As a homeschooling mum, I wish kids all learnt the same. Ha! I do though. I wish there was a one-formula-fits-all.

Why? Firstly, I’d be sure of things. I wouldn’t be wondering as I am now if our current way of learning is the right one. I’m left feeling like the ‘person’ in the above picture.

School is for us, among other things, a live-stream classroom. InterHigh has great teachers, passionate about their subjects. We’ve been doing it long enough to know. They offer a non-competitive environment. As much interactivity as they can muster.

Still, our Year 10 kid stares into the distance during school. One class, the next. The next after that. Despite being back in school for just a week.

The teacher mentions a number of important things to be written down – and all the while the student stares off into the distance.

Painful to be the responsible parent in this moment. What do you do? Walk away? Tell her to pay attention? Do the work for her? Not one answer is the right one.

The walk-away option would probably be the wisest. Since she needs to take responsibility for herself. After all, if she were sitting in a real classroom, I wouldn’t be telling her anything, right? I’d be miles away, a happy ignoramus.

So, of course I told her to pay attention. My watch. My cloak of responsibility. It’s a shitty cloak. But still, the choice to be here isn’t hers. She has – as is the fate of children – no choice at all. We brought her here.

Did she like my interference? Appreciate the advice to pay attention? Almost enough to get on a plane and find the first British classroom she could.

Please forgive my whiny tone. I’m sure it’ll be alright in the end. I’m sure she’ll achieve what she wants to work for. Smart as a whip that one. And surprise twist – she likes the classroom banter. The competition.

Unfortunately, as wonderful as InterHigh is – and I really think it’s a wonderful school, it is asking rather a lot to pit children against each other to fuel their learning when they’re all mostly sitting in their respective living rooms.

InterHigh bridges the gap between homeschool and curriculum. It can get kids ready for exams, and by doing so, life beyond school. It can impart knowledge with the best of them. But it cannot make kids care.

This is why I wish kids all learnt the same way. I wish we could give them a formula and they’d go off and process. The most boring world ever. And our Lulu is many things – but boring is NOT one of them. Sigh.