In recent years, homeschoolers have spiked, especially during the Covid – 19 pandemic. More parents accept this form of education than they did before. This has caught the attention of educators as well as the media.
Let us understand what homeschooling is and its benefits and drawbacks.
What is Homeschooling? This is also known as home education. Parents educate their kids at home instead of sending them to public or private schools. However, homeschooling does not mean that all learning activities occur at home. They can be at a museum, a park, or even on a trip. Parents will fulfill all teaching roles or work hand in hand with tutors and other homeschooled parents.
Parents should consider both good and negative factors. In the next section, you’ll learn about the benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling.
ADVANTAGES
Flexibility and FreedomLearning distant from schools are, of course, far more flexible than learning in a school with many rules and regulations. You have complete control over how, when, and where your children are educated. Make your curriculum, timetable, and teaching methods suitable for you and your children. Take them to a history museum, for example, to learn about national history. Furthermore, you can skip over what your child already understands and move slowly where they are unsure. Meanwhile, your children must keep up with the rest of the class. Teachers can only move on to the next section of the class when the majority of the students have grasped the material.
Individualized Learning
Each child is distinct. Each of them has a unique set of skills and interests. As a result, parents can base their instructional plans on them. Your child, for example, has a visual learning style. As a result, include more visual aids in the class, such as photographs and videos. If you notice that they have creative or athletic tendencies, you can devote more practice time to them. This is not possible in schools.
Safe Learning Environment
Parents can use home education to protect their children from societal danger. They may be subjected to school violence, racism, and other forms of discrimination. They may also be enslaved by drugs, alcohol, or a terrible relationship.
Aside from that, the Covid-19 epidemic is still going on. It is possible to limit the danger of infection by keeping children out of regular classrooms.
Strong Relationships
Educating children allows you to spend more time with them. It can aid in developing a stronger relationship between parents and children. Relationships between spouses become more intimate as well. This is because they must work together to educate children.
DISADVANTAGES
Socialization Difficulties
The first thing that springs to mind while considering the disadvantages is the difficulty in socializing. Homeschooled children have fewer opportunities to build friendships or interact with peers than their peers. They can, of course, establish acquaintances outside of school. On the other hand, organizing meetings or activities takes time and effort. In the meantime, if they go to school, they can spend up to 8 hours every day with a diverse group of classmates. As a result, they can naturally form bonds. Your children’s mental, physical, and social skills will improve due to this.
Significant Changes in Family’s Lifestyle
Parents have always played a fundamental role in their children’s lives; on the other hand, they are now both teachers and administrators. They must perform numerous “behind the scenes” responsibilities in addition to implementing teachings. Creating a learning plan or organizing field excursions, for example. As a result, the family’s schedule will be disrupted. Parents have less time to attend to their own needs.
Homeschooling has an impact on a family’s finances as well. Parents must pay for study materials, online courses, and other expenses. As a result, people have less time to work and make money. There are more expenses, yet there is less revenue. This necessitates a reduction in the family’s spending.
This style of education can put a lot of pressure on single parents.
Lack of Facilities
In reality, a house cannot provide the same level of education as a traditional school. It’s difficult for parents to provide all of the essential chemicals, materials, or chemistry labs for chemistry education. They can, of course, find them outdoors, but it will take some work. Furthermore, parents are not experts in all disciplines and cannot assist children like expert teachers.
Excessive Interaction
The majority of students attend school for a half-day or a full day. If you homeschool your children, you must deal with them 24 hours, seven days a week. Because they are continually under their parents’ authority, it might make children feel constrained. Furthermore, it might be aggravating if children disobey or do not understand anything.
In conclusion, we can’t deny that homeschooling has advantages for both children and parents. It does, however, have several flaws. As a result, parents should be aware of both the benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling. Then examine whether it is appropriate for themselves, their children, and their family’s circumstances.