– Dr Farshad Mohammadi, Founder Principal, iBOS, London
Home Schooling and Online Schooling indeed became a widespread phenomenon during the Quarantine era. In fact, both are currently ranking keywords even in post-lockdown months. Most people learned about this new method of teaching and learning during the Covid, but it is not as unique as it seems.
In Britain, we had an adamant time during the Covid situation, which essentially hit the education sector. Kids were out of school for months during most of their real-time. Primary and Secondary have a very foundational role in a child’s educational career, and needless to say, every parent gets worried considering the future of their children’s education.
Before we go any further, here is something to clear first.
Home Schooling Vs Online Schooling
Although people tend to mix up online schooling and homeschooling concepts, the concept of Home Schooling is one of the oldest and, in some ways, the most traditional forms of teaching. There is a long history of homeschooling, stretching back almost two centuries ago.
On the other hand, online schooling is a relatively new concept that majorly flourished during the quarantine era. With no end in sight of long down, schools were left with no other option than to carry out the academic activities remotely.
Now in the post-covid era, the option of physical classes, homeschooling, and online schooling are available; parents tend to have a tough time deciding the best for their children all over the globe, especially in Britain.
For that reason, in this article, we will go over in depth all the aspects of Home Schooling and Online Schooling in British and how one can get the best for their kids.
Home Schooling – The main concept
The concept of homeschooling has undoubtedly been redefined during the quarantine recently, but as we discussed earlier, the concept has been there for centuries. Then, in the 19th century, the necessary attendance legislation came, and we saw a sharp plummet in homeschooling.
The basis driving objective behind the idea is teaching the children what they need. With more and more awareness relating to issues like ADHD and how each child is unique in their way, the moment of homeschooling made a significant breakthrough.
The uptrend
Even in recent years, an uptrend for homeschoolers has been noticed in different populations. For example, in a survey in 2018, 57132 homeschooler children were there in Britain. A 700% rose to the normal level (according to a Forbes article).
With the recent havoc in the education system caused by the Covid situation, parents have more than a reason to look more into the option of homeschooling. Besides, it also offers more significant job opportunities for people and even with their convenient timings.
Why Home Schooling
The history of British education is well known and one of the most prestigious education models globally. However, why are people opting more for Home Education now?
The answer to this question is a pretty easy but unique one. People are now more aware of each child being unique and having different theories. We had been living with the crowd theory for so long now. Undoubtedly it helped many students excel through competition and a systematic learning process, but on the other hand, it also gave rise to many problems.
Bullying
Bullying became the biggest problem in the British education system. The students who are a little shy and can not express themselves like their peers are always targeted more for bullying, and they end up in the shadows. This tends to give them a sense of insecurity and inferiority complex. Even with much effort, a teacher can not monitor every aspect of 30-50 students in their class.
Home education can have the solution to this problem.
Teachers and Parents
Parents can monitor their children better as the teacher has only one or, in some cases, a few students to look after. This automatically helps to converge the focus of attention, which is reflected in the better performance of students. Also, parents can directly monitor their children’s teachers, which is almost impossible in a school environment.
A need to change
The old curriculum is more or less redundant as we advance in modern technology.
Not everyone needs to learn about algebra when they want to pursue their career in baking or if the child wants to be a doctor; what on earth does he has to do with the mind-twisting games of trigonometry?
In the British curriculum, we need a total roll-over kind of change to introduce such a syllabus that can cover each student individually, but this is not a problem in homeschooling. In homeschooling, one has the luxury of allowing the child to focus on what they need and what they want to focus on for the rest of their life from a very early age.
This even allows children to get some out of the course and deep knowledge on the particular topics, which is a great help in the long run.
What one needs for Home Schooling
Okay, now that we have discussed why homeschooling is getting increasingly popular, it is time to discuss what parents want to know and how to start with kids’ homeschooling.
Now, most parents will start panicking over where to find the teachers and how it can affect the child’s social life and relaxation. However, homeschooling does not necessarily mean that one has to confine their child at home. Instead, it is the opposite.
With homeschooling, one can manage their child’s schooling time optimally and get the maximum out of less time.
Before going for the teacher hunt program, one must discuss the details with the child. It is imperative to have the child’s opinion included in every decision when one goes for homeschooling. First, you need to ask them if they want to go for homeschooling or not.
You need to know what they want to focus on, their ambitions and goals, and then as a parent and with your experience, help them get a teacher who can assist them in achieving that.
Another main thing is that although it is not a school and you do not have to replicate the environment completely, it is still essential to give them a comfortable environment. Keep a single room for purpose and try to keep it dedicated for the purpose. Research shows that children tend to learn more in a dedicated room when they are only allowed for educational activities in that room. So try to ensure your kids only use the space for learning activities and nothing else.
The crux of homeschooling
Just remember one important thing, the primary purpose of homeschooling is for convenience and peace of mind for you and your child. Do not hesitate to change teachers when your child has genuine issues. It is crucial to heed your little one’s complaints when you go for homeschooling as they see you as their authority and the only solution to all their problems.
With the Covid situation, almost everything tends to shift to online mode. Jobs, work, and even business started to shift to online dealing. The same goes for schooling and education. Even for homeschooling, you don’t need to worry about teachers anymore, and you can hire someone to tutor your children online while staying at home.
This is a mashup between online and homeschooling, but let’s first look at Online Schooling to help you better comprehend the concept.
Online Schooling
The online schooling concept was mainly taken as a freelancer concept for the Middle East and Asian countries. People started tutoring students from US and Europe online.
During the quarantine, the concept tools a comprehensive approach and became a primary method of carrying out academic activities all around the globe.
As the fear of infection grew among people, schools had no other option but to develop their LMS system to carry out educational activities.
The concept turned out to be a success as it offered the best teachers for students with the ease of both parties operating from the comfort of their homes. As of now, physical classes have started again, but still, many people opt for the online schooling option as a part of homeschooling their kids.
Why Online Schooling has an Edge
The best part of online schooling is that it combines the best teachers for your kids no matter where you are. In addition, most classes are interactive where learning is not just one-sided, but kids can also ask questions from their teacher. However, the catch here is that, unlike physical classes, online classes, in most cases, are also available in recordings. So your kids can repeat their lectures whenever they want.
Plus, they have complete access to thousands of books and other data that can be helpful in studies. The modern age is just overly influenced by technology. No matter which field your children opt for, they must be familiar with changing tech to excel in their area. With online schooling, they are more in touch with exploring the online world, and daily they learn something.
Also, there are even programs that offer a combined global classroom. Such an environment can significantly influence your child’s social life and understanding. They get to know people from different cultures, meet them, and know more about their culture and tolerance beyond discrimination. These traits and qualities significantly impact personality in the long run.
Maybe a short session can help.
If you are one of those parents who still cannot decide on the future of your kid’s schooling, do not worry just yet. You are not alone, and many parents find it hard to go out of line and start online schooling for their children.
In such a condition, we recommend you give it a try first. Remember that you can always switch back to traditional school any time you want, and there is no harm in trying online schooling to help your child. You can go for an online summer camp or, for even better results, one year of online school and compare the performance.
If your child can outperform their traditional grades and learning, you have all the more reason to settle for it. On the other hand, if at any point your child feels challenged to relate to the new model of schooling, you can always go back to traditional schooling.
The Final Call
As discussed before, the final decision to opt for online education or schooling should be left to your child and your peace of mind. Sit and discuss what they want from their schooling, their ambitions, and what they are looking for in a school.
Especially those students who are having a rough time at school either because of bullying or being shy and could not come out as strong tend to perform tremendously better with online schooling. Give confidence to your kids and help them overcome their difficulties in their studies. Whether online schooling, homeschooling, or traditional schooling, always remember that the most critical part is to help your kids learn not to fall victim to extreme pressure and stress. This can only be achieved through constant support and regulation.
So, the critical part is being there for your kids when they need you. This was all from our guide to online schooling. If you have any queries or confusion regarding this or other questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. We will love to hear more from you.
Till then, stay safe.