My 'Normal' Life Being home-educated Blog
Legal throughout the UK, people might choose home-education over traditional schooling for a number of reasons, including due to bullying or because the rate of teaching in schools isn't appropriate for them.
15-year-old Rosa-May Bown from Teignmouth in South Devon chose to be home-educated, as she experienced being bullied by her peers and found it difficult to fit in. In this blog, Rosa-May opens up about her experiences and tells us how home-education was one of the best things to happen to her...
"Normal? What is normal? Really, 'normal' depends on your definition of the word, therefore if you have been Home-educated all your life, you might view that as normal, but if you have no idea what home-educating is, then you're going to be of the opinion that going to school is normal.
Home-educating is exactly what it sounds like - you are educated at home! Sometimes, people home-educate because they have trouble learning at the same pace as others, or because they have different needs to others at school, other times, people are home-educated for other reasons, perhaps because they are ill a lot, or because they were bullied at school. The phrase home-educated is often shortened to ‘home-ed’ and is also called home-schooled.
Being home-educated, for me is probably one of the best things to happen, but life before that was a bit of a struggle. Have you ever felt like you can't fit in, felt like for some reason people just don't like you? That's how I felt. I was bullied pretty badly, but the problem was that I liked school, I was pretty academic and liked all my teachers.
My experience of school changed my view on the world - it made me focus on the insignificant things; I started to think I wasn't good enough, because of the things that were being said to me, and proceeded to dislike myself, my body and my personality.
I came out of school in April 2015 and shortly after I realised that all my school friends were only really friends for convenience; they were having more of a negative influence than a positive one on my life. Slowly, I managed to disassociate myself from them.
School, although I enjoyed the work side of things, sadly just wasn't really the right place for me. I really wish that people had been nicer, that the school had dealt with it better, but if I hadn’t left, I wouldn’t be the person I am now and I wouldn’t have done half the things I’ve done.
It’s definitely much better for me to be home-educated, as I have learnt to love myself for who I am and accept the things I cannot change. It also takes me away from the people who do not want to learn, as lots of the people at school would disrupt the classes a lot. Being home-educated means that any clubs and classes - both aimed at home-educators and otherwise - that you choose to go to, will hopefully be much more productive than being at school, as everyone has chosen to be there. Also, you can get much more done if you are 'one-on-one' with a tutor, instead of in a class environment with a teacher and twenty other students.
Since I have been home-educated, I have had multiple poems and one short story published in anthologies. I have also sailed on a Tall Ship to Portugal. I have done more than I ever thought possible at my age and I have done things that would terrify some adults. I know I am more than the hurtful things that have been said to me.
Being home-educated has proved to me that anything can be achieved if you put your mind to it (and if you have enough time!).
home-educating has given me the time for what I love and the courage to pursue it."
- Rosa-May Bown
