Coronavirus or the so-called Covid-19 is a tough challenge for humanity. Some have lost their family members, others were hopeful for their loved ones’ recoveries, many are trying their best to keep their family safe. This pandemic tested our faith in the government where we believe could aid us and, in our Creator who knows everything.
Although we are being placed in this situation we managed to think and decide to overcome such challenges. We are positively looking forward to a bright future, especially for our children. Thus, this homeschooling set-up was initiated and implemented.
The Pros
As a parent, I think of nothing but the best for my children. We are working hard not just because we need to feed our family and we have bills and dues to pay off but rather we are mainly preparing a good future for our children. Based on my experience who happens to be a mother of two homeschooled children, I have observed some pros and cons with this kind of educational set-up. Let me initiate with the POSITIVE ones of course.
Able to monitor child’s activity
This homeschooling set-up works perfectly for me since I am working home-based as well. I can be able to check and monitor my children’s activities, especially that I have a young adult. I do regular observations of what they do during class hours and break time. I believe that the internet can greatly affect our children’s minds, so we need to keep track of what they are engaged with in terms of internet stuff.
Homework no more!
After a long day of cooperating with the discussion and activity given by the teacher, the children find it extremely rewarding to be able to play or do their favorite thing after class hours. Homeschooling eases the anxiety of children doing homework after a tiring day. Teachers should be considerate enough by continuously doing this practice of “no homework policy”. This will result in our children becoming healthier in body and mind.
Bullies never exist
We are all aware that bullying[1] is very rampant in schools nowadays. Be it a public or private school, bullies exist. Parents could admit that this is one of the advantages of homeschooling. They have the assurance that there will be no possibility that their children might experience bullying. Being in this kind of learning set-up would mean a feeling of ease for the children. This will also mean our children would live a happy and enjoyable life, hearts are free from fear and hatred.
Risk-free of getting covid-19
Being at home is the safest way to battle this so-called covid-19[2] virus. Implementation by the government of homeschooling was indeed a good idea. As claimed by the reports, they are more prone to get easily infected if exposed to the outside world. We can never tell if the person we get in contact with is a carrier of the virus. We can still do a lot of things while inside our homes. Technology has a lot of means to aid us if we wish to connect with other family members and friends.
Brings about family quality time
The concept of homeschooling brings families closer since the children and parents have more access to their time and activity. Having simple fun activities at home or going on a beach occasionally would bring a great impact on the child’s persona. Possessing that feeling of being taken care of and being loved could lead a person to share the same profound feeling and that makes a world beautiful to live in.
Possibility of becoming a tech-savvy
Because we are now living in a world where we can do almost everything with the use of our technology then there is a high possibility that students can become more tech-savvy. This will be beneficial for the future of the children if they became one because everything is almost digital, and we are expecting that there will be more development as years go by.
The Cons
As others find homeschooling beneficial and rewarding, most people find it quite a deal of struggle and challenge with their everyday lives. This time let us tackle the Cons of homeschooling. How other people perceived and took on this learning set-up of the new norm. For us to have a sound judgment, we must take into consideration all the possibilities concerning our goal.
Difficulty with finances
Many parents and children cannot “go with the flow” because they do not have the means to acquire the needed tools or equipment for the homeschooling set-up. A lot of people especially those living far from the city or town (Barrio) do not have the financial capacity to purchase the equipment. More so the means to have an internet connection. This is truly a sad reality of life especially in this time of crisis. With this kind of living, we can feel the misery of the children and the parents as well who dreams of a better and brighter future.
“Patience is a virtue” Take a grip of patience
Being a parent especially a mother requires a lot of energy and time in doing all sorts of tasks. Cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking, and washing the dishes are just some of the many tasks that a mother usually does every day. That is why not all parents have the patience to assist and guide the children with their lessons and activities while homeschooling. Their body and mind are somewhat exhausted by the daily chores they are attending to. Unless they can afford to hire a house helper then there is a little twist with the scenario.
Limited learning and discoveries
Homeschooled children are usually supervised by their parents, so they learn and discover things through their teacher whom they interact virtually and face-to-face with their parents. Some parents have limited knowledge to share due to their poor educational background. This factor could be a hindrance for children in achieving a wider range of knowledge. At times, children will also seek their parents’ assistance in gearing with the lessons and activities. But if the parents are professionals, they could play a big role in enhancing their children’s knowledge and discovering more.
Becoming a leader and be independent
Homeschooling might not be an advantage when honing a child to become a leader. The child cannot explore to become one because he has no other peers to deal with and to guide. This educational set-up could also lead in becoming a child to be dependent on their parents or on the people they are common with. This is because they are very used to having someone cater to their needs, so they tend not to put the effort into trying to do it by themselves.
Peer-to-peer interaction
Due to this pandemic, we all know that containing ourselves at home is the best way to be safe. This also applies to the children who are in a homeschooling set-up. Hence, the opportunity to interact with peers is not at all possible especially with the current health problem we are all facing. Bonding with friends and spending good times with them are quite common, especially to teenagers. So, this serves as a challenge for the parents to think of ideas that could substitute for their children’s longing for socialization.
Not a cost-friendly
Some people think that they can save more with this homeschooling set-up because their expenses for their children’s transportation and allowances for meals and snacks were cut-off. But come to think of it! How could you be able to save money if you need to allot an amount for the monthly bill of your internet connection? Expect the increase of your electricity bill due to long hours of usage of your gadgets and equipment (computer, laptop, charging of mobile phones). And of course, you cannot let your children go on with the day without meals and snacks (which could be 4-6 times in a day). For sure there will be an urge to order food from their favorite shops and have it delivered in your footsteps. Too costly right?
Now, let us dig in more about homeschooling! We have learned about the pros and cons of it so we might as well learn more about this new norm set-up. With a thorough exploration of ideas, we can come up with an affirmation if students and parents alike can greatly benefit from homeschooling or the other way around.
What does it mean to be homeschooled?
From the words itself “home” and “school” we can already come up with our definition. It is like students going to school, but the major difference is the venue where learning takes place. Attending regular schooling is always being held in schools or universities while in homeschooling our homes are the place for learning. Mostly the flow of activities and lessons given by the teacher is just the same when attending a regular school.
Is homeschooling hard?
Yes, it is! There are a lot of things to take into consideration when going on homeschooling. It is best to review first the pros and cons of homeschooling for you to determine if you opt to pursue it. Try to weigh in the information you have gathered. Then check yourself if you can face the hardships that you are about to take on because if you do you will be successful later in life.
Is homeschooling more effective than going to conventional school?
Children who have undergone homeschooling are believed to succeed in life. This is because they have practiced self-discipline since they have the freedom to work at their own pace. They are also showered with attention, care, and love by their parents. Most of the time teachers can give inadequate attention to the students, especially in a public school due to many students. The result will be insufficient knowledge for the students. So, that makes homeschooling more effective than going to conventional schools.
How many hours a day do you homeschool?
here is no required number of hours in homeschooling. Usually, it depends on the day’s activity or the lesson flow given by the teacher. Some students spend 2 or 3 hours while others still practiced the regular school hours with 1-hour lunchbreak and 30 minutes snack time (but often 30 minutes snack time can extend to 1 hour).
Is homeschooling bad for social development?
The impact of homeschooling depends on how the parents and the students will handle the set-up. Given the fact that being homeschooled seems to be contained where one cannot possibly mingle with a lot of people as much as they wanted to. Hence, if a student does not like socializing[3] much then this set-up will work simply fine for him/her. But this can be quite challenging on the part of the parent and students who love to go out and interact a lot with other people. Research says most homeschooled students turned out to have more ethical behavior than those who went to schools be it private or public.
What is the point of homeschooling?
There are a lot of reasons why parents agreed to practice homeschooling for their children. To refrain a child from being bullied is one of the reasons cited by some parents. By doing so, they believed that homeschooling could put their children to safety and for their children to boost their self -confidence once again. In the Philippines, it was a measure being taken by the government due to the existence of the Covid-19 virus. This decision was made to ensure the safety of the children who are considered more vulnerable and prone to the virus when exposed to the outside world.
Is homeschooling an effective way to learn?
Although many have claimed that homeschooling is truly an effective way to learn but not everyone has the same positive results. The effectiveness of homeschooling when it comes to learning can only be attained if both parents and children show and practice commitment to this kind of learning set-up. Parents play a great role in achieving the effectiveness of homeschooling for their children’s learning because this is not an easy task to take on. We can say that this is challenging yet rewarding if being done the right way.
How do homeschoolers make friends?
If given the appropriate attention by the parents, homeschoolers can tend to make friends with anybody. Since they already have friends before being homeschooled, they can continue their friendship with the use of technology that we have nowadays. Real friendship does not merely base on being together physically. Parents of homeschoolers usually introduced their children to their friends so that makes them connected and befriends even with people younger or older than them. And because homeschoolers were treated with love, affection, and care by their parents they are most likely to be warm and kind-hearted towards other people.
Do homeschoolers get less sick?
If going out more too often during free time is not a habit especially these days, then the answer is YES! Since we are in a continuous self-care[4] due to this pandemic that we are experiencing right now, we all know that being at home is the best practice to keep us healthy and kicking. So, homeschoolers who opt to stay more at home during their free time, of course, they will probably get less sick and unhealthy.
Do you have to be smart to homeschool your child?
It is not necessarily to say that you have to be smart to be able to homeschool your child. You simply also need to understand the lesson being taught to your child. This will enable him/her to easily cope up with the pacing of learning. This will give your child a comfortable feeling that she/he can ace up with the daily lessons and activities. But more importantly, you must be motivated to learn and teach alongside with tons of patience.How can I make homeschooling fun?
When we heard homeschooling, we get the idea that children may less likely to have fun because they spend most of their time at home. Parents or teachers and even homeschoolers themselves can add vibrant to a boring set-up. Adding fun to homeschooling could lead to the active participation of the homeschooler, a positive outlook for the lesson and activities to be done and could set a light mood for everyone. Teachers can think of games to incorporate with the lessons (this could be applicable for younger homeschoolers), allow homeschoolers to listen to music while they do their lesson alone (applicable for teenage homeschoolers). Parents can contribute by integrating their children’s hobbies and interests while being homeschooled. This requires a lot of effort on the part of the teachers and parents and as well great participation from the homeschoolers.
Will homeschooling ruin my child?
The impact of homeschooling is a big question for the parents. Would it be a positive or a negative result? Every parent who prefers to have their children homeschooled anticipates positive results with the decision they made. This is possible to attain as long as the parents are dedicated to assisting the teachers to hone the intellect and skills of the children. In doing such, homeschooling will not ruin the children but rather will shape your child in a way that will make you grateful enough about homeschooling.Can homeschoolers get a diploma?
In some countries, a diploma does not exist. They have the so-called GED (General Educational Development). That is the counterpart of diploma[5] and bearing the same value. As practiced by mostly all schools, a diploma or GED is given to students who were able to finish their studies and passed the required examinations. This ruling also applies to students who are homeschooled. They can acquire their diplomas once they have passed the examinations set by their school and finished the required number of hours as attendance.
The Book for reference
I would like to suggest that you must try purchasing or reading this book to delve more into homeschooling. This could guide you in handling your homeschooler if you are a parent. For students, this will let you know what to expect with homeschooling, will give you tips on how you can handle homeschooling, and a lot more. For others who are in the category of undecided, this will enlighten you with your thoughts about homeschooling and will also help you in deciding if you will choose homeschooling or not.
Final thoughts
With the information and experiences shared by a lot of parents and students alike, homeschooling is not bad at all for me. I perceive it as a great investment in achieving my desired future for my children. But there is a reality that homeschooling is not meant for everyone. As a parent of two homeschoolers, I will strive to attend to their needs – support, encouragement, patience, and love. By doing so, I can be sure that we are on the right track of homeschooling and can achieve our goal of giving the best education for their bright future.
[1] Sharp, Sonia, and Peter Smith. School bullying: Insights and perspectives. Routledge, 2002.
[2] Velavan, Thirumalaisamy P., and Christian G. Meyer. “The COVID‐19 epidemic.” Tropical medicine & international health 25.3 (2020): 278.
[3] Delgado-Gaitan, Concha. “School matters in the Mexican-American home: Socializing children to education.” American Educational Research Journal 29.3 (1992): 495-513.
[4] Lev, Elise L., and Steven V. Owen. “A measure of self‐care self‐efficacy.” Research in nursing & health 19.5 (1996): 421-429.
[5] Clark, Damon, and Paco Martorell. “The signaling value of a high school diploma.” Journal of Political Economy 122.2 (2014): 282-318.
