HOME SCHOOL

Frank Smith is English. He is 9 and his brother, Kim, is 13 years old, but they don’t go to school. They are in the Chilean Arica of for a year because their parents are scientists there. Frank and Kim study at home. Here is our interview with Frank about home education.

Why do you study at home?

Frank: Well, there aren’t any English-speaking schools here in Chile and we don’t speak very good Spanish. We think that we can learn a lot at home.

What subjects do you study?

Frank: I study the usual subjects such as Maths, History, English, Science, Geography and so on. But I study them in my own way. I use books or the Internet. Sometimes our parents teach us, too.

Do you like studying at home?

Frank: Yes, I do – I love it! I can choose how to do things. I can study Maths on Monday and Physics on Tuesday, or Biology on Monday and History on Tuesday. It’s up to me.

Does your brother like it, too?

Frank: Yes, he does. I sometimes help him and he often helps me.

Do you get lonely?

Frank: No, I don’t. I’m hardly ever lonely. My brother and my parents are here. I’ve got friends on the Internet and now I’ve got a few Chilean friends, too.

How often do you see them?

Frank: Well, I go to a sports club every weekend and I meet them there. I also go to a dance club twice a month. I’m mad about dancing and I also have friends there. We have a lot of fun together. We are having a dance show in a few weeks. We are having rehearsals every weekend until the show. I’m very excited about it.