1. Why homeschool / home educate?

God has commanded parents (not strangers) to teach and explain His testimony and law to their children. Since the Bible is to be the foundation of our education, we must follow its counsel. Parents are to teach history from the Bible, science from the Bible, and music from the Bible - when "thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deuteronomy 6:7)

1. Are parents qualified to teach their children?

God says parents are qualified to teach children, and commands them to do so. (See Deuteronomy 6:6-7). It requires dedication, unselfishness, and the wisdom of God, which He will abundantly supply (James 1:5-7). God has made the family His basic training institution. It is His desire for parents to accept the responsibility of teaching and training their children, and He will enable them to succeed.

1. Will the child be deprived of social interaction with other children?

This is probably one of the most common questions asked by non homeschooling parents of homeschooling parents. Consider these facts. A child will learn to identify with those whom he spends the most time. "By beholding we become changed." An average day of a child attending a local school is: School: 8-8 hours Baby sitters: 2-3 hours Parents: 2-3 hours Sleeping: 7-9 hours is it any wonder this society has so many parent-child problems? The question is, do we want our children to learn another lifestyle or the one God calls our family to? Popular opinion assumes that children need long periods of interaction with their peer groups to acquire social skills. However, many authorities in this field would disagree with this idea. This kind of socialisation causes peer dependency and a low self-image. The benefits of homeschool are: 1. Godly character development 2. A true system of Christian values 3. Freedom from peer pressure 4. independent thinking 5. relating well to people of all ages 6. Self-confidence as God directs 7. Better family relations Who is more social than father, mother, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and family friends.

1. How much time does it take?

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Our time belongs to God and of no talent will He require a more strict accounting than our time. There will be a time commitment in home education. Parents need to make an organised schedule, putting their proper priorities in order. Basically parents should allocate a time for classroom teaching, although the time required varies according to the methods used, ages of children, and how many children are in the family.

1. How can parents teach several children at once?

By using the Bible as the base of all subjects, parents may have all the children begin together, adapting assignments to each level as needed. Many classes can be worked together. Older children can also be productive teacher's helpers with the younger children, causing them to review past school work. Use multilevel curriculum where all work together. A good example is SonLight's multilevel curriculum.

1. Is homeschool / home education legal?

Each country has its own set of educational laws which are considerably different. In the UK, homeschooling is legal and is in fact becoming a very popular option for parents who wish to take responsibility for the education of their children. We encourage parents to study from the Bible their responsibility regarding His children, God's plan for true education, and His counsel concerning government. Follow the link below for more info on UK Laws relating to home educating: Government guidelines on educating at home

1. What about my child's special interests?

Develop the special interests of your child. Provide field trips, missionary projects, godly friends with special skills and music lessons. However, teaching the special skills of the parents to their own children will be the most valuable of all in their development,

What are the most common difficulties in homeschooling?

The following are the most common difficulties for parents:

• Lack of confidence
• Fear of being able to work with their own children
• Not enough time and energy
• Lack of commitment
• Pressure from well-meaning friends or relatives
• Financial investment
• teaching more than one child
• What to do with preschool children while teaching older ones

1. What are the benefits of home education?

The benefits of homeschooling are: 1. Godly character development 2. A true system of Christian values 3. Freedom from peer pressure 4. Independent thinking 5. Relating well to people of all ages 6. Self-confidence as God directs 7. Better family relations as you spend more time together

What is the best schedule?

The best schedule recognises that education takes place all through the day. Every person's schedule will be different and will depend on several factors including:

• The ages of the children
• How many children
• The curriculum you're using
• Other activities the child/ren is/are doing ie music, nature, extra tuition etc