For some parents, taking a decisive step on whether or not to homeschool their kids may usually take a couple of months or even years. For some others, it could happen in an instant.
Parents choose to homeschool their kids for many different reasons. It could be due to location, school quality, the fear of exactly how their kids will be educated and disciplined, or it could even be as a result of a certain illness.
However, research has it that most often than not, kids are homeschooled because their parents feel they can provide a better education for their kids than the regular school can.
But again, how do you know homeschooling is the right decision for your family? A Nigerian based father of three shares his thought process.
Mr Emmanuel Kalu a film Producer, Writer, and Director is one parent that made the daring decision to homeschool his kids.
“Our path to homeschooling started with the failing of the regular school system. It was quite bizarre that the school my kids attended saw whipping and intimidation as the only ways to discipline children. I couldn’t believe that nobody stopped to think about dialogue.
Every day, my kids woke with the fear of having to be beaten or intimidated by a teacher, and as a father, I didn’t think that was good for their mental health and wellbeing. Ever since the kids came along, my wife and I have always solved their problems and chastised them with dialogue.
Through conversations, they understand a lot of things, get clarity, and adjust. With my kids, there is usually no need to wield a cane”. He said.
It is believed that the decisions that parents make especially as it concerns their children’s education, go a long way in shaping the future of the children. According to the concerned father of three, the profound decision to homeschooling his kids didn’t come instantly; he had to weigh certain pros and cons before taking a decisive step. Further declaring his contemplation towards homeschooling, Mr Kalu recounted:
“My first child, David, is 9 years old, and his sister, Oma, is 5, and they have both always had to struggle with Mathematics. Learning this subject in a one-size-fits-all classroom didn’t help at all. Not only was David struggling with Maths, but he also had to deal with note-taking in the classroom, and he’s not a fast writer which of course was a problem.
David loves to take his time, tries to understand what he’s writing, and then writes it as opposed to simply scribbling across the sheet. I do not see anything wrong with that, besides, what is the rush? Why can’t these kids just learn at their own pace?”.
Transitioning From Mainstream to Homeschool
There are lots of valid arguments for parents who choose to not enrol their kids in mainstream education, a lot of which includes their desire for personalised learning and freedom for their children.
Freedom of expression, freedom to allow a child the space to develop in a supportive environment, freedom to have an input into what and how the child learns each day so that they feel empowered as individuals, and in Mr Kalu’s case, freedom to resolve a conflict with dialogue as opposed to intimidation and flogging.
According to Mr Kalu, the problems with mainstream education were too enormous to be ignored, and so he had to take a leap into homeschooling.
“Because of the issues we had with the school, my wife and I decided to withdraw our kids. We enrolled them in a second school, but even that became a problem. The kids always had to wake up so early to meet up with the school bus and to beat Lagos traffic; also, they always came home late, and often very hungry and exhausted due to staying in the traffic for hours on end.
I told my wife, you know what, these kids can’t continue like this. So, we both came to a mutual understanding and then decided to hire a home lesson teacher to take on full-time homeschooling for our kids”. He said.
Getting a full-time home lesson teacher for the kids seemed like a good idea for Mr Kalu and his family, but of course, as Peter Drucker puts it; “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”, and when it comes to education, success can only be measured by the level of improvement recorded overtime.
“We thought that hiring a full-time private home lesson teacher might be a solution to closing the gap in our children’s learning; but after a few academic terms, I felt my kids needed more.
I wasn’t quite satisfied with the results I was getting; I didn’t see any concrete progress in terms of how my kids were learning. They had to be another way I could get value for my money without having to enrol my kids in a regular school; so I began to research other alternatives”. Mr Kalu stated.
A Lasting Solution
Like Mr Kalu, some parents always need to try out a few other alternatives before finally finding a satiable balance for both themselves and the kids when it comes to homeschooling. Others may end up receding to mainstream education. However, once that balance is found, success is usually the aftermath for both parent and child.
While mainstream education and home lesson tutoring was an unsuccessful venture for the father of three, through his research, he was able to find a lasting solution.
“…So, I was just randomly searching online for possible home learning options for my kids when I came across this platform called “Gradely”. I did my research on it and decided to give it a shot. After I signed up and registered my kids, we began interacting with the platform, and then I thought to myself, this looks really good.
What intrigued me the most was the fact that Gradely had practice options for kids, where they are presented with a wide array of questions to practice with and get instant results, as well as see how they compare with other students in the same grade practising the same subject. Getting all of these in real-time was simply amazing!
After a few weeks of using Gradely, I was happy to see the enthusiastic spirit my kids had when it came to practising. When they got their results, they were motivated to do more, or even try something else. Gradely also provided video instructions and a one-on-one tutoring option, this just felt like a whole school in one place, and I was like – what more I’m I looking for?”. Mr Kalu excitedly explained.
Every parent desires to find a lasting solution to their children’s education or academic struggles and this is why Gradely exists.
Some parents are still in the process of deciding whether or not to homeschool their kids, while some have already made a decision. If you are a parent considering homeschooling, these questions may be running through your mind:
- Am I good enough to teach my kids? What if I miss out on something important?
- Will homeschooling my kids affect their social life?
- Am I sure this will be sustainable for me in the long run?
These are pretty BIG questions and it is necessary to think about your options to make a decision that will be favourable for both you and your kids.
Although homeschooling is not a norm in Nigeria, recent situations such as the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic could force parents into it. Whether or not you are venturing into homeschooling willingly, Gradely has home learning features that are geared towards making homeschooling easier and more fun for you and your kids.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know in the comment section. You can also reach out to us directly by sending an email to eniola@gradely.ng or talk to our customer support agent (+234) 810 059 8268. As always, we’re happy to give answers to all your inquiries.
Share Post:
admin
Get our latest articles in your inbox. Sign up for email alerts.
