Home School Survey - Poll

[Aelwydd]

Hello everyone, this is Rebekah's son, Jackson. My mom gave me permission to conduct a survey here for my social studies assignment. Thank you for your help!

 

 

Q.If a student is home-schooled, should a parent, guardian, or tutor be required by law to be present during school hours?

 

Please give a brief reason for your answer.

 

Are you:

 

Male/ Female

Adult (18 and over) or a Minor

[Aelwydd]

Hey guys, this is Rebekah.  My ds Jackson is completing an assignment for an online class he's taking, so please do not blame him for the poor wording of the question.  Yes, I know the wording is extremely limited and the survey question is awful, IMO.  However, I think that this can be a very good example for him for why a survey question needs to be carefully thought out, instead of the very limited perspective evidenced by the school's curriculum.  (BTW, this class is through Florida's Global Virtual school.)

[BigMamaBird]

Hi Jackson,

 

I am a female in my late thirties.

 

I voted no.  I believe that if a student is legally old enough to stay home alone then it's okay if they do some of their school work without a parent in the home with them.  

Edited January 8, 2016 by BigMamaBird

[Audrey]

Hi Jackson.  I agree with all of BigMamaBird's answer above and also add that homeschooling should not be regulated and restricted to the hours set by the public school system. Homeschooling can and does occur outside of those hours. 

 

I am female and over 18.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Audrey

[abba12]

What are school hours? The states hours or the hours the child competes school

 

If the latter, what constitutes school? Without careful wording the law could end up requiring a parent to, say, be present while a child reads a book before bed because they selected one of their assigned literature books. Normal students are not supervised during homework, is there a provision for homeschool ' homework'?

 

What is present? Actively attentive? In the room? In the building?

 

Homeschooling high school generally looks fairly independent, I don't think many parents are sitting with their child for 6 to 8 hours daily, and in many cases a teenage student might do independent work while a parent is away at work, so for that reason alone, nope.

 

But really, the definition of ' school hours' and 'present' need to be more clearly defined before real debate can happen

 

ETA: Female, over 18

Edited January 8, 2016 by abba12

[Reefgazer]

I voted no because children of homeschoolers should be treated by the same laws used to safeguard children everywhere.  Stay at home alone laws shouldn't be used to enforce homeschool parameters, since staying home alone has nothing to do with homeschooling, really.  Likewise, no one can really define homeschool hours, since one is technically learning all the time.

 

Female, over 18 (waaaay over).

Edited January 8, 2016 by reefgazer

[HSmomof2]

Hi Jackson. I agree with all of BigMamaBird's answer above and also add that homeschooling should not be regulated and restricted to the hours set by the public school system. Homeschooling can and does occur outside of those hours.

 

 

 

I am female and over 18.

I completely agree. ^^^^ (Also a female over 18.)

[Seasider]

BIg Mama Bird said:

"I believe that if a student is legally old enough to stay home alone then it's okay if they do some of their school work without a parent in the home with them."

 

Audrey said:

"homeschooling should not be regulated and restricted to the hours set by the public school system. Homeschooling can and does occur outside of those hours."

 

I agree with these statements and voted no.

 

I am female, over 18 years of age.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I voted no.  First of all, who is to say what are "school hours?"  We didn't always follow traditional school hours.  Sometimes, we did school on weekends to free up some days during the week for either fun, educational activities, or for life ... such as elderly parents who needed help, or a sibling who has some special medical or learning needs that require mom to take time out of the day to see specialists, etc.  Also, not all learning needs to be teacher lead.  From the time my kids could read, they did some of their own independent activities.  Sometimes, that was just free reading on their own.  Sometimes, it was a documentary of their choice.  Sometimes, it was an experiment or a display.  By the time my kids were in high school, I did much less formal teaching and more mentoring and coaching of independent learning. 

 

Female

Over 18 (like way over.)

[Ananda]

I'm an adult female.

I voted "No". 

Firstly, if a child can normally be left home alone, it is fine to leave the child during school hours.  Learning doesn't need to be confined to the hours of 8-3.  Also I think it is entirely appropriate for a older student to be expected to study independently while the parent is out of the house, as long as the parent is in general keeping the student accountable.

[Anne]

I voted no.

 

I'm an adult female.

 

If the child is legally old enough to stay home alone, they are usually quite able to accomplish quite a bit independently.

 

And as the others have observed, "school hours" are not the stifling straitjacket for home schools that they often are for public schools....

[HS Mom in NC]

No.

Same reasoning as the others have posted.

42 year old female.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

No

I am assuming that the child is old enough to stay home alone during non-school hours as well.

I am a female, and I'm an adult.

[Tap]

Adult female

 

No.  LOL School districts don't even require this, so why would it apply to homeschool.  That is why it is called Homework.

[Laura Corin]

I voted no, for the reasons that Big Mama Bird gave.  I'm over 18 and female.

[MrsRobinson]

I voted no for the reasons already stated. I am female over 18. Good luck with your assignment. :)

[waa510]

Female over 18

 

No, I don't think it should be law for a homeschooled child to have someone there while schooling. I'd like to think a parent would be able to make the correct or appropriate choice for what is best for their child and their learning needs. Good luck with your assignment!

[Melissa in Australia]

I am female over 18 and voted no for all the reasons listed above

[creekland]

Female over age 18 and voted no.

 

Reason?  Having an adult with a child is babysitting, not homeschooling.  Granted, sometimes teaching/tutoring can occur when adults are around but learning can happen without having adults around.

 

At public school, the requirement to have adults always supervising is to be certain nothing happens to the kids (aka babysitting).  Many times when substitutes are in, that's all that happens.  Sometimes when "real" teachers are in, that's all that happens.  Kids can learn the subject both in and out of the classroom, with and without adult supervision, and at all hours.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Female over 18 ( way over)

I voted no. My kids are perfectly capable of reading, writing, etc w/o my prescence. Obviously young kids should be overseen for safety but that wasn't the question.

[craftymama]

I voted no.  Female over 18.

[JustEm]

No, if a child is old enough to be left alone it should be up to the parents if the child can be left calone to work independently

[SparklyUnicorn]

F, over 30

 

No, that is pretty arbitrary.  As a homeschooler I don't have to school during school hours. 

 

 

 

[foxbridgeacademy]

Female over 18

I have the right to educate my child as I see fit whether that be during regular school hours or not. with or without me present. 

[tm919]

No -- it just doesn't make sense for all  the reasons stated above. Female over 18.

 

I kind of wonder how different the answers would be if you posted this in a different venue though (e.g., school teachers, or public school parents).

[Mama Geek]

I voted no, I am in my 40's and female.

 

[purpleowl]

Q.If a student is home-schooled, should a parent, guardian, or tutor be required by law to be present during school hours?

I think "school hours" is unclear in the question (the hours of local public schools, or the hours when homeschooling is happening?), but I also think it's irrelevant. If the child is old enough to be left at home alone, then the child is old enough to be left at home alone.

 

I'm also interpreting "present" as "on the premises." If you actually mean "at the table watching the child work," then I don't even think that's necessary for my six-year-old, who is perfectly capable of finishing an assignment while I fold laundry in another room.

[The Girls' Mom]

No.  

 

For one, my high schoolers typically finish their school work in far less time than the allotted public school day.  Why should I be required to babysit teenagers? For another, at this point I am only a facilitator.  They work independently, and do not need my direct supervision.  Would my presence be required if they went on a field trip with a group or drove themselves to a museum?  Or would we be restricted to our home during "school hours"? What about the fact that I attend college full time and also work?  Or what about my dual enrolled children?  Would I be required to attend class with them?

I agree, it is a very limiting question.

 

Female over 18.

[freesia]

BIg Mama Bird said:

"I believe that if a student is legally old enough to stay home alone then it's okay if they do some of their school work without a parent in the home with them."

 

Audrey said:

"homeschooling should not be regulated and restricted to the hours set by the public school system. Homeschooling can and does occur outside of those hours."

 

I agree with these statements and voted no.

 

I am female, over 18 years of age.

All of the above.

[sgo95]

Hi Jackson,

 

That is a rather broad question. If you define "school hours" as being the time during which public schools are in session, then my answer would be "no": it would be fine for a student to be in the presence of a non-tutor (if too young to stay alone) or by themselves during this time, and for school to take place outside of the hours normally considered school hours. 

 

If the question is whether a trusted adult should be present during the student's personal school hours, in order words, whether students require supervision while doing assignments, my answer would be that it depends on the student's age. I am fine with legal requirements to keep a young child safe by not leaving them home alone, that is. I also believe that young students generally require supervision and help to be able to complete their academic assignments, but I think regulating that could be a slippery slope. I believe homeschool parents have the duty to ensure their kids get an education, and I am OK with some amount of legislation to this effect, but it could soon turn into something that is too rigid and narrow to allow homeschool families to educate their children in the way that is right for the child and family.

 

Female over 18  :laugh:.

Voted no for reasons above.

 

Female, over 18

[bettyandbob]

Jackson,

 

I am female and a couple weeks short of 50. I don't a parent's presence should be required anymore than it is outside of school hours. I know a few homeschool and/or cyber school teens whose parents are gone during typical business hours. These teens manage their time with no problems.

 

I don't think most people would advocate for a child 6-7 years old to be home alone for 7 hours a day. (In fact I think the parent who contemplates that is probably in a horribly difficult situation like balancing finances and something like extreme bullying).

 

There is a gradual building to independence starting from infancy (can mom leave the room to get water? Step outside and go to the mailbox? Have coffee in a neighbor's yard for 10 minutes? 30 min run to the pharmacy? 2-4-6 hours?). All this takes place over the years to adulthood. There's no reason why some of these unsupervised/learning independence blocks cannot take place during local public school hours.

 

Obviously, parents should have some accountability for somewhat accurately judging a child's readiness.

 

There should be no blanket rule on this.

[Lolly]

Female over 18.

 

If you search, this question has a thread that should come up from not long ago. Seems someone else is taking this class too!

 

No, Same responses as pretty much everyone else as to why. School hours? Age of dc? And so forth...

[Carrie12345]

I am an adult female, and I voted no.

 

I have children who are not only old enough to stay home safely and responsibly, but they're also able to supervise their younger siblings.  While my specific children probably wouldn't do well if they were on their own from 8-6 Monday through Friday, they are entirely capable of completing some independent work while I run errands, attend a meeting, or take other children to activities or appointments. Without the younger children to supervise, the older ones could manage longer days.

 

I don't think it's any different from how my sisters and I would come home from public school and do our homework before our parents got home from work.

[SKL]

No, at any age.  Parent/guardian/tutor is too narrow, assuming you mean legal guardian.  A child can be safe and a child can be learning without any of those three people around.

 

I am a woman age 49.

 

If by "guardian" you mean any responsible adult who is legally allowed to be with kids, my answer would still be no once the child is mature enough to be safe without an adult for some time.

 

I'm also not sure what you mean by "school hours" - do you mean the hours when local public schools are in session, or do you mean the hours chosen by the homeschooler for academic instruction?  For a kid old enough for any independent study, my answer would still be no.  My kids have been able to work independently (part of the time) long before they were old enough to be safe without an adult.  Some of the best learning occurs in independent study.

[Mothersweets]

Hi Jackson,

 

I voted no for the same reasons everyone else did. I'm a woman over 18. Good luck with your assignment!

[Dmmetler]

No, because of the wording of the question. FWIW, I do most of my errand running when my DD is in online classes because she truly won't need me during the actual class time. (My DH works from home, so technically there is an adult present, but he's the kind of guy who can have the house burn down around him when he's working on a problem, and not notice.) She does a lot of her independent work at night before bed-she'd rather have daytime hours to play, and I don't allow screens for several hours before bed, so she feels that it's a perfectly good time to do school.

 

I do feel that homeschooled students of all ages need at least some direct instruction and supervision of work (at very least, someone to talk it over with at times!) and that while there are probably kids who self-educated high school, that's not a goal to strive for.

 

Female over 18.

Edited January 8, 2016 by dmmetler

[mom@shiloh]

Over 18, voted no.  Although I  think that parents/guardians SHOULD be around and actively supervising, I wouldn't want it to be mandatory.

[regentrude]

I voted No.

I am female, over 18.

 

But really, the question makes no sense because the answer depends entirely on the child's age. Young children obviously need adult supervision (not just because they are homeschooled , simply because they are young kids), but teens can work perfectly well on their own for part of the day. Oh, and "school hours" is a fuzzy concept in a homeschooling family, too.

Edited January 8, 2016 by regentrude

[wintermom]

What are school hours?  They differ from school to school here. And what "law" are you thinking of reinforcing the hours? Education rules and regulations fall under Provincial guidelines here. There are definite rules and regulations governing the care-taking of minor children, but these are separate from educational guidelines. In addition, the ages and number of children in question are relevant.

 

Impossible for me to answer the question. A "no" or "yes" answer would be meaningless to you.

Edited January 8, 2016 by wintermom

[Serenade]

I said no, because it depends on the age of the student.  High school students, and some middle school students, are capable of working on their own without a parent home.  

 

I am a female and over 18.  :-)

[Sarah CB]

BIg Mama Bird said:

"I believe that if a student is legally old enough to stay home alone then it's okay if they do some of their school work without a parent in the home with them."

 

Audrey said:

"homeschooling should not be regulated and restricted to the hours set by the public school system. Homeschooling can and does occur outside of those hours."

 

I agree with these statements and voted no.

 

I am female, over 18 years of age.

 

I am female and over 18 years of age and these would be my reasons for voting no.

[chocolatechip]

Female over 18: I vote no for the reasons everyone has already stated.

[ScoutTN]

I voted no, for all the same reasons as the others have stated.

 

I am a female way over the age of 18.

[happypamama]

I am an adult female, and I vote no.

 

School can occur any time and any place.  There's not really "homework" for a homeschooler.  There may be independent work that the student completes on his/her own after receiving instruction from the teacher, and that work might be completed in a number of ways when a parent or guardian isn't present.  The student might complete the work at home while the parent takes a younger child to the doctor, or the parent might drop a student off at dance class early to run errands, while the student works on math until her class starts.  In fact, dance class itself might count as part of the school day!  If a child is old enough to be left alone, then the child is old enough to do schoolwork without a parent present.

[kewb]

Female, late 40s,

 

No, there should be no law regulating that a parent, tutor, or guardian be present during school hours.

This survey is a lesson in define your terms.

1. What age school children are we talking about? All? Elementary? High school?

2. Who defines school hours?

3. What is the goal/purpose of this law?

[Jaybee]

I agree with BigMamaBird and Audrey. Female over 50 ;).

 

ETA: There is no reason why my 15yo ds needs me to be at home the entire time he is doing his schoolwork. He works mostly independently, and is responsible enough for me to be able to run out and buy groceries. My 12yo might be a different story...

Edited January 8, 2016 by Jaybee

[lispy]

I voted no for the same reasons as the others.

Adult female.

[Alexigail]

I'm a woman in my 30s and I say no.  We don't always do school during the hours the school district has set.  Sometimes we work in the evenings or on weekends.  Sometimes we take a day off and do something fun.  Children should be properly supervised and I have opinions regarding leaving kids alone for long periods of time, but they have nothing to do with education.  One of the major draws for our family towards homeschooling is flexibility.  

[scholastica]

Female over 18. No, because of all the reasons stated above.

[Mommy to monkeys]

No, for reasons already stated

Female over 18