Home schooling for leaving cert student

Gerry_o

I am looking to engage a Teacher to home school my daughter for 6th year commencing this September. My daughter is perfectly capable but is suffering from school phobia. We live in North County Dublin. Can you please PM me if you are interested or please post any advice you can offer. Thanks.

beveragelady

You definitely need to say which subjects she is doing. I would imagine that you will have difficulty finding a teacher who can teach all of them, no matter what they are. You'd probably be better off getting grinds in individual subjects rather than looking for a single teacher.

Gerry_o

Thanks beveragelady. Its 5 subjects : Irish, English Maths, Geography and French.

beveragelady

Are you sure it's only 5 subjects? Six are counted for LC points. You probably need to say whether they're higher or ordinary level too.
I don't know anybody at all who could teach five subjects. I have my hands full teaching only one! The chances of finding somebody who is familiar with the syllabus of more than two subjects and who has useful experience of teaching them are extremely slim. I would definitely say you'd be better off looking for experienced people in your area who would give grinds in one or maybe two subjects.

Redser87

You may also need to consider a change in routine - that she uses the normal school day to study and that a teacher or teachers come in in the afternoon after school. With 5 subjects, you could have her do a subject a day and review the new learning the next day. If it is 6 subjects, you could do something similar except double up one day on the two subjects she finds easiest.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Redser87 wrote: »

You may also need to consider a change in routine - that she uses the normal school day to study and that a teacher or teachers come in in the afternoon after school. With 5 subjects, you could have her do a subject a day and review the new learning the next day. If it is 6 subjects, you could do something similar except double up one day on the two subjects she finds easiest.

You would be best contacting her school. You can get a home tuition grant so that you don't have to pay it all your self. The school can ask teachers if they are interested, often a part time teacher looking for extra hours night do it.

http://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/Home-Tuition/Circulars-and-Application.html

Gerry_o

Thanks both. It is a difficult situation that we are trying to manage. My daughter has not agreed to home schooling yet, I am trying to find out our options first before going back to her with the information. Right now she wants to quit school and start a job, but neither she nor we have found anything suitable and she is still only 17. My preference is for her to get her "leaving cert under her belt" and move on from there. I know the leaving cert is not the be-all and end-all and there is a surprising number of students who do not sit the leaving cert. She says she feels "terrified" when she goes to school - for no specific reason that she can communicate - it is a real issue and she has received counselling but is not ready to go back. I am saying all this as getting top grades in 5 subjects is not the objective, it is just to get low intensity tuition so that she can sit the leaving cert, even if she never opens the results envelope. I realise that I may be looking at this the wrong way entirely.

Redser87

You are looking out for your daughter. Whether others think it is the right or wrong way to go about it, you are doing your best by her.
Is it her current school or the whole system she fears? Would she go to a different school for the one year? I think it would be important to keep up face to face contact with peers rather than just online, would she join a sports club, choir or similar?
Does she know what she wants to do ultimately? Ensure she knows that not all courses are in the same format as school. Some are very practical, such as fashion design. Others do involve book learning but have smaller class groups, which could be less intimidating for her.

Gerry_o

Its the whole system. I think the underlying issue though is a fear of being tested. Her current school has tests every week or several times a week and I think she can't handle this. Two of her close friends are going to Leeson St for final year and I thought this might appeal to her in one way because my understanding is that it is less personal and more like university - its up to the students to do the work, no one is going to follow up on them. However I guess Leeson St is really for high academic achievers - we did gently float it by her but there was no take up. Her main interest is baking and cookery in general. We have mentioned the Ballymaloe cookery school and I think that is a definite option but she is a very young 17 and Ballymaloe might be better in another year or so. Also if the underlying issue is a fear of being tested then any intensive course is probably going to bring up the same issues.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

As a teacher I often see 5th and 6th year students who are forced to go to school to do a leaving certificate exam that they have no interest in and no aptitude for. I often think LCA would be better for them as it prepares them for the world of work.

If she fears school and tests , she is hardly planning on studying at 3rd level .
If you are having this trouble already I don't really see things improving. It will be a very difficult year for her and you if she is going to do her LC and you will probably end up being extremely worried about her mental health.

The leaving certificate is not the be all and end all. There are so many more routes now into training and employment.

My personal opinion would be , try to get her a job in a local bakery. Let her see if she likes it. She might hate it and want to go back to school next year. She might live it and might decide to do some courses in cooking/ baking.

Gerry_o

Thanks. Yes, the home schooling idea was a long shot and not something my daughter even suggested. I just wanted to research all options. Her mental health is a huge concern for us. As things stand she says she wants to get a job so I agree, it's the best place to focus our energies. Thanks again.

mariaalice

There is a huge shortage of chef and catering staff in general she would have no problem getting a job if she did some sort of catering course, would you not approach a restaurant and ask for some work experience for her and then she could see how she like it.

I do not know where you are located but here is PLC course in professional cooking.

https://careersportal.ie/courses/plc_course.php?course_id=147#.WZWM9-yGPIU

Gerry_o

Hi mariaalice, thanks very much for the link. I'll follow up on this.