Standard Curriculum Home Education

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Just as it sounds, this means that children educated at home follow a standard curriculum, which may be a Department of Education curriculum, or one for another examination body.

Some parents chose to home educate so that their children can follow a curriculum that is not available in local schools, for example choosing to follow the curriculum for A Levels rather than Irish state examinations.

Others feel that studying for the Leaving Certificate or Junior Certificate examination at home will suit a particular child better than being in a school setting, or that the way or the sequence in which that the Primary Curriculum is approached can be adapted at home to better suit a particular child.

With standard curriculum learning there will be set text books, project work may be required and there will be examinations and/or assessments, though it is not necessary that these be taken. It is possible for home educated children to site state examinations, including all of those mentioned above.

The Pros

Curricula already exist, are readily accessible and usually free and there are many to choose from
Existing teacher's workbooks and guidelines are available
Widely recognised certification is available, which is important for some families and individuals
Home educated students can approach state or exam board curricula in a more flexible way - for example concentrating on a small number of subjects or even single subjects in one year and moving on to others in subsequent years.
Home educated children following a standard curriculum can easily integrate into school if this becomes desirable

The Cons

Requires a major input of time by both parent and child, which is especially difficult when more than one child is being educated at home
Following a curriculum and sitting exams can be just as stressful for a home educated as a school educated child.
Parents with restricted knowledge in some subject areas may have difficulty helping their child to learn
Requires a very systematic and 'school-like' approach to teaching and learning, which is often seen as contrary to the ethos of home schooling
Keeping children motivated and fending off boredom can be difficult