Back to school is quickly approaching us, and lots of children and teenagers up and down the country will be preparing to return to the classroom and focus on their new academic year awaiting them. Some individuals will be entering a new era of their educational life, which could be starting full-time school, entering secondary school or heading off to sixth form or college to focus on exams. As a parent, we know you want what’s best for your child and you may be wondering whether school-based learning or homeschooled learning is more beneficial.

In this blog, we talk through the pros and cons of both school-based learning and homeschooling to see which is best for your child. Plus, we will throw in a couple of our tech tips to make your academic learning that much easier!

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Related blog: Best Smartphone Apps To Help Improve Your Mental Health

What are the advantages of learning in school?

Encourages communication – This benefit doesn’t even revolve around the learning aspect. Schools are the best place for your child to improve their communication skills, with friends, teachers and other peers they engage with. It’s also a great place for children to make friends. Did you know on average every Brit is still in touch with around 5 friends from their school days?

Boosts engagement – It’s an obvious one, when placed in a classroom environment with all the equipment and resources they need, a child can thrive when it comes to their schoolwork. It encourages interactive learning with peers and teachers and encourages classroom participation.

Taught by professionals – Especially in secondary school, students learn with an individual who has studied the subject previously in their life, this means your child is getting the best education possible with a teacher who is a professional in their subject industry.

Improves teamwork skills – Similar to our first point, school-based learning helps improve many skills. One of these is teamwork. Completing an assignment in groups, working in pairs and so many more factors are based on teamwork learnt in school. Over 50% of jobs require some form of collaboration and teamwork in day-to-day tasks.

Access to resources – And finally, learning in a school is perfect as you have constant access to all the key resources you need. Computers for research, craft supplies for art, tech for photography and so much more. When you go to school, all these resources are free too, meaning you can access the best equipment at no additional charge.

 

What are the disadvantages of learning in a classroom?

Lack of 1-on-1 learning – However, with so many other learners in the classroom, it can be difficult to get 1-on-1 learning with a teacher, meaning you may not be getting your full potential out of a lesson.

Distractions of other pupils – Other pupils tend to be the biggest distraction to children too. Causing distractions in the classroom, talking, and throwing equipment, can disrupt your day. It was suggested that in 2023, the average individual wastes around 1 hour 20 minutes every day getting distracted.

Teaching subjects are very broad – Focussing more on primary school, the teaching subjects can be very broad. Whilst in secondary school, teachers are hired based on their specialised area, in primary this isn’t the case. Your child may not be learning in primary school to their full potential due to this.  

Other pupil's behaviours – Of course, the ultimate problem with learning at school, is the other pupils. Some children just don’t want to learn and will make it virtually impossible for any other individuals to concentrate. This is a problem which is very difficult to overcome when it comes to school, as it’s a problem faced in every school establishment, it’s more a deal with and get on with it problem.

 

What are the benefits of home education?

Flexibility of learning hours – Being homeschooled enables individuals to learn at their own pace at their times. It was estimated students learn better mid-morning time, whilst the least effective learning time is around lunch. Parents can take this data and organise their child’s education around these factors. Homeschool learning times don’t need to be restricted to the traditional Monday-Friday learning, Saturday and Sunday are now options for ‘school' also.

Individual learning – When children are homeschooled, whether parents teach themselves or hire a homeschooler, the child is getting 1-on-1 learning where they can completely personalise their learning pathway and be taught with methods that work most effectively for them.

Flexible on many devices -Online learning can be done on practically any device, smartphone, tablet, laptop… even PS5 or Xbox. Look at our blog on how to access Microsoft Teams. We also have many large, screened tablets and student laptops perfect for at-home learning.

Constant Internet access – Internet access, especially YouTube, can be blocked at school to prevent distractions whereas at home you can access most forms of Internet and media.

Learning can be adapted – Your learning criteria, learning plan and so much more are all based fully on your child, not a class of 20+. This means your child gets a beneficial learning system that fully specifies their educational needs, meaning every second of your child’s homeschooling is 100% beneficial.

 

What are the disadvantages of home education?

Lack of communication with children of a similar age – This is one of the biggest negative factors when it comes to homeschooling. Lack of communication. It can feel quite isolating for a child who learns at home as they often struggle to make friends in the real world. Whilst many homeschooled kids score better in exams, it can hurt their general socialisation skills.

Major reliance on smart tech– When learning at home, there is a major reliance on using smart tech to complete studies, revision and general notetaking. If you are completing 6-8 hour learning days, it can be difficult to find a device that will offer a long-lasting battery.

Best devices with long-lasting batteries:

• Samsung Galaxy S24+
• Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
• Apple iPad Air 2024
• Lenovo Tab P11 Plus
• ASUS Zenbook 14
• ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 
• Apple MacBook Pro

 

Can become lonely – Due to the lack of communication we mentioned as our first point, homeschooling can feel lonely. With separate learning times, separation from peers and all online-based learning, it can be hard for children to make friends and grow up with others.

Will find strength in only 1 subject – At school, children attend multiple classes, maths, English, PE, science, and music. And they get a broad understanding of each subject, even if the child is only good at a couple of subjects. At home, some of the ‘lesser important’ subjects are forgotten to focus on a child’s strength, which can hinder learning improvements in other subjects.

Related blog: 5 Best Apps To Cure Boredom In The School Holidays

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Conclusion:

Check out all our selection of tech available on Envirofone which is perfect for improving your 2024 academic start. No matter where you learn, we have the perfect tech for you. A smartphone for keeping in contact with parents when on the go, laptops for coursework and smartwatches for keeping track of your breaks. We have plenty at brilliant prices, take a look now.