One thing that necessitates in a person’s life early education in the form of schooling. To mold oneself up to the standards of the good life in the contemporary age, schools play a significant part. Schooling considerations for their children is probably one of the most critical decisions for the parents. Several factors come into play as the parents search for the most appropriate educational institution for their kids.
A schooling practice that is not so common is of home-schooling. Usually, we find parents resonating between private, public and Christian schooling institutes as per their capabilities and preferences. Home schools are a sporadic affair. Generally, the parents of the upper-class society seem to consider such schooling methodology for their kids. The middle and lower class of the community does not even consider it as an option.
Here are some parameters to home-schooling that will help you better understand the concepts related to it.
HOME-SCHOOLING PRACTICES
As the name indicates, home-schooling is the method in which the elementary, primary and secondary level of education is acquired through the home-environment, with the help of personal tutors, online-classes etc. Such a schooling practice was prevalent during ancient times, but now the general trend has shifted towards an institutional schooling practice.
Nowadays, home-schools are prevalent among the elite classes only. Expenses that home-schooling incurs are variable as per the quality of it. Online courses and self-study are not so expensive, instead, it may be even less costly, but it lacks in certain areas. On the other hand, hiring personal tutors to learn specific things can be expensive. Home-schooling has several advantages and also disadvantages. This practice is beneficial in particular scenarios but lacks some necessary developmental tactics that public, private or Christian schooling offers.
BENEFITS OF HOME-SCHOOLING
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- One significant advantage that home-schooling offers are immunity from the various negative influences. Children who study in a home-schooling environment are free from the exposure of the society. Parents feel that at a young age, negative impacts can have several degrading effects on the mentality of their children. Also, several security concerns bother parents. Hence, home-schools provide a safe space for the kids.
- A framework or curriculum does not bound students in home-schools. They can learn things in their own space without being subjected to classroom pressure. Every student does not possess the same level of abilities in a classroom. Some are faster at grasping concepts, while others find it difficulty in catching up with the classroom teaching pace. Making notes frequently can be a struggle, and in larger classrooms, there are several distractions. In a home school, all these concerns get easily eliminated. Students can learn in their comfortable environment without any stress or pressure.
- Parents can observe the study patterns of their child and hence participate more actively in their learning process. They are better able to analyse and track their kid’s performances. Many parents prefer the home-school teaching environment because they feel that their child get the maximum benefits under their influence, as parents have genuine concerns towards their children.
DISADVANTAGES
There are several reasons as to why this schooling practice is not so popular. Here are a few points that work against home-schooling:-
- Lack of social interaction and communication with various people can make a kid incompetent in social skills. They might face difficulties in dealing with specific situations of the real-world.
- They do not get a chance to compete in the various extra-curricular that forms an integral part of a child’s positive development. They don’t experience competition with other children, which can hamper their abilities. They are exempted from real-life experiences, leading to a lack of many coping skills.
- Boarding schools provide incredible opportunities to the children, aiding them in their overall growth. They incubate the children with certain auspicious qualities of responsibilities, self-dependency and undertaking. Such growth cannot be achieved through home-schooling.
- Home-schooling can never match the environment of studying in a public setting where one gets to meet people from several walks of life. Students in schools get to know people from different cultures with different backgrounds and preferences. One experiences the diversities in societies and develops many values living in a secular environment.
CONCLUSION
The uptrend in the public-schooling practices has resulted through the various advantages that it has offered over the years. Home-schooling also has several pros, which cannot be disregarded entirely. There are several instances where the home-schooling program overtakes the typical schooling practices. For the people who live in remote places or at a very far distance from a school, home-schooling can be very helpful. Also, for the differentially abled students, home-schooling is a blessing in disguise.
Education is essential for every individual of the society. Anything that makes education access easier for someone should be celebrated. Hence, any schooling practice that benefits a person should be accepted in the community.
