When Should Homeschooling Be Encouraged?
I’m not sure how long homeschooling has existed across the world, but in my country, it’s not something that was introduced or practiced formally. However, many parents, due to the lack of funds to send their children to school, usually left their kids to stay home till they were about six years old. During that five-year period, they would dedicate their time to teaching these children how to read the ABCD, how to count from 1 to 1000, form three- to eight-letter words and eventually make understandable sentences.
I’d always thought this was commendable because, in a country where a lot of parents were working menial jobs to make ends meet, they still found a way to brush their children up, in basic math, English and handwriting. Some even included quantitative reasoning and all other subjects the kids in school studied. Interestingly, most of these children performed well when they finally had the chance to attend a physical school, and that’s how I knew the value parents placed on our education.
Over time, things began to change, and parents started enrolling their children in physical institutions, even if it meant one that lacked basic structures. Of course, there were a couple of factors that influenced this. One of them would be the time and effort required for homeschooling. Many parents worked multiple or demanding jobs, leaving them with little or no time to teach their kids themselves. Many mothers also realized that homeschooling was a whole job on its own, and the commitment, coupled with home care, put them at risk of burnout, which often affected their health.
Another problem parents faced was having to put in double work to ensure that the kids turned out more confident and expressive of their feelings. Most times, this is practically explored in schools, but when children don’t often interact with other kids in a classroom, it may limit their communication and people skills, and many parents no longer wanted to risk that.
These are also the reasons I may not trust homeschooling for any child under my care, but I do consider it an amazing idea in this age and time for a couple of reasons. For example, bullying has been normalized in many schools, and little to nothing is done to curb the situation. This does nothing to help the children whose parents have taught never to fight back or be violent. But when homeschooling is an option, the risk of bullying becomes less, and nobody gets to cry for justice that wouldn’t ever be served or worry too much about their kids getting influenced into a terrible system that stifles their autonomy.
I also love the idea of homeschooling because it helps parents offer customized learning to their children, and their home tutors could also get learning curriculums that fit each child’s needs. This also makes it easier for them to find their footing early in a career they would love and also gives them an option to explore a flexible learning plan that also saves the family time and cost for other things.
At the core, I would like to think that homeschooling creates a much deeper bond between parents and their children. These days, not a lot of parents are intentional about spending time with their kids, while others have a crazy work schedule that stands aas their excuse to share moments together. But for those who really want to know their kids on a deeper level and have got time on their hands, homeschooling helps them achieve this. They get to understand their children’s behavior and moods better, discover their unique strengths and celebrate their milestones with them before anyone else.
Unfortunately, homeschooling only works for parents who have a flair for structure and organization and can commit to ensuring that their kids get the most benefits while learning from home, whether with them or a tutor. This is also the reason I would not advice it for the average parent because they would rather not commit to a thing like this.
For myself, I believe any kid under my care would need to experience the structure that exists in a formal classroom setting and have the chance to interact fully with others kids to enable them to handle various situations independently.
Ultimately, I recommend that people should stick to doing what works best for them and their children. Homeschooling should not be demonized but encouraged only in the right settings and structure, and of course, under proper guidance. That way, the benefits are maximized enough that the children do not feel anything has been missed out on when they finally get to attend college.
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