We love to travel with our four children, and even though we try to travel during summer break, we also like to take advantage of off-season travel specials; therefore, we also travel while school is in session. However, this has been a hurdle most of the time because if school is in session, we need special approval to keep our kids out of school, regardless of the number of days.
I learned that ten days is the maximum some schools will accept. After ten days, they may send you to court for not sending kids to school. I think some public schools are not supportive of travel-related absences, and they have non-negotiable attendance rules that forbid it. Private schools are more lenient.
Always check your school’s policy before making any travel plans. If you travel for work and want to homeschool your kids, or you want your kids to have a cultural education, homeschooling is excellent for your family. Make sure you get everything registered, approved, and set up with your state departure.
The most important part is to make sure you and the kids know how to manage time and
comply with the assigned homework. The good thing is that with homeschooling, there is always support tutoring from the program to assure your kids don’t fall behind, and you can do it in your peace and when it is convenient for all.
One of the advantages of studying while traveling to other countries is that the kids learn about geography, history, and languages. Remember that you or someone in your family needs to make sure the kids are doing what they are supposed to do, so you become the teacher, and being a teacher is not an easy task; it does require specific skills, but if you follow the curriculum, it should not be that difficult.
Here is an informational sheet about homeschooling in PA. www.elc-pa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ELC_FactSheet_HomeschoolingPA_5_2_08.pdf
Cinthia Kettering
