You might find this article interesting.

[Onceuponatime]

http://oftwominds.com/blog.html Homeschooling in New Zealand Edited September 25, 2010 by Onceuponatime

[Rosie_0801]

#4 is debatable...

 

Rosie

[Kareni]

Here is a more direct link to the article.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Farrar]

So, let me get this straight. He's suggesting that because the economy is in flux and many households have become single-income, that paying those households to homeschool would save the state money and help out families at the same time.

 

I just... I mean... He's not wrong per se, I guess (except about exposure to ideas, maybe). It's just that to my mind, homeschooling your kids is something I firmly believe nearly anyone *can* do. However, I also believe it's a calling. You have to have a leading to want to do this in your life. Yes, it's economic. But it's more than just an economic choice to homeschool.

 

I think this rubs me funny because one of the things I see with education right now is all this cost-benefit analysis stuff and reducing the process of education to a simple economic product. Yes, I'm glad schools are trying to put their money where it matters most, but with standardized testing and so forth, it feels like there's a lack of understanding of the individual in public education. Each kid is just another piece of data waiting to go into the marketplace and increase productivity.

 

And that's to say nothing of the fact that with money inevitably comes increased regulation. For that small a sum, no thanks.

[Deb in NZ]

We aren't paid to HS in NZ. What we receive is a "supervisory allowance." This is also paid to parents who use the NZ correspondence school. Although it looks like a lot of $ to recieve for HS/ing, it no where covers lost income. When I was HS/ing all 3 of my dc I recieved NZ$948 every June & December. This would help to pay for our curriculum, but as the NZ$ is less than the US$ & shipping is VERY expensive, our allowance did not cover the total expense.

 

But in NZ we aren't required to submit yearly reports or plans or follow any proscribed curriculum. This freedom is well worth the cost of choosing our own curriculum.

 

There is no such thing as free education in NZ. Ds#2 would like to go to PS next year for highschool. By my figuring it will cost us $500 to get him in the door (school fees, course fees, stationary fees, uniforms, etc.) & this is the local public school. The difference between HS/ing & PS will be over $1200! But I will be free to work if I need to & this looks to be the case as dh has been laid off & there's no work around at all in our area.

 

The article that was linked above is mostly correct, but the spin he gives it isn't true to the culture, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

JMHO,