Latest news with #homeschooling
The Sun
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
I'll keep my kid out of school forever, our 8 hols per year are more important – parents going school breaks are muppets
A MUM-of-four has revealed the decision to teach her youngest by travelling across the globe rather than sending her to school. Carla Bellucci has well and truly earned the title of 'Britain's most hated woman' with her latest controversial act. 7 The 43-year-old previously told how she's pulling her toddler, Blu, two, out of nursery to go on holiday – with eight trips planned this year. As part of the tot's alternative learning, Carla makes her count the amount of cocktails she consumes in one day. Now, despite the backlash, the former glamour model has no plans to send Blu back to school – in fact, she's vowed to 'never let [the] two-year-old step foot in one'. 'I think school is the biggest waste of time,' Carla, from Hertfordshire, revealed. 'Blu has learned more with me while on holiday than she would've done stuck in the crap education system for years. 'To me, it's a no-brainer. 'I feel like we're giving her the best educational experience ever – a new country each month. 'This is the way forward; I couldn't care less about school curriculums. 'Learning about different cultures while by the pool is far better than a maths or English lesson.' Carla, who is currently in Tunisia, says families who go away outside of term-time are 'utter muppets'. Carla Bellucci enjoys eight holidays in one year She said: 'I laugh at all these parents that respect the rules and education system. 'The amount of mums who have told me they're paying over a grand per person for a week in bloody Antalya is a joke. I think school is the biggest waste of time. Blu has learned more with me while on holiday than she would've done stuck in the crap education system for years Carla Bellucci 'What are their kids really going to miss out on? 'Let your kids see the world over a dated text book. 'It makes no sense to me.' 7 7 7 Carla has also been to Egypt so far, with Marrakesh, Spain and Paris next on the list. In August, she'll be going to America, where she hopes to settle down for a while – but not without taking Blu on more trips abroad, too. She added: 'People just say I'm going to get fined, but I don't care. 'I do what I want. I never listen, I trust my own instincts. 'And it's not failed me yet. 7 'Blu has swam with dolphins, explored remote islands. 'She's also been horse riding, another beautiful experience learning about different cultures. 'I loved watching her do body boarding and taking part in crafts and cooking lessons. 'At the start of term, we're taking her to Cuba for three weeks. 'I'd love someone to tell me what their kids have done this week – read another book? 'How boring.' What school fines can parents receive? THE main issue that can lead to parents receiving a fine is missing school. Currently, it's the decision of the local council whether or not to issue a parent a fine for their child missing school. However, the fine for absences will soon be up to the school to consider - when a child has missed 10 or more sessions for unauthorised reasons. And the fine will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days - this is issued to EACH parent. It's the first time the fine has been increased since 2012, and is in line with inflation. If a parent receives a second fine for the same child within three years, this will automatically be charged at the higher rate of £160. Fines will be capped at two fines within a three-year period. After this limit has been reached, prosecution or a parenting order may be considered. According to the official government website, there are only five reasons your child should be absent from school if the school is open. These are as follows: Your child is too ill to attend that day You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on that day due to exceptional circumstances Your child cannot attend school on that day because it is a day you are taking part in religious observance Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child's transport to school and it is not available on that day or has not been provided yet You are a gypsy/traveller family with no fixed abode, and you are required to travel for work that day meaning your child cannot attend their usual school The Department for Education (DfE) revealed statistics that showed 443,322 fines were issues for unauthorised school time holidays in 2023/24 - a sharp increase from the 356,181 the previous year.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's co-parenting war over her 'out of touch' schooling plans
Exes Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick are reportedly locked in a feud over how to educate their children despite being friendly co-parents since their split in 2015. Kourtney, 46, shares sons Mason, 15, and Reign, 10, as well as daughter Penelope, 12, with Scott and is also a mom to one-year-old son Rocky, with her husband Travis Barker. The reality TV star sparked fury last week when she discussed her controversial approach to parenting with her sister Khloe Kardashian on her podcast, Khloe In Wonder Land. While appearing on the podcast Kourtney opened up about her children wanting to be homeschooled. Fans have since branded her 'out of touch' and harshly accused her of being the 'dumbest of the sisters.' Kourtney said: 'Why do kids f*****g go to school?' before adding that it is a 'dated' practice. According to an insider the comments infuriated Scott who found them 'irresponsible,' as claims emerge that as of late he is struggling to recognize his ex. Speaking to a source said: 'Scott strongly disagrees with Kourtney's parenting style and finds her comments irresponsible. 'Scott values hard work and sees school as essential and would never allow his kids to not attend.' Kourtney was one of the only Kardashian sisters to attend college. She started her bachelor's degree at the traditional Southern Methodist University in Texas before graduating from the University of Arizona but has made it clear that she no longer believes traditional education is important. Scott, who 'feels Kourtney has changed,' will reportedly have his children homeschooled 'over his dead body.' The father-of-three, who still appears on the family reality show, is also said to have issues with the influence of Kourtney's step-children. Kourtney married Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker in 2022, before giving birth to their son in November 2023. Travis shares Landon, 21, and Alabama, 19, with his ex-wife, Shanna Moakler. A source said: 'Life at Kourtney and Travis's house can be chaotic and Scott is especially uneasy with the influence of Travis's daughter, Alabama. 'He makes clear that while Travis may be Rocky's dad, he will never be a father to his kids.' As of late Alabama has been embroiled in online drama, including a seemingly never ending feud with Florida rapper Bhad Bhabie. Their ongoing spat, which has consisted of numerous diss tracks, even saw baby Rocky pulled into the fight by the star's mom Barbara after she claimed if Alabama 'comes for my granddaughter I come for your little one!!!' Alabama's influence was called into question when Reign joined his stepsister's boyfriend on an Instagram Live in April and shut down wild, longstanding rumors that his real father is Justin Bieber. The live stream apparently infuriated Kourtney, who is wary of her children's presence on social media. Despite her children growing up on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney rarely shows their faces on social media and has never shared a picture of Rocky's face. A second insider claimed that Scott 'is concerned the children would lose the opportunity to make friends and to establish independence' if they are homeschooled. Instead of meeting other people their age, the children would be around their family members and the crew filming their Hulu reality show leading them to have more limited experiences. The source said: 'If they are always at home around Kourtney they will miss out on substantial knowledge and teachings that Scott feels every kid should experience. 'They have enough money to find good schools and good teachers. 'He would rather they go that route over homeschooling any day.'
The Sun
26-05-2025
- The Sun
I was THROTTLED by boy, 14, in front of my class – but was hauled in front of jobsworth school bosses who disciplined ME
A TEACHER was disciplined by jobsworth school bosses after refusing to teach a pupil who throttled her in front of her class, she claims. Mum Laura Linklater was so traumatised by the incident in Bradford, West Yorkshire, she quit her job and now homeschools her own two kids. 3 The 40-year-old said her teacher training did not 'prepare me to handle' such a physical assault, which had left her ' shaking '. To make matters worse, she said the following week the pupil arrived in her class for morning registration without any prewarning from school bosses. While teaching the Year 10 class, Laura said one pupil suddenly became aggressive. She told The Sun: 'He was really tall, really big and very angry. 'He came into my class one day barging tables and chairs, so I told him to tone it down. 'Suddenly, he had me up against the classroom wall by my throat.' Laura described how a Sixth Form student 'boffed' the pupil to get him off and another rang the alarm before he was taken away by a PCSO. 'I was left shaking,' she said. She went on to say: 'I was only told he'd been 'dealt with', before he turned up to my registration class next Monday, without a call or even an email from the school warning me. "I refused to teach the student. I didn't blame him; but I refused to have my aggressor in my classroom.' Boy, 7, in school 'knife attack' bid In a subsequent meeting with a superior, she claims she was told 'it's your job' to teach the teenager, and so she threatened to quit. 'He (a superior staff member) found this shocking, and I got in trouble for refusing to teach my attacker.' She added: 'I was having to fight for my basic right to not have aggressors in my classroom.' Laura said after the meeting: 'I held my tears in long enough to find a classroom to cry in.' After the meeting, a senior colleague found Laura crying and 'fought my corner so I didn't have to teach the student anymore', she explained. 'But that was only because of the exceptional kindness of this individual.' Months after the incident in late 2012 she left her job, describing the incident as 'the last straw'. Laura added: "My decision to home-school my kids was heavily influenced by my time as a teacher. "You'd be stunned by the number of home educators who are teachers - who've seen the system from the inside out and don't want their kids to go through it." I held my tears in long enough to find a classroom to cry in. Laura Linklaterformer teacher A survey last month by the NASUWT teachers' union shows that Laura's experience is shockingly common in the profession. It showed that two fifths of school teachers have experienced physical abuse or violence by pupils in the last 12 months. In detail, 20% of the survey's 5,800 respondents said they had experienced being hit or punched by pupils in the last year, while 38% said they had been shoved or barged. The results also suggested that such abuse is set to get worse, with a staggering 81% of teachers believing the number of pupils showing violent and abusive behaviours had increased. Thankfully, Laura had received basic self defence training while doing a previous job at PREVENT, working with young offenders. She fears without this previous training, she would not have been able to keep her attacker away until he was removed. Laura explained: 'My PGCE training did not prepare me to handle kids who towered over me. 'I was given one day of theory-based Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) lectures. 'You come out of it blinking in the sun, with no idea what you're doing.' By Kate Kulniece A MUM has revealed she's been referred to the police after her teenage daughter missed a few days of school due to being ill. Mum Sara Louise took to TikTok to rant after being notified that the authorities would be coming to do a welfare check on her child, who is in Year 10. The furious mum explained that her daughter has ''some additional needs'' - which Sara felt like were ''not met by the school ''. In the video, Sara said that before the incident, her daughter had been off for three weeks on a different occasion ''because she was unwell'' - and that time, there was allegedly no mention of a welfare check. ''I only had phone calls to check in and see if she was okay. Some of them I didn't even answer,'' Sara said in a recent clip on TikTok. The outraged mum went on: ''This term, she's been off for 11 days and they've rung me twice in the 11 days. ''And today, when I answered the phone call, she asked me if she could come out and do a welfare check - and I kindly declined. ''I said 'No, I don't want you to come to my house','' Sara said, adding that her teenager was ''absolutely fine'' and didn't ''want any interaction with the school''. Under the Education (Penalty Notices) Regulations, schools usually consider a welfare check when a child has missed 10 school sessions (equivalent to 5 days) of unauthorised absences within a rolling 10-week period. Schools may conduct a welfare check sooner if they have concerns about a child's wellbeing, even if the absence is shorter. Before a home visit, schools will usually try to contact the parents first to understand the reason for the absence. ''I'm fuming. Because I have now declined, they're telling me that they have a duty of care - which is fine - and safeguarding and all the rest of it, to come out and do this check.'' Sara, who is in the process of moving her daughter to another school, noted that getting the police involved felt as if she was ''hiding'' and ''abusing'' the child. ''I know they haven't said that - but the way that comes across is, like, sinister.'' Despite the school notifying Sara, the mum said there was no chance she was going to the child's school to let them know the daughter was fine ''when she's fine''. ''And there's not a cat in hell's chance that they're coming to my house to see that she's fine.'' The furious mother, who insisted the school had never given ''a s**t'' about her daughter, knew there'd be backlash after posting the clip - but said she didn't ''give a crap''. If the authorities do show up, Sara said she'd be having the conversation with the police from her camera. ''This is what you get for doing what's right for your kid.'' Despite the incredibly high rate of pupil assaults, no mandatory training exists for teachers to deal with violent assault, sexual harassment or sexual assault from pupils. Jennifer Moses, National Official For Equalities and Training at the NASUWT explained: 'Schools are only obligated and trained to deal with pupil-on-pupil or staff-on-pupil violence and sexual harassment - mainly as a safeguarding issue through the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) statutory guidance. 'Schools should have something in their anti-bullying policies or staff handbooks that addresses violence and harassment from pupils, but this is not nationally addressed. "There may be schools that provide this specific training, but I would guess it is very limited, and I am not aware of any such schools.' In a situation where teachers' protection is largely left to individual schools, many educators do not feel they are amply supported by their employers. The 2023 NASUWT Behaviour in Schools Report showed that just 55% of teachers reported behavioural incidents to their manager within their school or college. Of those who did not report such behaviours, 36% felt their capability would be called into question as a result. In March, another NASUWT survey showed that nearly half (49%) of female teachers had experienced physical abuse or violence from pupils in the previous 12 months, compared to 36% of male respondents. More than double the number of female teachers said they had been hit or punched by pupils (36%) compared to their male counterparts (13%). This kind of violence is often embedded in misogyny, and is not restricted to teenage students. 'Amy', a former primary school teacher in London who has chosen to remain anonymous, told of an encounter where she was attacked by a schoolboy with a pair of scissors. She said: 'I was teaching a year 3 class, and a 7-year-old boy was acting disruptively. 'This boy refused to take any authority from women, and frequently called me a 'black b****'. 'He kept telling me: 'I'm going to hit you, I'm going to hit you.' 'Then he pulled out a pair of scissors and attacked me with them. 'It was only because we had a teaching assistant present at that moment, the pair of us were able to restrain him. 'I'm only 5'2' and this boy was incredibly strong. 'Had the TA not been there, this boy could have run out of the school gates with these scissors.' This boy refused to take any authority from women, and frequently called me a 'black b****'. 'Amy'former teacher Training and support for this teacher were, again, worryingly absent in the aftermath of this attack. 'I had absolutely no training for these kinds of incidents,' Amy said. 'After the attack, the teaching assistant asked if I was OK, but there was no support offered to me beyond a timeout. 'The lack of help was so normalised that it's only now that I realise I should have been better protected by the school. 'The only feedback I received was the mother of the child on the phone having a right go at me. 'There's no way I would ever go back into teaching of any form because of my experiences - I don't want to be in those environments. 'I don't know how to keep myself safe.' Pupils armed with weapons The April NASUWT survey showed teachers reporting attacks from pupils with more than just classroom scissors - using weapons such as knives and fire extinguishers. Again this is not limited to secondary schools, as Amy recalls a year 6 student bringing a knife to school while she was teaching. Many teachers feel that while the behaviour of pupils is getting worse, the tools and deterrents they have available to them to maintain order in classrooms are becoming increasingly scarce. "We can't use language like ' consequences ', or anything with the negative connotations in the classrooms nowadays,' said another a former primary school teacher from Inverness - who we have named 'Sandra'. She added: 'When I started teaching, you could take designated playtime away called 'golden time' as a consequence for not following the rules. 'Now there's not a chance you could have that kind of system in place - you can't have anything where you are seen to be punishing or shaming, because that could cause trauma. 'When there's no sanctions, when everything has to be positive the whole time, there's no way of managing the class. 'One of the things that schools did have for really bad behaviour situations or children that were repeated offenders, is that they could exclude them for a few days or a week. 'But now, schools are reluctant to exclude kids - because from the top down, they were instructed to reduce the total number of exclusions.' Susan found the consequences of this toothless sanction system were increasingly frequent incidents of classroom violence. She said: 'I experienced a range of behaviours from verbal to physical abuse. 'This included being physically pushed, kicked or spat at. 'I've been in situations where I've had to evacuate the class to a safe space away from a child having a meltdown.' 'It didn't matter what stage of school you taught at, you could still be assaulted. 'It was scary, even if they were little, because there's so much anger there, and because you're wary that as a grown up you don't want to come across as if you've given too much force, because you could then be liable for assault. 'Students wouldn't have to apologise for an attack on a teacher, especially if they have an additional support need.' In 2024, 40.5% of all pupils in Scotland had an additional support need (ASN) - which has more than quadrupled since 2010, when 9.7% of students were deemed to have an ASN. 'As soon as a child has an additional support need, it's like you can't separate that need from behaviour,' Susan explained. She added: 'I believe we've got a proportion of children who are diagnosed with having an additional support need, when they have a behaviour issue.' Susan also noticed a rise in misogynistic comments even amongst her primary-age pupils. A study for the children's commissioner for England in 2023 found that a quarter of 16-25 year olds in the UK had first seen pornography while in primary school, leading to a normalisation of derogatory behaviours towards women by young men in schools. 'There's a lot more primary school children making inappropriate comments against teachers - it was comments about how I looked and what I was wearing. 'I definitely think, you know, part of that problem is because of the rise in social media and children having access to devices much younger.' 'There's a dislike for females and it's obviously derived a lot from Andrew Tate -type people online.' Susan quit teaching just before the start of COVID to start a tutoring service, as she felt that as a regular teacher she was spending far more time managing behaviour than actually teaching any content. 'I love tutoring because I'm actually able to teach,' she told us. 'I felt a lot of the time in the classroom that I was fire fighting or implementing crowd control, as opposed to actually teaching. 'Teachers nowadays do much more pastoral care than actual teaching. 'We're the front line for everything, but we're also the first person that gets shot when something doesn't go right. 'I hear from my ex-colleagues who are still teaching that post COVID, it's got much, much worse. 'The demands on teachers have massively gone up, but the funding and support hasn't - if anything, they've been dramatically cut.' The Sun has approached Laura's former school for comment. 3
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Inside Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's co-parenting war as they hit a stalemate over her 'out of touch' plans
They have remained friendly, co-parenting their three children since finally splitting for good in 2015. But exes Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick are at war over how to educate their brood, with the businessman reportedly furious at her drive for homeschooling. Kourtney, 46, shares sons Mason, 15, and Reign, 10, as well as daughter Penelope, 12, with the self-titled 'Lord'. She's also a mom to one-year-old son Rocky, with her husband Travis Barker. She sparked fury last week when she discussed her controversial approach to parenting with her sister Khloe Kardashian for an interview on her podcast, Khloe in Wonder Land. The reality TV star opened up about not conforming to what's expected of a family as she claimed her children want to be homeschooled. Fans branded her 'out of touch' and harshly accused her of being the 'dumbest of the sisters.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Kourtney sparked fury earlier this week after she discussed her approach to parenting with her sister Khloe Kardashian for an interview on her podcast, Khloe in Wonder Land 'Why do kids f*****g go to school?' Kourtney asked, adding that it is a 'dated' practice. The comments infuriated Scott, 42, who found them 'irresponsible,' according to sources, who claim he is struggling to recognize his ex of late. 'Scott strongly disagrees with Kourtney's parenting style and finds her comments irresponsible,' one insider told 'Scott values hard work and sees school as essential and would never allow his kids to not attend.' Kourtney was one of the only Kardashian sisters to attend college. She started her bachelor's degree at the traditional Southern Methodist University in Texas before graduating from the party school University of Arizona. But she's made it clear that she no longer believes attending school in person is important. Scott, who 'feels Kourtney has changed,' will have his children homeschooled 'over his dead body.' The father-of-three, who still appears on the family reality show, is also said to have issues with the influence of Kourtney's step-children. Kourtney married Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker in 2022, before welcoming their son in November 2023. Travis shares Landon, 21, and Alabama, 19, with his ex-wife, Shanna Moakler. 'Life at Kourtney and Travis' house can be chaotic and Scott is especially uneasy with the influence of Travis' daughter, Alabama,' the source said. 'He makes clear that while Travis may be Rocky's dad, he will never be a father to his kids.' Alabama has been embroiled in online drama as of late, including a seemingly never ending feud with Florida rapper Bhad Bhabie. Their ongoing spat, which has consisted of numerous back and forth diss tracks, even saw baby Rocky pulled into the fight by the Dr. Phil star's mom Barbara after she claimed if Alabama 'comes for my granddaughter I come for your little one!!!' In a separate post, Barbara called Alabama a 'little dirty a** h**' who was 'still talking about my granddaughter yet her daddy has a whole new family. Rocky rules while you're just on your knees.' Alabama's influence was pulled into question when Reign joined his stepsister's boyfriend on an Instagram Live in April and addressed wild, longstanding rumors that his real father is Justin Bieber. Following years of speculation over his true paternity, Reign shut down the claims in a live stream that apparently infuriated Kourtney, who is wary of her children's presence on social media. Despite her children growing up on Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kourtney rarely shows them on social media and has never shared a picture of Rocky's face. A second insider claimed Scott 'is concerned the children would lose the opportunity to make friends and to establish independence' if they don't attend school with their peers. Instead of meeting other people their age, they would be around their family members and the crew filming their Hulu reality show, The Kardashians, leading to a much more limited life. 'If they are always at home around Kourtney they will miss out on substantial knowledge and teachings that Scott feels every kid should experience,' the source said. 'They have enough money to find good schools and good teachers. 'He would rather they go that route over homeschooling any day.'
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Kourtney Kardashian believes sending children to school is ‘so dated'
During the latest episode of the Khloé in Wonder Land podcast on Wednesday, host Khloé Kardashian asked her older sister about their differing parenting styles. In response, Kourtney explained that she has no desire to "conform" to what other people do. "Once I started therapy, I kind of started challenging the ways we did things sometimes, the way we all functioned. I love to just go against the grain. I do it with everything,". "Like the school system, I'll think, 'Why do kids f--king go to school?' Truly, it's so dated. So, then I'll start thinking, 'O.K. what's the goal here? Want to do homeschool? Let's do it.'".
