Homeschooling is a much misunderstood and maligned word. It seems natural for people to jump to conclusions about it. After all, since one knows the meaning of "home" and "school", naturally putting them together should obviously define homeschooling as education relegated to the home environment, right?
It's true that homeschooling in general includes more contact hours at home, but it doesn't mean that learning is solely done at home. In fact, a big part of homeschooling is experience-based (experiential) learning outside the usual four corners of traditional classrooms. The whole world can literally become the student's educational oyster.
Thus, you are not merely confined to teaching your child from a book (although standard instructional materials will most likely be assigned by most homeschooling providers). In fact, you can teach more, over and above available instructional materials, topics, and formats. Best of all, you can delve into topics your child is interested in as well. For example, to promote Science learning, aside from teaching the child what's in the book, you can bring him/her to the Mind Museum, NIDO's Science Center, Museo Pambata, a planetarium, or a microbiology lab. In a microbio lab, a child can don a lab gown, wear protective plastic for his/her shoes, peer under a microscope, and discuss with lab researchers and technicians. Another question that crops up is whether homeschooling is illegal. In some countries it is, but luckily for the Philippines, it isn't. Several educational laws support alternative learning systems, where homeschooling would naturally fall under.
Section 1(2) of Article XIV (14) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the State shall, "Establish and maintain a system of free public education in the elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural right of parents to rear their children ..." It is from the last phrase on supporting parental educational rights that homeschooling is provided the legal basis of educating children. However, Section 4(1) of the same also stated that, "The State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the education system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of all education institutions," is one legal basis to support the establishment of formal homeschool providers, both as an educational institution and organization, as well as a business model.
Before DepEd, there was DECS, and before that was the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports whose educational powers and functions (Section 5) were enumerated under Executive Order 117, series of 1987. Section 5 included item b, as follows, "Sec. 5. Powers and Functions. To accomplish its mandate and objectives, the Ministry shall have the powers and functions of formulating, planning, implementing and coordinating the policies, plans, programs and projects for the following areas of responsibility:
(b) Non-formal and vocational/technical kinds of education;
Again, homeschooling would fall under a non-formal kind of education (granted a choice of only formal or non-formal education). By non-formal, I mean education not falling under the typical traditional classroom set-up. In addition, a 2001 paper by Torres cited a more explicit and specific classification based on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCD), http://www.adeanet.org/adeaPortal/adea/wgnfe/publications/biennial01/RMTorres%20-%20ADEA%20Biennale%20outline.pdf  . She classified education into three types: formal education (FE), non-formal education (NFE), and informal education (IE) with the following definitions:
Formal education comprised "regular school and university education"; non-formal education (NFE) comprised "out-of-school and continuing education, on the job training, etc."; and informal education comprised "family and socially directed learning". A fourth category, experiential learning, was added to embrace "learning by doing, self-directed learning, etc." (UNESCO 1991:17-18).
It should be noted that E.O. 117 series of 1987 came much earlier than Torres' paper, where alternative educational systems are relatively recent developments when compared to other countries. For example, while the British Open University which provides these alternative learning systems was operational as far back as 1971 ( http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/429744/Open-University  ), most of the Philippine legal documents for such systems were only crafted in 2000. There was only one introduced at the time in 1972, three in the later 1980′s, one in the 1990′s.
This might very well be one reason why there are only a handful of homeschool providers in the Philippines, most of them concentrated in Luzon, and almost all of them religious and or sectarian in nature. The more popular ones include the following: Angelicum College, Catholic Filipino Academy (CFA), Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Harvest Christian School International, The Master's Academy (TMA), and The School of Tomorrow.
Another common concern is the socialization process. By socialization, I mean a definition similar to the following: processes by which individuals acquire the knowledge, language, social skills, and values to conform to the norms and roles required for integration into a group or community ( http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/socialization.html  ).
Despite that definition, there seems to be this thinking that children learn more from other children close to their ages (as exemplified by schools artificially grouping children into grade levels) than when children are exposed to other children and people of different ages. What can commonly happen in schools is that traditionally schooled children who spend most of their waking moments in school will most likely look to their peers as role models. Homeschooled children, on the other hand, have more contact with their parents and maybe other older children (siblings, cousins, neighbors) and just different kinds of people, affording them more opportunities to meet with and observe social norms from older children and adults than if they were relegated to the classroom. While strong advocates for FE and die hard supporters of NFE and IE have cited conflicting results about the socialization of homeschoolers vs tradional students, a more recent paper by Koehler, Langness, Pietig, Stoffel, and Wyttenbach ( http://murphylibrary.uwlax.edu/digital/jur/2002/koehler-langness-pietig-stoffel-wyttenbach.pdf  ), seems indicative of the potential promise of better socialization skills of homeschoolers over traditional students. The Social Skills Rating System (SSRS), a reliable and valid assessment tool of social skills, contains fifty-five questions that probe into social skill subcategories of cooperation, assertion, responsibility, and self-control. The SSRS was administered to a total sample of 23 children (7 homeschooled versus 16 traditionally schooled children). Results "indicated that the homeschooled population demonstrated above average overall social skills with a mean score of 63.143. The traditionally schooled children demonstrated average social skills with a mean score of 55.125" (Koehler et. al: p 472). In addition, using the t-test for independent means (a test to show if there is significant quantitative differences between two discrete groups), it was reported that "a statistical difference was found when comparing the means of the two groups in relation to their overall scores at the .01 level, with the homeschooled children scoring higher. With regards to the subcategories, the results were mixed. In the area of responsibility, a statistical significance was found at the .01 level, indicating that the homeschooled population scored significantly higher than the publicly schooled population. No statistically significant differences were found in relation to other subcategories." (Koehler et. al: p 472). Further, Koehler and company also cited earlier studies which also supported their findings, including that of Stough (1992) who said that, "it would appear that few homeschooled children are socially deprived, and that there may be sufficient evidence to indicate that some homeschooled children have a higher self concept than conventionally schooled children " (as cited in Aiex, 1994).
They also cited the work of Smedley, (1992) who found that, "home educated children are more mature and socialized than those sent to school."
Granted that the sample size is low, and thus, future studies must include a bigger sample size as well as similar local studies. Nonetheless, the results of this research is encouraging for parents like me who have chosen homeschooling for their children.
As a parting note, homeschooling has afforded me several other benefits, not the least of which include more family bonding, less cost (no uniform or daily transportation costs), less worry about my son fitting in school, bullying, or even infection from recent epidemics (like the last AH1N1 scare). At worst, sectarian schools will constrain and indoctrinate children with unconstitutional school rules and guidelines and superstitious mumbo jumbo. With homeschooling, my son and I can be out having nature walks and talks, identifying plants, trees, and insects.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions in this post do not necessarily represent the position of the Filipino Freethinkers.
20381 10 Responses http%3A%2F%2Ffilipinofreethinkers.org%2F2012%2F04%2F16%2Fdemystifying-homeschooling%2F Demystifying+Homeschooling 2012-04-16+05%3A00%3A18 Miam+Tan-Fabian http%3A%2F%2Ffilipinofreethinkers.org%2F%3Fp%3D20381 to "Demystifying Homeschooling"
I was home-schooled from Grade 1 to 4th Year High-school. And I definitely have to say it worked wonderfully for me and my family, seeing as I just graduated from college! Then again, home-schooling will only work for families that are ready for the all the challenges that come with it.
everything that one can learn in homeschooling is available in regular mainstream. the "myths" mentioned here are actually observed effects in home schooled individuals, nonetheless most of them. there are things that kids will never learn without facing the cramped, limited, competitive, heterogeneous, "bewildering" environment of regular schooling. things that can only be learned in such encounters.
while homeschooling has its advantages, it's up to the parents to weigh these and the things that their kid will surely miss. and if family up to the second degree is "social" enough, i say it's the child who will manifest this later.
I disagree. I believe that since homeschoolers have more opportunities to interact with real life experiences, with more people of different kinds, they can have an edge over conventionally taught students. How much more heterogenous can one get when one can deal not just with ones peers but others as well?
I don't understand this comment: myths are equivalent to observed effects...Which myths, what effects and what is the basis? Please provide your reliable sources.
I can also say that traditional schools have their disadvantages too...as with anything. Parents and relatives are not the only people that homeschooled kids interact with.
Philippine traditional schooling versus homeschooling - the differences are a lot more apparent when they are compared:
1. Teacher to student ratio - traditional school anywhere from 20-100 students to 1 teacher versus 1 child: 1-2 homeschool parents.
2. No need for security guards in a homeschooling system.
3. Socialization with people of all ages (note: parents can easily opt to always bring out their children everyday and not have them cooped up at home).
4. Homeschool days can include week ends and holidays. One will not be affected by class suspensions due to bad weather.
5. Safe food - cafeteria food can be the cause of food poisoning.
6. Vacations are also opportunities for learning.
7. You can study as many books as you like, added with the instructional materials provided by the homeschool provider.
8. No more need for things like raising one's hands just to go the bathroom.
9. Homeschool parents need not worry if their child learned something in school.
10. The latest "fads" which may not be appropriate for your child does not reach a homeschooled child, including gangs, drugs, bullying, religious indoctrination, cults, etc.
11. There is more emphasis on life skills, accounting, keeping chores, cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, over and above merely academic stuff.
12. Individualized instruction - There's always time to go into the interests and competencies of the child.
13. No worries about epidemics like the recent AH1N1 which forced many schools to close for long periods.
14. Education is more fun for the children - you can go anywhere to learn; a park, a museum, an indie gig, a science center, a local laboratory, city hall, govt buildings, historical sites, cultural festivals and events (music, dance, visual arts), etc. etc.
I find it hard to imagine how homeschooling can cut it when the child lives in a scholastically competitive society like Hong Kong or Singapore.
Also, some parents may not be equipped to teach rigorous subjects like Physics, Chemistry or Math. And how about group project work? In the real world learing to work together with peers is quite useful.
It's a legitimate alternative in the context of the Philippines. If the quality of education was better as a whole, then probably, there would be less homeschoolers in the first place. As it stands, the number of homeschoolers in the Philippines is rapidly growing. In our own homeschool provider, the number of families (note, not children) grew from 300 to 400 in just 1-2 years. At present, it stands at 600+.
According to some stats provided by our homeschooling provider (which I cannot mention here), generally, the homeschoolers in our program are about 1-2 years ahead of their peer groups. The curriculum we are using is also accredited by a U.S. educational program...so, it is doubly accredited, both locally and internationally.
Please read more about the socialization process...because that is not a process that exclusively happens between peers. I have observed that most homeschoolers are more confident than most of their peers. It is critical that the homeschool program is DepEd accredited because that will enable one to do lateral entry...meaning, you can choose to put the child back in a traditional highschool if the parents desire so.
Now, the homeschooling philosophy is quite different from traditional schooling, it's more about learning life skills and to go into something that you're interested in, and not merely take up say, hard Science subjects just for the mere goal of taking it. One of the proponents of this unschooling philosophy is John Holt.
Homeschhool parents can and do have learning cooperatives ( http://homeschool.lifetips.com/cat/64324/homeschool-co-op/index.html ) where they pool skills and resources, including group teaching where one parent can teach those Science subjects you mentioned. There's still tutoring, and mentorship. Some homeschool providers also provide additional services in subjects that parents would like to have more help in.
Fortunately too, there are some parents that have a degree in the Sciences, which if say you have a degree in Biology, means you would have also taken up a couple of Physics subjects (basic to electromagnetics, optics, forces, etc. including lab work), Math (basic, trigo, algeb, up to advanced calculus with analytic geometry), Chemistry with both lab and lecture components (basic, analytic, organic, and biochem) and loads of Biology including Plant and Animal Physio, Taxonomy, Zoology, Botany, Microbiology.
There are also many cheap alternative and DIY experiments that one can do at home, which can cover the curriculum requirements and beyond.
I would like to emphasize that I was talking about Philippine context, not Hong Kong or Singapore. And that homeschooling is a an alternative to traditional schooling. Perhaps if the quality of education was better, there maybe less homeschoolers, but that is merely a guess.
It is critical that one enroll in a DepEd Accredited program because this allows for lateral entry into traditional schooling at any point should the parents decide to put the child back in a traditional school, i.e. the parents may want to just finish primary / elementary levels then put the child back in a traditional school come highschool.
Homeschoolers too can and do opt to have learning cooperatives. This is where they can pool resources to create say a DIY laboratory with one parent who is a Science major to teach the class. There are also homeschool providers that offer additional services for parents who feel they can't teach rigorous subjects.
Academic performance wise, I recall a presentation about the achievement of our homeschool students over traditionally schooled students. Our homeshoolers were about 1-2 years ahead overall in academic performance over their peers. In addition, the curriculum is accredited by a certified U.S. curriculum program, thus, our program is doubly certified by both DepEd and a U.S. accreditation system.
In addition, there are also parents with Science backgrounds who can easily teach Science subjects. For example, a Bio major would also have taken several Physics (basic, electromagnetics, optics, forces, etc), Chemistry (basic, analytic, organic, biochem) and Math courses (algebra, trigo, geometry, basic to advanced calculus with analytic geometry).
At the same time, there are many experiments that one can do at home, DIY (do-it-yourself) style which can cover the curriculum requirements and more.
An American friend of ours who was homeschooled all his life took up B.S. Econ in 3 years in one of our local top universities, and was already teaching on his last year.
In addition, since our homeschool provider is one of the oldest in the country (I am not at liberty to mention this for privacy purposes, but you can google more on this), our HS graduates have gotten into top universities like UP and Ateneo.
Our homeschool provider also has programs for special and historic dates, Linggo ng Wika, etc., the last one of which included Filipino cosplay, ethnic music workshop by Kontra Gapi, etc. Homeschoolers also have regular coop days at least once a month.
Yes, there are many reasons why parents homeschool their kids. Bullying is certainly a big factor, especially since the school admin and teachers might not be able to ensure the safety of every child that goes through the school doors.