How to save your child from the shortcomings of a modern school

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If in a modern school you are not satisfied with many things, there is a way out - family education. Life hacker understands the legal regulation of home schooling and gives expert opinions on its pros and cons.

Family education is widespread in 45 countries of the world and every year it becomes more and more popular. In the United States, 2.5 million children are homeschooled and their number is increasing by 5-12% annually.

In Russia, family education was the norm until the middle of the 19th century. The upbringing and education of children in noble and merchant families was carried out by invited teachers and governors (often foreign).

After the revolution, education fell under the strict control of the state. Only children with disabilities were allowed to study at home.

In the 1990s, family education reappeared in legislation. But it is only now becoming truly in demand in Russia.

According to the online magazine Family and Demographic Research, more than 100,000 families each year give preference to getting an education outside the organization. More than 1.5 million people have already received family learning experience.

What is family education

On the Web, the out-of-school form of education is called differently: family education, home schooling, unschooling, homeschooling. These terms do not always mean the same thing. So let's first define the terminology.

According to Article 17 of the Federal Law of December 29, 2012 No. 273 "On Education in the Russian Federation", there are two forms of education in Russia:

• in organizations engaged in educational activities (full-time, part-time or part-time education in public and private schools, lyceums, gymnasiums);
• outside of such organizations.

In the latter case, two forms of education are distinguished: family education and self-education (for children over 15 years old).

Family education is learning outside of school. Parents independently organize the educational process, and children master the curriculum.

Formally, it is correct to say “family education”. But the term "homeschooling" (from English homeschooling) came to us and took root from English-language sites. The essence is the same, therefore further in the article the terms "family / home education" and "family education" will be used interchangeably.

What family education should not be confused with is home schooling, external studies and unschooling. Children with disabilities study at home, while de jure they are assigned to an educational institution. It’s just that teachers come home or teach lessons via Skype (in the office this is called “using distance learning technologies”).

An externship is a form of certification for those who study outside of any institutions, and unschooling (from English unschooling) is simply education not limited to the school curriculum without intermediate certifications.

- In regular schools, teachers devote little time to the individual student. If the child understands the material faster, no one will allow him to get up and leave or read a book on the back of the classroom. He is forced to repeat what he already knows, because in the class someone does not understand the material. His motivation falls, and he gradually becomes "average" so as not to stand out.

The opposite situation: the class follows the curriculum, and the child does not have time to write for the teacher in the lesson, understands the subject more slowly, asks again. More and more gaps appear in subjects.

Mikhail Lazarev Founder and ideologist of the "Internet Lesson" project.

- Studying is good if there are 4-5 students in a class and there are high-quality teachers in all subjects, if there is an opportunity to study at your own pace, ask questions. But to provide a place in such a school for every child, the country would need 3.5 million teachers in each subject. This is, of course, impossible.

Why parents choose family education

In accordance with Article 43 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, basic general education in our country is compulsory.

Parents are obliged to ensure that their children receive a general education. Article 63 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation

The same is stated in article 44 of the Federal Law "On Education".

Parents are obliged to give education, as well as “lay the foundations of the physical, moral and intellectual development of the child”. Not the state, not the school - the parents. That is why, according to the law, they have the right to choose the form of education and the form of training.

Family education is usually chosen for the following reasons.

1. Rejection of the state education system. Many parents are convinced that the general education program does not give children real knowledge, dulls them and stifles creativity. They believe that the school is mired in bureaucracy and corruption, and they take children from there because of extortions and conflicts with the director, head teacher or teachers.
2. Features of the child. Some children are simply incompatible with school. They cannot sit from bell to bell in class. They do tasks too quickly or, conversely, too slowly. They get bored with teachers and classmates. Family learning allows you to customize your curriculum and practice at a comfortable pace with a comfortable workload.
3. Health problems. Home-based education at school is possible only if the child is recognized by the medical and social expertise as a disabled person. If he is simply in poor health, he is often sick and misses school, family education is suitable for him.
4. Family needs. Life is different for everyone, and family education is often not a whim, but a necessity. For example, if the family lives abroad, but plans to return to their homeland, or simply wants the child to have a Russian certificate, or if the dad is a military man and the family moves frequently.
5. Professional sports or music. When you spend 5–8 hours on the court or at the piano, when every month we get ready or on tour, there is no time to go to school. For children who are professionally involved in sports or music, family education allows them to receive high-quality knowledge "on the job."
6. Religious views. School is a secular institution, with all the ensuing consequences. Religious parents have a preference for family education.

Natalya Ivanchenko The mother of the child in family education, sociologist, psychologist, former history teacher.

- Alexander has been studying family for the second year, from the 5th grade. When he finished elementary school, it became clear that school knowledge was not enough, and an enormous amount of time was spent. Lessons and homework made it difficult to play chess, golf and other hobbies. Then we made the decision to switch to home schooling.

From the 5th grade, Alexander studied the school curriculum at home with the help of an online school and home teachers, and on Saturdays he attended an English school. At the same time, there was time left to attend various developmental events.

In the 6th grade, the situation changed: Alexander entered a secondary school in Scotland, and we left Russia for a while. But the home schooling system allows us to study in a Russian school in parallel and achieve good results both remotely and directly in an English school.

When Alexander turns 16, we will again discuss his goals with him and decide where he will prepare for entering university - in Russia or the UK.

How to switch to family education

If among the reasons listed above for moving to family education are relevant to your family and you want to try this form of education, be ready to go through the following steps.

Step 1 - notify the Department of Education

Basic general education is compulsory. Therefore, local governments keep records of children who have the right to receive it. Simply put, every territorial office or department of education has a list of children, which indicates where and how they study.

Usually the school is in contact with officials. She informs that she has enrolled such and such a student, and another student left after the ninth grade in a technical school, and so on.

When choosing a family education, the obligation to inform local authorities falls on the parents (Article 63 of the Federal Law "On Education").

To do this, you must write a one-time notice of intention to choose a family education addressed to the head of the local education department. A sample can be viewed here. It is better to take the application personally. Register it with the secretariat and receive a delivery note on your copy.

Simultaneously with the notification of the educational authority, the parents, as a rule, write an application to the school.

Step 2 - attach to school

If your child went to school and it suits you, just write an application to the principal about the transition to family education (a sample application can be found here).

After that, you can conclude an agreement with the school on receiving education in the form of family education (sample text). This means that the child will be in the contingent of this school and have equal academic rights with the rest of the students.

When attached to a school, a child has the right to receive textbooks from its fund, use its library, attend sections and circles, participate in concerts and other events held at the school.

But it is not necessary to conclude an agreement with the school: you can enroll in the school only for the period of certification. To do this, you need to write an application addressed to the director.

If you want to change educational institution, write a statement of expulsion and go through the above procedure at the new school.

If your child has never been to school, ask your local education authority for a list of homeschooling institutions. According to the law, it is possible to pass intermediate and final attestations not only on the basis of the school, but also in other organizations "carrying out educational activities in the basic general educational programs." For example, in universities.

Step 3 - organize the educational process

Having switched to home schooling, parents must organize the educational activities of the child: decide on the subjects, workload and intensity of education.

Here is what Natalia Ivanchenko says about this:

- Family education is a complete change in the family's lifestyle. A responsible adult should appear who is ready to take over the entire organization of the learning process: from arranging a study place to checking knowledge and constantly discussing certain topics with the child.

A parent in family education is a coach. He leads the child to the goal that they have chosen together, maintains an interest in learning, in whatever form this learning is conducted. And of course, all mistakes, shortcomings and gaps in education can no longer be attributed to the school. It is your choice and only your responsibility with your child to yourself.

Three ways to organize the learning process

Some mums and dads take the term "family learning" literally and try on the role of teachers. Help is provided by textbooks and numerous educational Internet resources.

Studying with a child on their own, parents get to know him better and grow with him. No "son, come on, bring the diary." A truly trusting partnership develops between an adult and a child.

Teaching a child independently means taking responsibility for the quality of education. It will no longer be possible to blame the school for teaching wrong, not enough and not that.

Not all parents can afford to teach their children on their own. It takes a lot of time, but you still need to work and solve everyday problems. Therefore, the second way is with tutors and various educational centers.

Usually, parents hire tutors for basic subjects and additionally enroll their children in various educational centers and so-called alternative schools. In one, your child will be taught programming, in the other - acting, in the third, teaching is based on the Montessori method, and so on. Some of them carry out certification. Here is a list of alternative and family schools.

The third way is to study in an online school.

Foxford, Internet Lesson, Mobile Electronic School, Virtual School, External Office are just some of the sites where your children can learn from the comfort of their homes.

In online schools, children watch lessons in real time, chat with teachers and peers, complete homework and control tasks on the site. Almost like in a regular school, only you do not need to get up at seven in the morning to be in time for the first lesson: the recording of any of them can be reviewed at a convenient time. At the same time, the programs of online schools are often deeper and more interesting than school ones.

Alisa Klima Development Director of Yaklass.

- As well as for all good things, you have to pay for such a holiday of learning, creativity and life. Releasing time requires its immediate use. Children need a menu of various activities. Learning a foreign language, music, painting, chess, tennis, karate - all this costs money.

Home schooling is suitable for families who are ready to spend 60-100 thousand rubles a month to ensure the proper quality and consistency of the process without harming their own psyche.

How is certification

Certification is a control over the development of an educational program by a student. The results of the attestation must confirm that the child knows and can do no less than what is laid down in the approved curriculum.

Certification is intermediate (for the class) and final. Both are free. The rules for conducting intermediate attestation are set out in Article 58 of the Federal Law "On Education".

In practice, everything looks like this.

You are attached to the school or simply expressed a desire to pass certification in it. The educational institution issues an act with the timing and procedure for holding this event. In fact, this is a list of items, opposite each of which is indicated the date and form of delivery (control, testing, and so on).

Most homestay schools conduct two (December and May) or one midterm assessment (May). The procedure itself depends on the procedures established in the school. Somewhere they demand that the child take everything in person, in other schools they give him tests and tests at home.

If a child does not pass certification in any subject, he will have academic debt. You can retake no more than two times within one year from the date of formation of the debt. The timeframe is set by the school conducting the certification.

State final certification (GIA) is mandatory for all students, regardless of the form of study. It is carried out according to the control and measuring materials of the Federal Institute of Pedagogical Measurements at the end of the 9th and 11th grades. In the 9th grade, the final certification is called the OGE - a general state examination; in the 11th - the Unified State Exam, the unified state exam.

Here is what Ekaterina Sherchenkova says about this:

- Parents, when switching to family education, need to go through several instances and write applications. Family education is regulated by an agreement between the school and the parent. There is no standard contract - the parent can discuss all important points with the school.

Ideally, the school should prepare a subject roadmap for each student to make it easier for the child to prepare. This is a large layer of work both on the part of the school and on the part of the parents.

When passing interim assessments, you can face neglect on the part of individual teachers. They cannot get used to the idea that a student can study a subject on their own and in less time. But prejudice disappears when the child shows knowledge higher than the school teacher expects.

When entering the GIA, students of the family form of education usually do not have any difficulties. They take part in the final certification on a general basis and receive the same certificate as other students.

Pros and cons of family learning

Let's start with the good.

1. Learning is fun. School is an obligation. The child is faced with the system and often loses interest in learning forever, does the lessons anyhow, just not to give a two. Family education is a creative process. Parents try to make children interesting, so that they crave new knowledge and enjoy the learning process. To do this, together with the children, they play educational games, attend excursions, and participate in olympiads.
2. Individual approach. School is an equalization. Family education gives children and their parents freedom. They choose themselves which subjects and how much to study. Moreover, such subjects that will not appear in school for a long time, for example, programming. If necessary, an individual curriculum can be developed for the student.
3. Home furnishings. The child does not need to get up at seven in the morning, and the parents do not need to take him to school. He eats homemade food and does not bring the flu from school. When performing tasks, he is relaxed and calm: no one breathes in the back and does not walk from corner to corner with a pointer.
4. Backlog for the future. Homeschooled students are no worse or better than regular schoolchildren. But their knowledge is often deeper and broader. Most of them go through the program of two or three classes in a year, which allows them to graduate early and start building a career.

Natalya Ivanchenko believes: “The main plus is free time, which can be organized at your own discretion. After a year of study, we realized that we could easily leave Russia, but keep our studies in the Russian education system by passing exams and connecting to an online school."

The other side of the medal of family education is as follows.

1. Low level of socialization. The homeschooled child's world is often locked in with family members, a couple of tutors, and friends. And although parents try to take him to circles and sections, to meetings with other children, communication is still not enough. Children who are in family education often do not know how to solve conflict situations, how to stand up for themselves, how to start a conversation. This could be a big problem in the future.
2. Childhood indiscipline. Family education requires a commitment from parents. It is necessary not only to organize the learning process, but also to control it. The principle "here are books for you, here are video lessons - study" does not work. Without a clear plan and the notorious daily routine, even the most talented and intelligent child begins to be lazy.
3. Infantilism. When parents are the main sources of knowledge about the world, their authority goes off scale. A child can get too used to relying on mom and dad: “I know how to solve this problem, but I have to consult with my parents”, “I cannot go there myself, without my parents”. It is very important to work on the independence of the child.
4. Price. Parents want their children to receive selected advanced knowledge, develop comprehensively and harmoniously. It is almost impossible to achieve this by studying only from textbooks issued at school. Everything else - additional study materials, tutors, alternative and online schools - for a fee. And very expensive.

Here's what Alisa Klima says about this:

- The biggest and least predictable difficulty is finding the time and will to organize a systemic process. Parents often overestimate their strengths. Meanwhile, when switching to family education, one of them, most likely, will have to sacrifice a career.

If the family has more than one child, the family teaching even one of them requires colossal daily work. And at the same time, no one canceled the household. Juggling activities with children, providing three meals a day, cleaning, ironing, shopping is extremely difficult in practice. How long will a parent last with such a rhythm?

Nikita Belogolovtsev Chief editor of Mel.fm.

- Plus, of course, there are no shortcomings of the modern school. The teacher does not yell, there are no laggards in the class (if you do not lag behind yourself), no one talks about telegonia, you don’t sit at your desk sweaty after gymnastics - and there are still a million sins of varying severity.

The main disadvantage is the amount of effort that needs to be applied to make the alternative high-quality. This did not "come home from work, and we discussed with interest the chordates and the heroes of Turgenev." It doesn't work that way. Plan, work, consistency, extracurricular activities and a lot of time. And money is also decent, by the way.

Summary

Family education is an unusual and very interesting form of education. And although it is not suitable for all families and children, interest in it is growing every year. Public schools hone their work with students at home, private schools prepare for certification. Parents unite in communities, exchange family learning experiences. Thematic books are published, a special magazine "Family Education" is published. Festivals, seminars, conferences are held.

Lifehacker asked experts about the prospects for the development of family education.

Ekaterina Sherchenkova

In recent years, the system of remote family education is gaining popularity in Russia. Schools and universities are gradually included. There are assumptions that the largest online company in 2030 will be an online school, training with the participation of robot teachers, professional bots.

Nikita Belogolovtsev

On the one hand, it is obvious that now this is a fashionable, partly even hype story. Many people think about it only for this reason. This foam will settle in a couple of years.

On the other hand, disappointment in our education is also accumulating. Now the children are led to school by people who themselves are accustomed to comfort, relative prosperity and other joys of the well-fed two thousand. These people are used to ordering goods online and calling Uber. And these people find it much more difficult to believe that there is no paper in the school toilet.

The supporters of family education are very active, in a good way “loud”, so it seems that there are a lot of them. This is not entirely true. I don’t have exact numbers, but as far as I understand, we are talking about several tens of thousands of children in Russia who study at home. I think that this figure will not fundamentally change in the foreseeable future.

Mikhail Lazarev

Family education has tremendous prospects both in Russia and in the world.

With family education, parents have the opportunity to choose what and how to teach their child. On the internet, you can learn from the best teachers and the best materials.

If, according to a good script, two films are shot with unknown performers, only one in the central film studio, and the other in a neighboring courtyard, which film will you watch?

Alisa Klima

According to experts, family education will never cover more than 5-10% of students in Russia. This is quite realistic. Only a few will be able to provide quality home schooling.

Home education is rightly called elitist. Not because it is accessible only to the rich, but because it requires a special ideology. The children of the financial elite are usually enrolled in private or overseas schools. Homeschooling is for those who have a clear understanding of family priorities (for example, travel and change their place of residence), and those who are ready to give up their own ambitions for the sake of their child's education.

Natalia Ivanchenko

Before making a difficult decision to leave a regular school, you need to think very well whether you need it and why you are doing it, to consult with teachers, psychologists. It is advisable to maintain a good relationship with the school where the child will pass the certification. And only after all these steps make a decision. Because the main thing is that the child is happy and that the love for learning does not dry out.

What do you think about family education?

If your child is educated outside of school, share your story in the comments.