04 December 2023 , 11:38
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A woman has sparked a major debate after revealing she is pulling her 12-year-old out of school so she can concentrate on her career as a budding influencer.
Most older children and teens are addicted to their phones - in particular social media sites including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. For Australian mum-of-two Kat Clark, however, it's a family affair; the 37-year-old has 5.2 million TikTok followers and was voted Creator of the Year at the website's annual awards in 2022.
Kat's success has meant a huge increase in her travel, and that's something that has impacted her youngest daughter, Deja. While primary school worked when Kat had a corporate job, her influencer lifestyle means a major change to the family's schedule.
Speaking on the It's All Her podcast with Jody Lucas, Kat revealed she has decided to homeschool her youngest.
She explained: "Deja's even starting to get opportunities as well now, so 9-3, Monday to Friday schooling isn't working for us because we've found that we've had to take her out of school quite a bit. We think that's best for her, just because we don't want her to miss out on these opportunities. TikTok takes a lot of time. It's just what works for our family."
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Kat hosts the popular Aussie podcast 'Basically Besties' with her daughters Latisha, 20, and Deja. Latisha finished high school and originally enrolled in law school - but dropped out six months later to pursue a career in podcasting.
Kat said her youngest is also free to follow her dreams. "With Deja, if she wanted to be a doctor or lawyer - we'd encourage her to go after those dreams. But currently those are not what her goals are. We're willing to work with her whatever happens."
She also noted that Deja is in her first year of secondary school - and said that if she wants to return to traditional schooling further down the line, then that's what they will do.
While some people disagree with Kat's decision to focus on the influencer lifestyle, others have come to her defence. "I would support mine doing that. There is no time limit on learning. If they want to finish their education later they can do it in many different ways," one person commented, via Perth Now.
"As a high school teacher I think the answer is absolutely yes (in support of homeschooling)! Why force a child to stay on at school if it's not for them?" another fan said.
Earlier this month, Kat shared a TikTok revealing how Deja said she hated school. "You guys already know Deja hates school, like she's very smart, but but she does not enjoy it at all," she said.
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.