Our Philosophy
We're here because we believe education is important, and that, by and large, the state fails to provide a satisfactory solution for families. Moreover we believe in the benefits of home education over private education due to the stronger family bonds that are created in the home education environment.
What education is:
First of all we should recognise that the purpose of education is to improve the ability of the individual - and therefore improve their life. An increased ability, competency and confidence are the foundation of leading a more productive and satisfying life.
Secondly, people should have the capacity to assess the reality of a situation for themselves, be able to imagine new possibilities, and have the discipline and capability to plan and execute a strategy to bring new realities into being.
A society filled with honest, capable people is one where problems get solved and society as a whole can progress and collectively face the challenges that meet us all.
More DetailsWhat education is not:
Being able to regurgitate information that you have been told by an authority must be true, and being rewarded only for your ability to accept, memorise and relay that knowledge is not, in our opinion, education.
Passing exams and obtaining certificates, while not totally without value, do not necessarily guarantee that someone has gained any new abilities in life.
Our extensive experience in helping many hundreds of students pass standardised testing, has proven that students can pass these exams without even understanding what they are doing in the questions or why anyone would want to be able to do what they are doing.
All too often, passing the test only demonstrates an ability to pass the test, and nothing else. We would not accept a driving test that proved only that a student could pass the driving test, without being actually able to drive!
More Details
Family Values
Some things can be outsourced, and some cannot.
Parenting is a job that, for the most part, cannot be done by anyone else but the parent. Would you hire someone to take your spouse out for a date night? It doesn't make much sense does it?
Educating a child goes far beyond simply academic achievements, and encompasses what matters in this world vs what does not. Whether those be your religious beliefs, community values, how other people should be treated and so on.
Home education offers families an opportunity to educate their children in the entire spectrum of learning, with parents' chief motivation being what is of benefit to their child.
Typically out-sourcing this to the state will result in the child being educated in a way that is of benefit to the state, and not necessarily the individual.
Individually Tailored
We must recognise that while all human beings have things in common, every individual is unique. The school system has not only a set range of topics that can be learned, it also has a fixed schedule that must be adhered to.
It was found time and again, through helping students to pass their exams, that earlier topics that were not understood got passed over by the teacher as the class moved onto the next topic. Stacking new knowledge over old misunderstandings led to a mass confusion that had to be fixed later on anyway.
In another vein, extremely able students are often left bored at the slow pace of the schedule at schools, and individuals with aptitude beyond academic learning are left stifled in an unnatural environment not suited to their capabilities.
Great athletes, skilled craftsmen, entrepreneurs, highly creative people and many other extremely valuable beings are round pegs being forced into a square hole by the modern education system.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some common questions we get asked all the time!
One of our favourite questions! You will find at events with children fresh to home-education, that the socialisation received at school does not equip them with the necessary skills to navigate new social situations. While they will be comfortable in their friend-group, they struggle to meet new children, interact with adults and other necessary social skills.
While there is variation from individual to individual, you will typically notice home educated children have spent more time in environments that mirror actual adult life. How much time as an adult have you spent in a large hall filled only with people your exact age?
It is not difficult to find other home educated children to interact with, and there are a myriad of clubs and organisations both within the home educated community and outside.
Your children can still join sports teams, go to scouts, join a local surf club and have as many friends as they want! There is actually more choice and freedom as a family that is home educating to craft a social life that meets your child's needs rather than forcing them to accept what is offered at school.
To us, this question almost misses the point of home education. It's like asking what is on the hospital cafe menu when you are booking in for surgery - surely the ability of the surgeon is the thing that matters in that situation!
In our modern society, exams are of course highly prized and valued - and in some cases necessary. You will not be able to practise law for example without the relevant qualifications.
But we would argue that while you will need to find a suitable solution to this problem at some point, this is not the most important thing at stake for your child. Does your child know how to be happy in life? How to make good friends they can trust and will help them through life's various challenges? Are they living in accordance with their basic purpose in life? Do they know how to solve problems and think for themselves? Have they developed a passion for learning?
Solving problems like that will create an individual that has the direction and energy to take on any challenge - exams included.
We can provide many resources on the various certifications on offer and how to obtain them, but we would encourage you not to tick this box and think you have succeeded in achieving all that home education has to offer.
Again, there is some paperwork to be done, and some requirements that must be met with the government of New Zealand. And we can provide support and assistance with that, but completing that paperwork is much much easier to do once you have answered some of the bigger questions related to home education.
Questions like, what are we hoping to achieve by embarking on this family adventure? What outcomes do I want for my child? How will I go about attempting to obtain those outcomes?
Finding the right answer requires asking the right questions. Solving the bigger issues in and around home education will mean that when you have to submit the relevant documentation with the government, you will be able to produce a clear and coherent plan that satisfies the legal requirements.