The old saying 'home is the first school of a child' seems to have been re-defined in recent times. Over 125 families in Kerala have broken away from the mainstream education system, choosing instead to completely take charge of their children's education through 'homeschooling.'
The reasons behind the move are many. Most often, the cause is not related to the family's financial status.
A tutor's take
Jaison P. Joy, a tutor, seems to be in favour of 'homeschooling' children. He has a son who is five years old and his daughter is three years old. When asked why he had supported this concept of education, he said, “We did not want our children to be taught by teachers who, many a time, are religious and political fanatics. When my son was three years old, we asked if he would be happy if we taught him various subjects at home. He had agreed to do the proposition,” explains Jaison.
The couple had sent their son to school for a brief period. It could be noted that the child was able to write the number 1 to 25 and probably beyond it. In about 45 days, Jaison and his wife had realised that his son is way ahead of his classmates in terms of knowledge. Jaison's son, however, resorted to homeschooling post the incident. Both Jaison and his wife, who is also a teacher, travel frequently in the name of work or other commitments as well. The children accompany them each time. Hence, they also have an the opportunity to interact with many people. “We don't restrict their thought process. We let them think, play with ideas. May be that could be the reason why they are able to speak before the public,” Jaison said.
Not homeschooling, but practical learning
Gautam Sarang, the son of Gopalakrishnan and Vijayalekshmi, heads Sarang Alterantive School. This institution teaches those subjects related to life - such as conservation, democracy, managing family, technology and similar topics. Interestingly, Gautam has never attended school. Instead, it was his parents who had given him insights into various topics. Here is Gautam's story:
“My parents were teachers at a Government School in Palakkad district. But they were unhappy with the system of education for it appeared to be corrupt. In fact, even before I was born, they had made up their minds to not send me to school. They did to run their own school for a while, and impart education in it's truest sense. At present, my wife and I are trying to revive it. As a child, I was taught how to grow a forest and even how to maintain the soil of a region. This is not an area that is taught in-depth in schools. My parents were largehearted. When I was growing up, my parents had taken up the responsibility to take care of other children, who eventually became more than siblings to me. So yes, I never felt I was denied the opportunity of interacting with friends. My son is three years old and my daughter is six years old. Even they do not go to school. But they have learnt a lot. I have enjoyed my childhood and I want my children to enjoy their childhood."
It is about doing what you love
Malayalam child actor Minon,16, and his sister Mintu, 13, have been taught at home for a long time. His mother Minu John told us that both she and her husband, John Baby, were keen on tutoring their kids at home till the age of 10. “My husband and I are artistes and are into the creative way of life. Perhaps that could be the reason why our children are inclined to the world of music and dance,” she explained. Minu said that it is important to know what the child is interested in to support him or her in every possible way.
At the risk of no social skills
One issue has raised several queries regarding homeschooling – social skills. Unlike school, homeschooling does not always work in favour of the child with regards to interacting with other children of his or her age group.
While Jaison and his wife state that their children are social human beings, they fear that the day might come when the children would want to go to school to meet more children of their age. “We travel a lot and most often our children accompany us. As a result they have plenty of opportunities to interact with people of different groups as well as children of their age,” Jaison explains.
Minon's mother said that despite not being a sent to a regular school, both her kids are social human beings. Mintu attends a dance school while her son Minon has private music sessions with his teacher. She said that Mintu's dance school has given her a chance to interact with a lot of children who are her age, and who study in different schools. Interestingly, her teachers are quite happy with her ability to mingle with the others in the class. Then again, things might change in the days to come.
Gautam said that his home is surrounded by kids and that his children have been groomed to interact with different groups of people despite not attending regular school. “As a matter of fact, my daughter has learnt the dialect spoken by the tribes residing in the region,” he said.
A choice for the child
Ron Bastian is a parent of a four-year-old girl. When asked about his opinion about homeschooling, he had a few interesting opinions. “Each child is special. As a parent, I have to be able to cater to my child's strengths and work towards it. At the moment, my daughter is being tutored at home. We will not send her to school unless and until she wants to do so. That being said, social skills are something that I am worried about. That is one of the many limitations of the homeschool,” he commented.
It could be noted that parents have begun to take their child's personal interests into consideration before investing in their elementary education. Jaison said that he would send his children to school only if the government issues a compulsory norm or something similar to do so. Gautam too prefers homeschooling over the conventional teaching methodologies for it allows the child to learn at his or her own pace.
These parents believe that patience is the key to such methods of imparting knowledge; for a child is always curious and keen to know more.
But what about the big and competitive world of reality? Schools are known to provide a platform that prepares the child for the rat race. Some believe that the competition has hampered their childhood while there are others who think otherwise.
Can the protective environment provided by your parents prepare you to be on your own, take the first step ahead and be amid the top players in the competition? Moreover, how can children with only a bare minimum exposure to life take a call on what is truly good for them and what is not?