Home Education

My name’s Timmy. I’m twelve and I’m a student. I study for about eighteen hours a week, but I don’t go to school. I study at home and my parents help me with my education. I’m home-educated.

I started home education last year and I really like it. I don’t wear school uniform. I would prefer to wear my own clothes every day. I organize my own timetable with my parents’ help. Being at home may seem fun but my parents are very strict. I have to work hard every day.

Every morning I get up at about 8 a.m. and have breakfast. I start studying at about 10a.m. I don’t have formal lessons, but I study the same subjects as in school. I organize my own work. I have lunch at about 12.30 p.m. and I usually study again in the afternoon. I love music. I play the violin three times a week. I’m practising for a competition at the moment.

Some people think that home-educated kids don’t have many friends, but my life is the same as most teenagers’ lives. I go swimming, watch DVDs and play outside with my friends from school every weekend. I also have a lot of friends on the Internet. I e-mail other home-educated kids and we talk a lot. The only problem is that I can’t go to field trips and I can’t take part in school plays. But I don’t really mind that because ı am happy with my situation.