HomeSchool Blog
Homeschooling versus Distance Education
[Friday 16th July 2021]
Two terms that confuse or seem interchangeable for many people are the terms 'homeschooling' and 'distance education'. This blog post will attempt to help you understand the difference between these.
I'll start by confusing you even further - these two terms are actually misleadingingly the wrong way round - 'distance education' IS 'school' and 'homeschooling' is NOT 'school'!
What do I mean by that?
Well, 'school' is where you send your kids so that a 'teacher' will tell the students what to do and get them to learn ... that is what happens in brick-and-mortar schools. You, as parent, give your kids away to some 'expert' (called a 'teacher') who does the magic stuff called 'teaching' ... magic that is deemed (and seems) so magical and distant that normal untrained mortals can't possibly do it.
With 'distance education' the same thing happens, but your kids stay home ... the 'teachers' direct them from a 'distance' .... tell them what to learn, mark their work, and all that kind of normal 'school' stuff. It is still 'school' - but at home! (... but it is NOT 'homeschooling'. Confusing, eh?)
Covid-19 School Closures - Can I use homeschooling to fill the gap?
[Tuesday 17th March 2020]
The Covid-19 viral infection is dominating the news and creating uncertainty everywhere.
There is a possibility that schools might be closed ... in all states or just some ... and anyone that has travelled overseas or shows a positive test for or who has been in contact with a possible Covid-19 carrier is now required to quarantine themselves through self-isolation ... and this includes children.
Many people are wondering if it is possible to use a homeschooling program like ours if this happens to them.
The short answer to this is: 'Yes' ... you can homeschool your children for just a short time if your local school is closed or you need to self-isolate... and the HomeLearn program could fill the gap as an interesting alternative.
Here are some helpful things to mention about this:
Bullying in schools ... how real?
[Wednesday 4 December 2019]
As part of entry testing for our HomeLearn program we ask high school students to write a little bit about themselves. Sometimes the unsolicted honest comments of kids can be heart-wrenching.
If you really want to know what it's like for young high school kids, please read this:
Bullying in schools is actually the number 1 reason people choose homeschooling.
At HomeLearn we try to help find a better way!
Why HomeLearn is different to school
[Thursday 19th October 2017]
We found this picture of how 'school' works:
Is this what you want for your child? If not, try HomeLearn ... we think differently!
Earlier articles:
• NSW homeschooling enquiry erased evidence of success
• Why would you want to homeschool?
• How to get started with homeschooling in Australia
• Is homeschooling legal? Whose children are they anyway?
Relevant articles on our Senior Secondary Blog:
• Colleges are preparing kids for an economy that no longer exists