I was contacted by a mother who is working to support her family with her freelance writing.
She wrote this piece for homeschoolers.
Although she is not a homeschooler, she sure tried and I applaud that!
I'm happy to support her efforts
The Financial Cost of Home Schooling your Child
Deciding
whether or not to home school your children is a big decision, and
should not be taken lightly. Aside from sorting out the logistics of turning your home into an arena fit for education, there are also matters such as the quality of education and the lack of social time your child will receive.
If
you decide that home schooling is the right way forward, then the only
obstacle that remains – besides ensuring you actually have the time to
be the teacher – is to make sure you can afford it.
Fortunately,
the amount of money home schooling costs per year can vary
significantly, and if you’ve even thought about it then it’s likely that
you the budget to go ahead with it.
Free Time
Naturally, if you’re going to be home schooling your children then you (or your partner) need to have the free time to actually teach them.
This means that, barring part-time work, you’re most likely a
single-income family, and if someone is giving up their job to be the
teacher then the cost of lost income has to be factored in to the
overall cost of the education. For example, if the education only costs
£500 a year but a £20,000 salary has been lost then you’re going to feel the cost of home schooling much more than just £500 worth.
Of course, only you know the state of your finances;
it may be that you’re in a position to give up the job. However, it is
worth mentioning that it’s not fair to the children if you try to fit in
a job on top of home schooling to bring more money in to the home. No
matter how hard you try, their education will inevitably end up
suffering because of it.
Cost of Education
Sending
your children to a traditional school can be expensive. You need to buy
clothes, materials, backpacks, textbooks, transport to and from school,
and a whole host of other expenses. Teaching your child at home can do
away with a number of these expenses, and can actually end up being cheaper than traditional education, in many cases.
However,
these expenses don’t just disappear – the home still has to be stocked
with pens, pencils, notebooks, and textbooks. Depending on availability
and the subject, you might have to spend a significant amount just on
the subject materials alone. Additionally, you’ll also have to pay the
examination boards the cost of the exam – which can be as much as £100
per exam.
Extra Costs
Part
of the beauty of home schooling is the flexibility it gives the parent
for how they teach their child, but these creative ideas cost money,
too. A trip to see a castle you’re studying in history will be a lot of
fun, and undoubtedly beneficial, but you have to factor in the cost of
the entrance to the castle itself – which could be £10 or more per
student – as well as the cost of the petrol to get to the site.
There
are also basic infrastructure costs, too. Modern schools are fitted
with excellent technology, so at the very least you’ll need a decent
computer for interactive learning. Wi-Fi is also recommended. While you
may already have those things, it can be a big initial outlay,
especially the computer, if you haven’t.
Finally, studying at home will mean that your energy bills increase.
It’s unavoidable – after all, the bills for house that needs to be
warmed throughout the day will be much more than a house that lies empty
throughout the week.
Conclusion
The
benefits of home schooling your children are plain to see, and it’s no
wonder that parents who do home school the children often say they
wouldn’t change it for the world. Still, it’s necessary to review your
financial situation before jumping in to the exciting voyage that is
home education; make sure you consider what’s best for your child rather
than just what you want, because an education without financial backing
is unlikely to be much of an education at all.
If
it’s financially viable, then wonderful, and welcome aboard! Like the
other home school parents out there, you’re sure to find out just how
rewarding it is to spend each day with your child as they grow into
young men and women.
Links
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About Gemma: I worked as a fitness instructor and then, after my studies, as a nutritionist for over a decade. On becoming a mother a few years ago, I took a step back and decided to indulge my love of writing. Since then I've written on a wide variety of subjects.
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Stay tuned,
the Carnival of Homeschooling is due out later today!
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