Home-schooling is quickly gaining popularity in Kenya. And why not? This is a great way to offer your child more than what is already available. It is a chance to influence what your kids learn and in the process help them nurture important skills.
There are so many different teaching styles to pick from. One approach is teaching your child what their peers are learning in school. This entails using the learning resources usually used in a standard classroom. Other parents will choose not to use a curriculum at all. Instead, they have a child-led, parent-led or spiritual based schooling.
Home school: Where to start
Why do you want to home school your child? Are you passionate about it or forced by circumstances to do it? Mary Muriuki and Andrew, her husband are some of the earliest parents to home school their children in Kenya. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), “They had always desired to play a major role in influencing their children’s hearts and minds positively…” She also wrote the book, ‘Homeschooling my Child in Kenya’ and founded ‘Elimu Nyumbani ‘. This is an online resource hub for parents who intend to home school their kids. Once you know why you want to do it, consider taking a home schooling course. Get the necessary resources and talk to parents who are already in it.
The pros and cons of Home School
Pros
If you are having your kids study at home, you can be sure that they are safe and always well rested. This is as opposed to when you are having them attend traditional schools. Home schooling is flexible and for this reason, parents can add more to the curriculum. This can be a foreign language or music lessons depending on the child’s ability. The focus will be entirely on your child. This is as opposed to having the child scramble for attention in a classroom filled with kids.
Cons
Home-schooled children are not as communally exposed as the kids in the regular schools. However, this can be solved with play dates and field trips with other kids. While healthy competition makes the children discover their hidden potential, it might be limited when it comes to home school. Contrary to much belief, home school will not socially handicap your little one. Home-schooled kids are mature, confident and perfectly normal. Here are some of the famous individuals who went through home-school.
- Taylor Swift. She is a singer, Grammy award winner and music writer and was homeschooled during her junior and senior year. Other notable artists include Jordin Sparks and Justin Timberlake.
- Some of the United States Presidents have also been home-schooled too. Among them are Theodore Roosevelt, John Adams and Wooldrow Wilson.
- Condoleezza Rice. She served as the national security advisor for George Bush and was once a Professor at Stanford. She was home schooled until she joined 2nd Grade.