Home school: instructions for use

Home schooling: a growing phenomenon

“Family instruction” (IEF) or “home school”… Whatever the wording! If linstruction is compulsory, from 3 years old, the law does not require that it be provided at school only. Parents can, if they wish, educate their children themselves and at home by applying pedagogy of their choice. Annual checks are then provided for by law to verify that the child is in the process of acquiring the knowledge and skills of the common base.

In terms of motivation, they are very different. “Out-of-school children are often children who were in distress at school: victims of bullying, learning difficulties, autism. But it also happens – and more and more – that the IEF corresponds to a real philosophy. Parents want tailor-made learning for their children, to allow them to follow their own pace and further develop their personal interests. It’s a less standardized approach that suits them, ”explains an active member of the Association Les Enfants d’Abord, which provides help and support to these families.

In France, we see a significant expansion of the phenomenon. While they were 13 little schoolchildren at home in 547-2007 (excluding correspondence courses), the latest figures have skyrocketed. In 2008-2014, 2015 children were home-schooled, an increase of 24%. For this volunteer, this explosion is partly linked to that of positive parenting. “Children are breastfed, carried longer, the rules of education have changed, benevolence is at the heart of family development … It’s a logical continuation », She indicates. “With the Internet, access to educational resources as well as exchanges are facilitated, and the population is better informed,” she adds.

How to teach at home in 2021? How to drop out of school?

Home schooling first requires an administrative component. Before the start of the school year, you must send a letter to the town hall of your municipality and to the Academic Director of the National Education Services (DASEN), with acknowledgment of receipt. Once this letter has been received, DASEN will send you a certificate of instruction. If you want to switch to home schooling during the year, you can drop your child straight away, but you will have eight days to send a letter to DASEN.

Home schooling: what will change in 2022

From the start of the 2022 school year, the modalities of application of family instruction will be modified. It will be more difficult to practice “homeschooling”. It will remain possible for children with a specific situation (handicap, geographical distance, etc.), or within the framework of a special educational project, subject to authorization. Controls will be stepped up.

The conditions of access to family education are tightened, even if theoretically, it remains possible. “The schooling of all children in a school becomes compulsory at the start of the 2022 school year (instead of the 2021 start in the initial text), and the education of a child in the family becomes derogatory “, stipulates the new law. These new measures, more stringent than in the old law, transform in particular the “declaration of family instruction” into “authorization request”, and limit the reasons justifying to have recourse to it.

The reasons which will give access to the School at home, subject to agreement:

1 ° The state of health of the child or his handicap.

2 ° The practice of intensive sports or artistic activities.

3 ° Family roaming in France, or geographical distance from any public school establishment.

4 ° The existence of a situation specific to the child justifying the educational project, provided that the persons responsible for it can demonstrate the capacity to provide family education while respecting the best interests of the child. child. In the latter case, the authorization request includes a written presentation of the educational project, the commitment to provide this instruction mainly in French, as well as the documents justifying the ability to provide family instruction. 

The practice of home schooling is therefore likely to decrease considerably in the years to come.

Family instruction: how to teach at home with alternative methods?

Depending on the lifestyle, aspirations and personality of each, families have at their disposal a wide range of educational tools to transmit knowledge to children. The best known are: Freinet pedagogy – which is based on the development of the child, without stress or competition, with creative activities, the Montessori method which gives an important place to play, manipulation and experimentation in order to gain autonomy …

In the case of Steiner pedagogy, learning is based on creative activities (music, drawing, gardening) but also on that of modern languages. “After a delicate elementary school and difficulties in socializing, the diagnosis fell: our daughter Ombeline, 11, suffers from Asperger’s autism, so she will continue her education at home. As she has no difficulty in learning and is ultra-creative, we opted for an apprenticeship according to the Steiner method, which will help her develop her potential and in particular her great qualities as a designer, ”explains her dad, who had to rearrange his daily life to better adapt to that of his daughter.

Another example of pedagogy : that of Jean qui rit, who uses rhythm, gesture and song. All the senses are called upon to learn reading and writing. “We are mixing several approaches. We use a few textbooks, a variety of educational materials: Montessori materials for the youngest, Alphas, French games, mathematics, applications, online sites … We also like outings, and regularly participate in artistic workshops , scientists, at cultural and musical events … We encourage as much as possible autonomous learning, those that come from the child himself. In our eyes, they are the most promising, the most durable, ”explains Alison, mother of two daughters aged 6 and 9 and member of the LAIA association.

Support for families: the key to the success of home schooling

“On the site, we find all the administrative information and essential legal. The list of exchanges between members allows us to be aware of the latest legislative developments, to find support if necessary. We also participated in 3 meetings, unique moments of which each member of the family keeps fond memories. My daughters enjoy participating in the newspaper exchange between children that LAIA offers monthly. The magazine ‘Les plumes’ is inspiring, it offers many avenues for learning ”, adds Alison. Like ‘Children First’, this support association establishes an exchange between families via annual meetings, discussions on the internet. “For administrative procedures, the choice of pedagogy, at the time of the inspection, in case of doubt … families can count on us », Explains Alix Delehelle, from the LAIA association. “In addition, it is not always easy to take responsibility for one’s choice, to confront the eyes of society… Many parents question themselves, question themselves, and we are here to help them s ” find there and realize that there is not just one way to “teach” our children », Specifies the volunteer of the association Les Enfants Première.

‘Unschooling’, or school without doing it

Do you know theunschooling ? Against the tide of academic school learning, this education philosophy is based on freedom. “This is self-directed learning, mainly informal or on demand, based on everyday life,” explains a mother who has chosen this path for her five children. “There are no rules, parents are simple facilitators of access to resources. Children learn freely through the activities they want to practice and through their environment, ”she continues. And the results are surprising… “If my first son really read fluently at age 9, by age 10 he had devoured almost as many novels as I have in my life. My second, meanwhile, read at 7 when I did nothing but read her stories, ”she recalls. His eldest is now established in liberal profession and his second is preparing to pass his baccalaureate. “The main thing is that we were sure of our choice and well informed. This “non-method” suited our children and did not limit them in their need for discovery. It all depends on each one! », She concludes.