Would you consider home-schooling your ward?

Home schooling is a concept that has been gaining momentum for a while now in the developed countries of the world. It is a system whereby students are educated outside of the formal school system, usually in their own home. This can be augmented with virtual lessons or hiring tutors.

Given the disruption that has rocked the educational system as it is known by the COVID-19 pandemic, WhatsApp conversation this week focused on asking the question. Will you consider home schooling your ward? Here are the responses from those who joined the conversation.

I won’t consider home schooling outrightly. What I would rather require for my child is disrupting the rigid Monday to Friday (8-3/4) schedule. Maybe she should go to school from Monday to Wednesday. And take the rest of her classes at home.

– Rachel Ogunfuwa

Even before the pandemic, some people home-school their wards but, personally, I prefer them mixing up with other children in school. So, home-school post-pandemic is a no for me.

– Christanah Oluwaseun

I’ve ever loved to home school my kids, especially for their elementary education. I had the privilege of raising my younger brother all by myself, he’s the most intelligent of us all.

Since he was small, I had preserved the mindset of “beat ‘em all” that he has when school was all about teaching him how to take the back seat. I believe I can save my kids a whole lot from negative influences by home schooling them. Then comes the rant about exposure. I will expose them in that sense by making them solve real-life issues.

– Jose Samuel

And by home schooling, I presume you mean hiring teachers to teach your kids at home or digital learning at home instead of doing so in a school environment. Home schooling has been a daunting experience for parents even at home. Most parents are only educating their children now to keep those children off their backs. First, it’s data-intensive. Second, electricity is a problem. Nigeria is allegedly the poverty capital of the world. Managing home schooling alongside that comes with its own stress.

– Ezekiel Kayode

I might consider home schooling for my children only during the lockdown just to keep them fresh and help them to cope when school resumes fully. Moreso to keep their brain intact not to forget something they were being taught while in school. I can just come up with revision and test for them regularly. Once the pandemic is over, they have to go back to a normal school.

– Akinwale Babatunde

Even with the pandemic and the resulting lockdown, there is only a limit to what parents can do. Perhaps, try to brush up with the younger ones who are still in elementary classes. When it comes to those who are already in senior secondary school, it is best to have them attend a conventional school. That can be supplemented with wisdom gleaned from life and experiences.

-Akanbi James

Expert speaks

Our expert on this issue is Kifayah Adeniyi-Omotosho, a social entrepreneur and business coach.  She runs www.thelegitwayout.com and a homeschooler herself.

Home schooling is not a hobby, it is a calling and you must be willing to treat it as such. If you are thinking about home schooling, you must be aware that you cannot approach it with the mindset of bombarding your ward with schoolbooks and school work all of the time. If that is your approach, you have only succeeded in replicating the school system in your house. The plan is to make it better.

You must also be ready to endure ridicule. Some people will think you chose the home school approach because you are broke, it is the sad reality of the country we live in. Like every other system, the home schooling system has its own disadvantages too. As a note of warning, if you are not ready to invest yourself fully into it, don’t do home schooling. It is better to have your ward attend the conventional school and be well rounded than do home schooling incompetently.

Next week on WhatsApp conversation, we will be treating another sizzling topic, how would you feel if your child wants to join the military instead of going to college?

Join the conversation by sending your contribution in no less than 50 words to 08136601345 or the mail stipulated above.

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