If you feel that your child isn't coping in mainstream
schooling, it may be time to start considering alternate options that could
provide a better learning environment.
Schooling should be a
fairly simple affair: take child to school near home or work. The reality
is so far from this, it can be a nightmare, especially when the consideration
comes in on the type of schooling, which is generally broken down into three
categories: mainstream, remedial and special needs.
Doing what is best for the child
When those are your options, the decision is as clear as mud (and yes, even
children with special needs may be accommodated in a mainstream school). It all
boils down to that catchy phrase of whatever is “in the best interest of the
child”.
The truth is: doing
what is best for the child ultimately would mean finding an environment that
suits that specific child, not an environment designed to fit the
average child. If your child is one who enjoys their school, this article may
provide an interesting read, but is not intended to sway your opinion.
As a parent you are
in the best position to know what type of teacher your child needs. You know if
it would be better to start schooling your early bird at 5am or your night owl
at 2pm; you know if your child would be more organised working in set books or
filing work as it is completed; or if youTube could get the information across
better simply because it is delivered from an electronic device rather than a
person with whom eye contact is made.
Ask any traditional
school to allow your child to start at 2pm and scoffs may be heard all round.
But this is a possibility if you homeschool. For some reason, however,
homeschooling has a bad reputation with the parents viewed as over protective
or controlling; or worse yet that there may be something wrong, socially or
academically, with the homeschooled child.
Different options when it comes to homeschooling
This form of educating and learning allows flexibility around time, venue,
material and pace. Technically speaking, you could buy a multitude
of books on different topics and simply read and research with your child to
broaden their knowledge on anything. Writing a book review,
letter to the author or creative piece on what has been read, develops the art
of writing and practices grammar. Math can be taught through real life problem
solving such as quartering a recipe or calculating angles to build a tree
house.
If this seems too
airy-fairy, there are a number of set curricula available with lesson plans and
schedules which guide parents through their teaching; some will include ideas
of outings to correspond with a topic, making it more hands-on. Children in
mainstream schools cannot wait for their next outing; imagine telling them they
could go on one, two or three outings a month!
A discussion on
homeschooling wouldn’t be complete without someone asking “what about
socialising?” Given that homeschoolers have the option of learning at different
times, they have the opportunity to take part in club sports or cultural
activities.
With the upswing in homeschooling over the past few years, there are numerous
support networks in place who share their outing ideas; even the Northgate
ice-rink has accommodated homeschoolers. Furthermore, these children tend to be
better socially equipped to deal with peers of various ages as they are not
limited to interacting with a single age group. There is a buthere:
it can be easy to fall into a trap of staying at home and relying on a child’s
innate ability to seek out friends if and when the opportunity presents itself.
Planning outings, sports, cultural activities and play dates must be given as
much consideration as the academics.
But we work all day.
Not a problem:
although, according to Sec 51 of the SA Schools Act, which makes provision for
homeschoolers, learning must take place at the child’s own home, there is no
stipulation that homeschooling be done by the parent. Make no mistake,
parents remain the drivers of their child’s education and are required to
ensure the education provided is in the child’s best interest. This is in fact
true for any parent: should anything be taught at a registered school which is
not in a child’s best interest, legally the parent must intervene.
Who can afford a
personal tutor every day?
Homeschooling turns
out cheaper, even with a tutor, than sending a child to an independent
school. Consider alone the money saved by buying less stationery, minimal
class supplies, no school uniforms etc.
If the idea of
homeschooling is just perfect for your child but is not feasible for whatever
reason, there is one last avenue to consider which comes with more controversy
than homeschooling (a good time to make of tea perhaps?)
Cottage school,
learning centre, small school, homeschool away from home (existing homeschoolers
I know this is not a correct term) – these expressions
referto small environments that expand on the
homeschooling ethos of working with each child’s strengths, but offers some
structure in terms of times and venue while maintaining the flexibility needed.
The controversy comes in in that most of these centres refrain from registering
with the Department of Education.
These centres may be justified in their actions only so long as the type of
education they offer cannot be accessed in a school in the area, all the
children educated through the centre require the type of instruction offered,
and if registering with the Department of Education impedes the offered
instruction.
By their nature, registered schools offer a standard and method that is
applicable to most children, or the average child. Parents
wishing to follow an alternative means of education are advised to join the
Pestalozzi Trust which is a legal defence fund protecting the rights of parents
to choose their child’s education.
The phase of
education identified as FET (Further Education and Training) consists of grades
10-12. Unfortunately it is at this point that even the most diverse education
system becomes regulated, and homeschoolers or those attending learning centres
must register with a service provider that is able to offer a senior
certificate of some kind. Fortunately, there are options here too: one
can register with a group offering the national senior certificate, or the
American or Cambridge equivalents.
The bottom line is,
while anything different is likely to come with a scare factor, pushing through
will more often than not yield benefits that far outweigh the scare. And with
our great country’s laws providing the opportunities to do what is best for our
children’s education, why let a bit of scare stop you?
Delia Tranter, H
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