Children’s Commissioner urges parents to strike the right balance with home schooling.

Growing numbers of students are expected to be schooled from home next term. But the SA Children’s Commissioner says there is an important element parents need to remember.

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Children being homeschooled need a “play plan” to ensure they keep up essential skills while away from the classroom, South Australia’s Commissioner for Children says.

As a growing number of students are set to stay at home for term two, Commissioner Helen Connolly, pictured, said the benefits of “play” and “mucking around” for children of all ages should not be neglected.

It is a sentiment that has been shared by the Education Minister John Gardner.

Children's Commissioner Helen Connolly. Picture: Simon Cross

Ms Connolly said there was a good reason why the United Nations treaty that sets out universally accepted rights for children regarded play as a high priority.

“For kids, the most important thing for them is their relationships with peers, and that is around playing and mucking around,” Ms Connolly said.

“If they can’t do that, what are we going to do to ensure that kids have that balance in their life?

“Because they can’t just do school work and learn; there has to be down time.

“Playfulness is all about our approach to life, and it gives a lot of people resilience or makes them adaptable or gives them strength.”

Ms Connolly said large corporations such as Google and Apple had introduced playfulness into the workplace because it was important in developing other skills.

“Playfulness is actually quite a useful 21st century skill,” she said. “It is about enjoyment, but it is also about spontaneity.”

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Ms Connolly said parents needed to “throw the rule book out” and accept that, for younger children, a play plan would mean extra mess around the house.

“Older kids need time out, space and freedom, so they can retreat and do the things that make them feel good,” she said.

Mr Gardner said it was important for children to have breaks during the school day by stepping away from their desk or computer to play or exercise.

“Schools will be recommending breaks, such as regular recess and lunch breaks, to families who are supervising their child’s learning at home,” he said.

“There are also plenty of learning opportunities for children that do not involve sitting at a desk or a computer.

“We expect that schools across the state will be allocating hands-on activities as part of the daily routine for students, regardless of whether they are in the classroom or at home, which may include tasks such as STEM or physical activities.”