Home Schooling or home education is an alternative educational system, where in the children are not sent to formal schools, but are trained and tutored by their parents themselves. Though homeschooling as a concept has caught the imagination of the advanced countries like USA and UK in a big way, it is fast catching up in India too, with parents in cities leading from the front.
Of late, more and more number of parents in India are opting for such non-formal, non-stereotypical methods of teaching and learning rather than rushing their kids through the syllabus proposed by different ways of boards like CBSE, IGSE...
But where are the Coimbatoreans actually placed when it comes stepping out of the comfort zone of sending their wards to the crowded schools where the teacher - student ratio is abysmal.?
To find out, Simplicity caught up with the number of parents who have opted to unschool their wards after shunning the formal schooling system for good, where novelty, and creativity is visibly and abysmally lacking.
Kokilashree, a former IT professional, who has worked in Chicago, and quit her job for good to take care of her kids, now resides in a serene farm near Anaikatti with her husband Vickneswaran. Here's what Kokila shares about the home schooling concept.
“We never wanted our children to go to school teary-eyed every day and take up the pressures of learning but still nurture them best of education and that's when we found about home schooling.
My first kid was 2.5 years old, and we lived in Chicago area then and we used to attend Waldorf school once in a week where play schooling for kids and other activities for moms are recommended. Then and there, we decided to seek out for some meaningful learning experience and decided to avoid the beaten track of special classes, academic pressures, and hefty fees and donations, which are the vicioius cycle the students and their parents are caught in in the name of formal schooling” Kokila said.
"Then we moved to India and we started exploring about the possibilities of home schooling and the research I did offered me a lot of hope and enthusiasm for the informed choice we made. “Unschooling” is what we actually do, which is the other end of the spectrum, whereby nothing is force fed and no regimentalisation of learning takes place.
No two families adopt the same methods to inculcate their wards the needed skill - sets in science, math, and languages. There is no compartmentalization of class as 6 or 7 standard. Learning takes place naturally by learning lot of books of their interest and ofcourse usage of online resources and forums in the most natural way.
By doing so kids get a lot of extra time to pursue their co-curricular activities like learning a guitar or key board or sporting activities like swimming, cricket or anything. As parents we double up as tutors and mentors in this unique system which is indeed a gift for the young ones" Gokila said.
When questioned if homeschooling kids denied of the fun of camaraderie with their peer groups and denied an opportunity to strike up long-lasting friendships…?
“A firm 'No' was the answer from Kokila who added that “My son befriends with all sections and age groups, not necessarily friends in his own age group. This indeed gives him a lot of scope to expand his personal horizon.
There are lot of aspiring parents who want to shift to homeschooling, even in my own circle, I have over ten parents who are homeschooling their wards. While Chennai and Bangalore are way ahead with thousands opting for homeschooling, Coimbatore is fast catching up too.”
Do home schoolers have a support system..?
Yes… so far five Learning Society unConference of homeschoolers have been organized and it had attracted large number of turnout from homeschoolers from several regions. The Learning society in Udaipur is also attracting homeschoolers in a big way' said Kokila mom of two aspiring kids.
In yet another conversation with Dr.Visalakshi another homeschooling parent who shuttles between Coimbatore and New Delhi said that the there is no pressure and routine curriculum in home schooling concept hence children are left to learn at their own pace.
'In conventional schools, all children are treated as medium level learners whereas the fast and slow learners are not getting helped in the scenario. As a result, the children end up as "factory made" products not wholesome personalities, they are actually meant to be. More individual attention and subject specific teaching are the advantages that homeschooling can offer' she said.
"For example, a student with a flair for science and another child whose interest lies in mathematics should not be grouped and tutored the same way. It's important that more space and time to learn his favourite subject should be given. But unfortunately this lacks in the formula school systems', Dr.Visalakshi, said.
"While the numbers opting for home schooling is not that great, the awareness level has considerably improved in India, these days. A large percentage of parents are caught in the rut, and they lack the courage to step out of the beaten track. They simply forget that learning could happen at home in a better and fruitful manner as it is the most favoured and peaceful space for everyone, especially children" Dr.Visalakshi, said.
“My two kids, Venkatasubramanyam (13) and Sharanya (9) would be taking the matric exams under IGCSC stream and that could be done after they attain the age of 14. My son has lot of interest in Physics and he has obtained knowledge matching a matriculate now, thanks to homeschooling. While my son is a table player my daughter excels in Bharatanatyam and sports.
"The formal school system is not equipped to address this natural curiosity in children as they concentrate on set modules and age- old pedagogical methods, which is not suited for modern day learners. The prevailing academics in schools are only exam-oriented, which I feel is not the right kind of learning to do by the children", avers, Vishalakshi.
Often, the million dollar question asked by the parents whose children are into formal education is.. aAe the home schoolers are a real match to formal schoolers when it comes to entering prestigious institutues for higher education?
Clarifying this query, Dr. Visalakshi shared with us about kids who have excelled through home schooling. “One of my friend’s son is from an Army family and he entered IIT at the age of 15. And, you should be aware of the girl from Mumbai, a home schooler who got admitted to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the Ivy League universities'.
“We have online forums to sustain and support us in our mission to teach our wards the right kind of education. The homeschooling community has a facebook page exclusively for homeschoolers and the forum serves them to share and exchange ideas, and happenings. Khan academy, an online platform for homeschoolers give a lot resource for self-learning and my kids follow that and there are city based institutes which help homeschoolers in a big way.
One of the main advantages of home schooling is that the kids become self-learners from an early age as they naturally take to vast and extensive reading, like fish to water.
“If all parents do realize the advantages of home schooling they wouldn’t blink twice before opting for this kind of harmonious education, which is not only rewarding and fulfilling but makes learning an enjoyable and life-long process for the kids.” said, Dr. Visalakshi as a parting shot.
The homeschooling parents to whom SimpliCity spoke, indeed vouch for the fact that home schooling nurtures not only the kids but strengthens the family bond.
Those who wish to do a rethink to avoid admission queues, fleecing school managements, unidimensional formal education can definitely opt for home schooling, which is indeed a promising and futuristic way to escape from the increasing commercialisation of education, especially in India.