposed the concept because of its cost implications and the creation of dependent learners. However, home learning has numerous advantages compared to the limitations, such as flexibility, eliminating unnecessary competition among peers, and giving parents control over their children’s challenges.
The right to education is met when a child experiences one-on-one teaching. However, the number of teachers in the UK curriculum must meet the teacher-student ratio of 1:15 (Lee et al., 2021). Consequently, a teacher needs to focus more attention on one student. However, when a child is schooled from home, it is possible to get full attention, improving learning. The session will be more effective when the parent or the employed tutors understand the unique needs and resolve them effectively (Peng & Kievit, 2020).
Flexibility is essential in the home education scenario. Unlike traditional schooling, where the parents must prepare the children and drop them off at school on time, parents are more flexible. They can choose the most appropriate time for learning. The flexibility associated with home education makes learning more effective. Parents can further detect any challenges or special needs and address them promptly.
Unhealthy competition jeopardizes learning in educational institutions. As students are exposed to unhealthy competition, they may choose unhealthy means, such as academic cheating. Consequently, the quality of education needs to improve as people will be more focused on beating others in an examination rather than learning. Homeschooling, therefore, is the antidote to unhealthy competition, as the learners have the duty of grasping and fulfilling all the learning outcomes stipulated at the beginning of the lesson.
Further, the parent controls all the educational matters affecting their children and can contact any relevant office for customized help. Schools in the UK cannot offer customized learning to all students with special needs. Since homeschooling is the safer option for having all children’s needs understood and addressed, it may be termed the antidote to educational challenges affecting SEND students in the UK and other parts of the world.
Children enrolled in home learning programs have a chance to bond with their parents. Therefore, parents can teach their students morals and etiquette that may not be taught in school. Further, the home curriculum is customized to meet special needs, and learning is guaranteed.
Moreover, it is also possible to focus on the learner’s skills, talents, and abilities when implementing the education curriculum at home. Homeschooling offers children the most serene learning environment, enabling learners to understand all the requirements and customized academic needs (Petts et al., 2021). Homeschooling lessons are not specified in terms of a stated number of hours. They, therefore, do not affect the absorption rate as the lesson ends only when the learner has understood the required context.
Alternative Claims
Despite the numerous advantages of homeschooling, the UK Association of Directors of Children Services encourages parents to enroll their children in schools to receive a holistic education (Petts et al., 2021). Financial strain is the main challenge affecting the quality of education delivery while schooling at home. In the ordinary UK household, more than one source of income is required to support the family’s needs and pay for additional academic needs. Since the parents may only be able to teach some subjects due to other commitments, they may be required to hire tutors in the long run.
The additional costs required for facilitating home-based education threaten the sustainability of homeschooling. While affluent families may afford to fund homeschooling, middle-class citizens may find it challenging to offer quality home-based learning with the existing economic structure (Dietrich et al., 2021). The higher cost associated with homeschooling may render it unsustainable in the discourse.
Teaching students with special needs requires special skills and academic qualifications. Further, specific subjects require additional specialties to excel in the discourse. Parents cannot handle home learning from a professional point of view since academic success requires a student to be taught by an expert in all subjects. Regardless of the parents’ academic credentials, it is practically impossible to effectively teach all the stated subjects because of the lack of qualifications (Moore, 2020).
Therefore, the academic threshold required for effective teaching may force the parents or guardians of the students learning from home to hire more specialized staff, which is more expensive than traditional schooling. In areas where homeschooling is not regulated, students may be exposed to a learning environment where they learn from a less qualified tutor. Consequently, the quality of learning is negatively impacted.
Peer association is a key factor in children’s growth and development. Pertinent traits such as self-confidence, communication, and interpersonal skills are acquired when interacting with others. However, children in the homeschooling program may need to be exposed to peer association and communication. Although there is no shortage of homeschooling groups for socialization, it is the child’s fundamental right to associate with others. Even though there may be bullying and other forms of harassment, peer socialization is the antidote to making learners understand and appreciate diversity in the long run.
SEND children should interact with other students in the classes to appreciate the different world viewpoints and improve their span of reasoning and critical thinking. However, confining a child to homeschooling affects their ability to interact, communicate, and make rational decisions in the evolving contemporary world (Peng & Kievit, 2020). SEND students in the UK are to be trained by a pool of professionals who are trained to handle their needs. Parents who opt for homeschooling may have excessive pressure to deliver a mandate outside their jurisdiction, affecting learning.
Overdependence is a concept where a child depends entirely on the parents for their well-being. Formal education teaches children to be independent as the teacher deals with different students. However, the concept is different in homeschooling because the parent offers all the support, making the child overly dependent on the assistance (Moore, 2020). Consequently, the child’s ability to solve problems without the parent or guardian’s help will be affected, making them ill-prepared to be adults (Petts et al., 2021).
It is imperative to note that children need time away from their parents to grow and develop other aspects of life. However, homeschooling deprives the children of time away from their parents, and they depend on them for all their needs. Home education puts excessive pressure on parents and guardians, affecting how they understand their peers in the discourse.
Line of Argument
Education is a basic requirement; all children are expected to learn to prepare them for the future. SEND students require additional attention during learning to fulfill their academic needs. Their parents and guardians can offer them special treatment since they know their strengths and weaknesses. In the UK, education is compulsory for all students, but schooling is not, allowing parents to choose where their children will acquire their education. Section 7 of the Education Act of 1996 states that a parent must ensure that a child has a full-time education that meets the needs and special needs the child may have (Dietrich et al., 2021).
Since homeschooling is enshrined in the law and gives the parents a chance to choose, its selection leads to higher quality education. A parent always wishes the best outcome for their children, and if they choose to homeschool, they are prone to take care of all the academic needs for improved performance. Therefore, home-based schooling is effective because it is accepted in the constitution and helps parents meet their children’s specific needs.
The Department for Education in the UK does not collect feedback on why some parents may opt to educate their children from home. Failure to understand the reasons makes it impossible for the schools to address them; consequently, the number of people opting for homeschooling increases yearly. The UK constitution allows people to learn from home if the framework meets the seventh section of the Education Act 1996 (Petts et al., 2021).
When a parent is dissatisfied with the academic curriculum at the school, there is an alternative option to train the student at home. Parents intending to choose a career path for their children can impart the knowledge and skills customized for the career (Dietrich et al., 2021). Children are prone to effective learning if all their needs are addressed, and the option for learning from home offers an opportunity.
Consideration for Children’s Voices
Children’s Voices is a principled framework that allows young people and children to air their views on matters affecting them. Home-based schooling offers a better chance for students to share their feelings and ideas on how their education can be shaped for better outcomes. The UK education system supports a structured curriculum for normal and SEND students. Since the formal system may not offer opportunities for extra-gifted students to share their voices, homeschooling becomes the alternative resort. Some students may have artistic or athletic talents that may be overwhelmed by the demands of the formal school curriculum.
When parents choose to educate their children from home, the flexible nature of homeschooling makes it possible for the child to learn and get time to develop talents and special abilities. Over 50,000 students in the UK proceeded to the university and excelled after being in homeschooling programs (Dietrich et al., 2021). The success witnessed in homeschooling proves that it is feasible since it allows the learners to share their thoughts and voices on learning.
Conclusion
The United Kingdom’s constitution underscores the importance of education and makes it mandatory for all children. Although education is compulsory, schooling is not compulsory, and a parent or guardian may choose to educate a child from home. Homeschooling is gaining momentum in the UK since it is aligned with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which underscores the importance of the learning environment on a child’s development.
Special education requirements are needed since the SEND students require additional features for education to be achieved. Teacher shortage in England jeopardizes the teacher-student ratio, making it practically impossible to address all the learners’ needs and making home-based learning the only viable option to offer higher quality education. The increasing number of students enrolled in homeschooling proves it is a better option for learning.
Although home-based schooling is marred with numerous challenges, such as excessive pressure on the parents, over-dependence, and rising costs, it is the antidote for better educational outcomes. The advantages of homeschooling include flexibility, one-on-one learning, and assisting children in bonding with their parents. Further, parents have control over their children’s future, making them make the most necessary decisions regarding their children’s future.
The transition of over 50,000 from home learning to public universities shows that the system is feasible. More lobbying must, therefore, be made to increase the freedom associated with home learning to make education effective and customized to meet special needs. When home-based learning is empowered, and the SEND students can learn from their parents, guardians, and other experienced staff, the quality of education will be improved in the long run.
Reference List
Dietrich, H., Patzina, A. and Lerche, A., (2021) ‘Social inequality in the homeschooling efforts of German high school students during a school closing period‘. European Societies, 23(1), pp.348-369. Web.
Lee, S.J., Ward, K.P., Chang, O.D. and Downing, K.M., (2021) ‘Parenting activities and the transition to home-based education during the COVID-19 pandemic’. Children and Youth Services Review, 122(4), pp.505-585. Web.
Moore, R.L., (2020) ‘Developing lifelong learning with heutagogy: Contexts, critiques, and challenges Distance education, 41(3), pp.381-401. Web.
Peng, P. and Kievit, R.A., (2020) ‘The development of academic achievement and cognitive abilities: A bidirectional perspective.’Child Development Perspectives, 14(1), pp.15-20. Web.
Petts, R.J., Carlson, D.L. and Pepin, J.R., (2021) ‘A gendered pandemic: Childcare, homeschooling, and parents’ employment during COVID‐19’. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(3), pp.515-534. Web.