The house of learning: Home schooling is not just alternative education, but a way of life

Dr Latha Murthy

COVID-19 pandemic has created a new normal and impacted all dimensions of life. It has changed the way we live, the way we work and did not spare the way educate our children too. Life came to a standstill, everything was closed, but only health and education sectors were functioning. Schools were closed but education was going on, but from home. Education went on, but differently! What we believed is essential all along, seems less significant now.

Home schooling introduced a new dimension in the education that breaks away from lethargy and routine practice and transcends the physical, intellectual and spiritual realms, facilitating the transformation of every student into a socially committed, professionally competent and emotionally matured cosmopolitan citizen. Home schooling believes in the dawn of a new era in the realm of progressive learning.

Home schooling provides unmatched schooling experience at home. It creates multiple opportunities to strengthen the parent-child bond by giving parents a chance to participate in their child’s learning.

Home schooling is not just an alternative education option, but is a way of life. It’s a conscious decision that parents have taken to start on a journey of child-centered, ageappropriate, experiential learning. With teachers facilitating and parents scaffolding their child’s education. Children get nurtured into self- motivated and self- directed learners responsible for their own learning.

Many new home-schooling parents get stressed and are anxious to know whether their child is learning “enough”?

The advantage in home schooling is that, a parent is a part of the learning process. So they can at any point of time casually quiz the child to check on learning. Parents in remote area who do not have access to quality education, ot those parents who cannot afford to pay huge fees for their c h i l d r e n c a n g a i n from home schooling.

They will b e a b l e t o keep students engaged and ensure quality education right from the comfort of their homes. Children are the future citizens, let us educate and empower them with quality education”.

Continuous assessments measure the academic progress and effectiveness of the education that the child is receiving. Home schooling gives a regular feedback to the learners.

Parents can use multiple modes of creative assessments to guide the child towards higher achievement. Year-end exams measure a student’s academic achievement.

At home, children can be continuously and comprehensively evalutaed with weekly development reports. There is no need for year-end exams to know how the child stands. Home schooling thus provides quality education in the comfort and safety of home!

(The author is the Founder Chairwoman of 3E Home School.)