A child's education is of utmost to every parent. And while school hunting by parents usually starts at the time of conception of a baby itself( sometimes, even earlier), many parents are left disillusioned by the level of instruction and attention received by their wards at school. At this stage, homeschooling comes as a viable alternative to traditional schools. And while, some people may pull up their noses at the idea of homeschooling, it has actually become a very popular educational system in the past few decades.
In this article, we attempt to give a balanced view on the benefits of homeschooling and regular schooling. You are free to make your conclusions and we would be delighted if you would share your opinions and experiences with both forms of schooling with us in the comment section below!
If you live in Gurgaon or nearby, should you go looking for the best ICSE School in Gurgaon? Or should you take up matters in your own hands and teach your kid yourself? Find out for yourself.
Homeschooling
Pros
• Teacher-Student Ratio
A perpetual cause for concern among parents, the teacher student ratio in most schools is abysmal! One teacher among 40 pupils, cannot humanely tend to the individual needs of all.
On this parameter, homeschooling trumps every other kind of schooling because the homeschooling teacher-student ratio is normally 1:1, which is ideal.
• Integrated Education
Who knows a child's interests, strengths and weaknesses better than a parent? Therefore, a parent can provide the best education moulded around the child's capabilities and learning speed. Also, being intimately associated with a child's life, a parent is best placed to use life experiences as learning resources.
• Better Time Management
Homeschooling saves valuable learning time in a kid's schedule by minimizing wastage of time in transport, in administrative processes and other non-productive activities.
• Better Learning Resources
Homeschooled kids are provided with learning resources that are specific to their learning requirements and are solely there for their personal use.
• Safer Environment
Homeschooling, by its very definition, provides child a safe homely environment. Parents need not worry about the physical, emotional and social security of their children as they are right in front of their eyes.
• Flexible Learning Schedule
Homeschooling is ideal for children of parents who need to travel due to work or other obligations. Even for families with more stable lifestyles, homeschooling can be a boon as they do not need to schedule their activities around the rigid academic schedule of most institutional schools. This gives them greater control over their lives and freedom to plan their activities as per their pleasure and requirements.
Cons
• Too Much Time Spent with Children
Homeschooled children can sometimes become resentful or restless by being around the same set if adults all the time. This is normal as it’s a human tendency to look for variety. But it can be trying for parents to reign in such unruly behavior
• Unsupportive Social Groups
This is a major issue faced by both parents and children who adopt homeschooling as a method of education. Most people are still ignorant or insensitive towards families who homeschool their kids. Kids too have to face a lot of prejudice and judgemental behavior among their peer group.
• Remaining calm and Patient while Teaching Kids
Let’s face it, most parents who decide to homeschool their kids are not trained educators. They are not equipped to deal with the stress of teaching adolescents. This may lead to frustration, stress and disappointment in both parents and kids.
• Lack of Curriculum and Slow Learning Pace
As homeschooled kids study according to the syllabus decided by the parents and at their own pace, they can sometimes lag behind students of regular schools of the same age group. This can be a challenge for parents and children.
• Lack of a support Group
Parents of kids going to public school have a supportive social group. Indeed many lifelong friendships blossom between sets of parents who’s children go to the same school. Parents can exchange notes, talk about issues related to their kids education and other activities. But no such support group is normally available to parents of homeschooled kids. Homeschooling can be a lonely journey. This, it is important to seek out other parents who are homeschooling their kids and form support groups.
Regular Schools
Pros
• Cost Effective Education
Parents save a considerable amount of money by sending their kids to regular schools as it save money otherwise spent on books, learning materials etc.
• Exposure to Diverse Society
At school, student experience the diversity of people they will face later on in life. Learning to survive in a diverse environment is an essential life skill.
• Qualified Teachers
Students at schools, are guided by teachers, trained specially for educating young learners. They are experts in handling the learning requirements of adolescents. This benefits the students in a number of ways.
• Physical activity
Children going to school are known to participate more in physical activities like sports and other extra curricular activities.
• Social skills
When compared to homeschooled kids, children going to institutional schools are more outgoing and socially active.
Cons
• Lack of individual attention
Public schools usually have a bad teacher-student ratio. This leads to little attention being paid to child's specific learning needs. Such a scenario can badly effect a child's education and self-esteem.
• Exposure to bad elements
Even with strict safety measures in place, a school is essentially a public space. Kids at school are exposed to violence, drugs, prejudice, bullying, racism and many other such social evils that can impact their personality and psyche.
• Wastage of time
Students lose valuable learning time in commuting to and from the school and going through other administrative processes.
• Excessively competitive environment
With competitive examination based learning programmes, schools encourage negative behavioral traits like over competitiveness and jealousy. While some students excel in competitive environments, others can lag behind and start to measure their self-worth through marks obtained in exams.
• No scope for personal development
Due to the large number of students in attendance and a rigidly followed curriculum, a regular school leaves little scope for personal development.
So folks, we have tried to list down the most common advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling and regular schooling. The choice is ultimately, the parents' whether they want to send their kids to a regular school like DPS or Rishi Public School, or teach them at home at a pace that suits both the parent and the student.
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