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By Christine
Cuthbertson
Staff reporter
Rachel, Jonathan and Courtney Horrocks sit around their kitchen
table. Instead of talking or eating, they have pencils and exercise
books. The children are ready to learn their ABC's.
There is no chalk board on which the teacher can write their lessons
and they call their teacher mother. Their home has taken the place
of school, their backyard turns into a playground at recess time.
And the best part of all, they only have to be in school for the
morning.
It's a big job, home-schooling, but it's worth it, said Alice Horrocks
of Long Creek.
"The main reason is because I care about the upbringing and
education of my children. I want to be involved in the way that
they learn, their values, their behaviour, the way they grow up."
Rachel, Jonathan and Courtney have been involved in activities such
as gymnastics, soccer and baseball. During the winter Rachel and
Jonathan took skating lessons. Courtney is involved in gymnastics.
All three have made friends through these activities. They also
get together with other home-schoolers. In the winter 2001/02 edition,
the Horrocks hosted a family winter fun day at their house.
All three children agreed they enjoy being home-schooled. Rachel,
who is eight, said it's good to have someone concentrating on your
learning needs and it's nice having her mother teach her.
Jonathan, who is seven, said it's great having school hours from
9 a.m. until noon, then having the rest of the afternoon to do whatever
you want. Since Courtney is only five, she doesn't have a set curriculum,
but watches phonics videos. Phonics is a teaching tool used to help
children learn to read.
Horrocks said Courtney taught herself how to read. Courtney said
she likes learning with her brother and sister.
Horrocks is a licensed teacher. She has taught high school and university.
She also has a doctorate in mathematics. She says her background
as a teacher has probably helped her, although no one has to be
a teacher to home-school their children.
Many of the books and exercises home-schoolers use can be found
on the Internet, at the library or through the school boards.
According to P.E.I.'s statistics, there were about 86 children home-schooled
in 2000-2001. This year there are 69 home-schooled children. The
numbers have fluctuated over the years, but since 1994 it has always
been well above 50.
Wanda Whitlock, director of student services in the Department of
Education, said there has been an increase in children home-schooled
in Canada. P.E.I. is unique in the way it monitors home-schooling.
Parents must provide two progress reports to the Department of Education,
one in January and one in June.
The reports help the province determine if the children are being
taught at home and how they are progressing.
A teacher is assigned to assess and monitor the children for an
accurate report. The teacher examines exercise books, talks with
the children and discusses topics the children have learned. In
most provinces parents provide a yearly progress report and parents
must register their home-schooled children with a local school board.
Each province has its own rules for home-schooling, which falls
under each province's Education Act.
For parents to home-school their children, they must make an application
to the minister of education. The application is then signed by
a licensed teacher.
The application can be obtained through the Department of Education.
The home-school newsletter, P.E.I. Home Educators Keeping In Touch,
is edited and published by Cathy and Steve Ashton. Ashton home-schooled
her children and said it was a wonderful experience.
It cost $5,000 plus the bus ride because they were not paying provincial
taxes. She has been publishing the newsletter for about five years.
Approximately 100 families receive the letter. It reports on upcoming
field trips, including any home-schooling conferences held here
or elsewhere.
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Alice
Horrocks is reading a book about Canadian History to her three
children, left to right, Jonathan, 7, Courtney, 5, and Rachel, 8.
( Cuthbertson photo)}
The cost of
home-schooling can vary depending on what books and exercises you
want to provide for your children.
On average, a home-schooler would probably cost around $400. A study
by The Fraser Institute, Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the
Mainstream, said American home-school parents spend an average $819
per child per year.
American public schools spend an average $7,987.50 per student during
the year. (All figures are in Canadian dollars).
It also said a study conducted in Oregon, U.S., home-schoolers have
saved the state $46.5 million annually.
Aileen Laurin, a student at UPEI, is a graduate of home-schooling.
Although she went to public school in B.C. from grades one through
four, her mother decided to put her and her sister in private school
in grade five.
But the private Christian school wasn't challenging for Laurin,
so her mother decided to home-school them beginning in grade six.
Laurin took most of her home-schooling using an American correspondence
course called ABACA School.
The Christian program used videotapes, with Lauren following along
as one of the teacher's students. "Because my mom wasn't a
teacher, this was the best route for her to go."
Her parents are from Austria and don't have Canadian schooling.
"One thing that I will say though when it comes to home-schooling,
you need dedicated parents," said Laurin.
When her parents divorced, Lauren's father wanted his daughters
to continue to be home-schooled and supported her mother so she
could do it. Lauren and her sister had to be registered with their
local school board in B.C.
"I know a lot of people have said, well what about peers being
with your friends. And I know a lot of people make a big issue out
of that, but it's not the big deal that people think it is,"
said Lauren.
She always saw her friends at church or after school.
The only thing she missed was sitting beside her friends during
class and having lunch with them. She also was invited to the local
school for graduation pictures and a graduation dinner.
Lauren said she was able to do her best because there was no peer
pressue.
When she started at UPEI she did very well because of her education.
Her grades were so good the university took the unusual step of
offering her a recurring scholarship for her second year.
She has also received busaries each year. Lauren is in her third
year of a music degree. Lauren would like to home-school her own
children because of her experience.
She said university hasn't been as tough for her because she had
such a good education.
According to the Fraser Institute's study, in recent years many
home-schooled students are gaining admission and scholarships to
some of the most prestigious universities and in September, 2000
the Patrick Henry College opened in Virginia, built especially for
home-schooled students who want to further their education.
The study also touched on the social skills of home-schooled children.
It stated home- schooled children participate in a wide variety
of extracurricular activities and are regularly involved in social
acitivities outside the home such as church groups, ballet and neighbourhood
play.
It also said 98 per cent of home-schooled students are involved
in two or more activities on a weekly basis outside the home and
even though there is far less Canadian research on home-schooling,
the academic performance of Canadian home-schoolers can be compared
to American home-schoolers.
Researcher Brian D. Ray found Canadian home-schoolers ranked among
the top 20 per cent in reading and in math.
The Canadian average for public and private schools is 50 per cent.
Homeschooling is a commitment that can not be taken lightly, said
Alice Horrocks. Parents must not only give their children a good
home and guidance but also teach them their ABC's.
She recommends it to every parent who wants to be there because
it's a good investment for everyone concerned
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