Homeschooling refers to home education or home based learning. This educational strategy works in a way that children are educated at home by parents or tutors who may not necessarily be certified teachers, but individuals who are competent enough to impart the lessons on the learners. The venue is the home, not the formal public or private school classroom setting.
Regulations governing the method
In previous years, homeschooling in developed countries has provided an alternative instruction from formal schools. Presently, the system has found its way to developing nations particularly among middle class families. It is a legal option for parents that let them support their children’s learning outside a traditional school facility.
The regulations governing homeschooling method varies according to a country’s educational policies. Commonly, the education department provides the requirements and curricula for a homeschooled child. In most cases, homeschooling programs are patterned after the officially prescribed curricula by the education agency. The objective is for the learners to keep up with the general trend in the system to make sure their education follow the right course.
Reasons for homeschooling
Varied reasons serve as motivations for parents to homeschool their children. On the whole however, the rationale boils down to three:
• concern of parents on the prevailing environment in schools
• parents’ desire to include religious and moral instruction which their children cannot obtain from non-sectarian schools
• unsatisfactory academic education in many schools
Aside from these reasons, parents’ purposes in homeschooling their children are also founded on a case-to-case basis.
There are families that get separated from the rest of the community that homeschooling becomes the only option for the children. This applies to families where the parents get assigned in jobs at far-flung areas with no excellent schools around. On top of these circumstances, another important reason that leads parents to homeschool their children is that they want their children to learn and develop their skills according to their individual ability and pace.
Benefits to children
A great number of parents who have tried homeschooling for their children attest to the numerous benefits of this method of education. Children are able to perform in accordance to their own speed and level of understanding. They are not forced, so to speak, to imbibe certain lessons for which they are not ready. In formal school setting, the lessons are rigidly structured in a non-individualized pattern where everyone is expected to keep up with the general pace of classroom instruction. The result is lack of mastery of the lesson because there is pressure on the child to assimilate the instruction at a set period of time. In homeschooling, children have more freedom to explore their strengths and weaknesses because they work and learn at their own pace.
Disadvantages
Despite the many benefits of homeschooling, the disadvantages cannot be disregarded. When asked about their misgivings on homeschooling, some parents say that this system of education may deprive the children of the opportunity to hone their socialization skills. The absence of competitive atmosphere in homeschooling is also attributed to the difficulties of homeschooled children in coping with actual classroom education when they start attending regular schools in later years.
Important decision
With both the advantages and disadvantages previously pointed out, it is up for parents to decide if homeschooling is beneficial for their children. Do you think homeschooling is the best educational program for your children? The answer may have to depend on your child’s individual needs and capabilities. The issue needs thorough study and all aspects must be weighed before coming up with a decision since children’s education is not a simple business that can allow wide margins for errors.