Homeschooling: The Alternate Way for Educating Your Kids
Most of the people in our society think that putting their kids in school is the best way to ensure their overall development and they aren’t wrong. But there are circumstances where it can’t be an option. There are many people, who have to constantly move or travel. In the process, their kids’ studies might get affected. Homeschooling is a good option in situations like these.
But Homeschooling in India has many legal factors. There have been many disparities over the matter. The matter has been debated over, by lawmakers, educators and parents after The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) was passed, which makes formal education for children between ages 6-14, a fundamental right. But there are petitions by alternate schools and parents to grant some relief, in this matter.
Many support Groups have been formed, for the cause from all around the country. The home schoolers who interact in these groups are based in major cities, like New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Chennai. But there are many home schoolers in smaller cities as well, who are either associated with alternative schools or independently educate their children.
Some of the Support groups and Internet mailing lists include, Pune Home schoolers (Open and Moderated), Alternative Education India (Open and Moderated, alt-learn-blr (a group of Alternative learners and Home schoolers based in Bangalore) and websites like india home schoolers.ning.com and www.homeschoolers.in
In 2010, one of the first Facebook groups for Home schoolers in India had been started; India Group for Home schoolers & Alternative Education.
Some parents have the view that children learn in the course of travelling, through different cultures and by exploring new places, and interacting with different people. Shaymala Sathiaseelan, a parent, who doesn’t restrict her child from learning outside the books, says, “Regular schooling hampers a child’s interest to know more on something discussed in textbooks or acquire knowledge outside the given syllabus. Though the child might be mentally prepared to have a deeper understanding of the subject, they are restrained from doing so, with teachers saying they will know more about it at a later stage of school education”. The posing question that concerns the parents, is, whether their child will develop social and interactive skills through homeschooling or not.
Yes, they would. Not going to a regular school doesn’t mean that the kid won’t interact with other kids. They have many other ways to interact with other kids; the playground-time in the evening is one of the many possibilities. Children, who travel, get to socialize more than a kid who has confined social interaction. So the social development is not hindered in any way.
