Is it a good idea?
Parents are most welcomed in this thread for their feedback.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
Fabulous idea! In fact, I think there are many people in Pakistan who have adopted such method---which, if followed in its correct perspective, brings out a very intelligent child at relatively higher level of education.
HOME Schooling should be limited from Kindergarten to at--- best class V level and thereafter the offspring should be as ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a school going one from initial stages.
I say this because I have TWO such examples pertaining to my eldest brother-in-law's two sons Bilal Siddiqui and Ahmed Siddiqui from Lahore.
Both of these brothers--never went to school at KG to Class VI level...and when they schooled---they were position holders from the start till college level.
Bilal topped at LUMS. Became the TOP Debator of Pakistan...and represented his Country at Australia and Indonesia and Singapore in international debates and won positions. He is currently at OXFORD on a very good job.
Ahmed was also the same...aquiring positions from class V and di his major from Aithison and LUMs and won the RHODES scholarship....and went to Stanford also...and writes classic articles on cricket. He is currently at Oxford..working.
The point here is that these two boys...not attending pre-school etc., received the real schooling at home from their mother (herself from Oxford and a former lecturer at QA University-Islamabad...and currently the Chairperson of Aurat Foundation-Pakistan) and made it big.
HOME Scholing may sound great but we must remember the famous phrase EASIER SAID.....THEN DONE ! for it takes a huge concentration and giving up many things a mother would like to do when her children are at school and husband at work...like coffee parties....vsisiting friends, shopping around...etc etc.
My ten cents worth !
Khush Rahein.........
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
I dont like the idea in most cases. In the US, education is as much social as it is academic, creativity is highly valued and its a very important aspect of life here to be able to get along socially. Less so in Pak where the focus is on academics.
If I were stuck in a really bad neighborhood, if my boyz were in danger, then I'd do it. But I dont see the value of it for life in the west, rather I think the child would be missing out on half their education. I might do it if we lived in pak.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
I agree with mamaof3 .. kids miss out in socialization with other kids which is far more important than academics excellence, in my opinion.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
If the mother is highly intelligent, like the oxford mother used as an example in an above post, then sure.
But if not, don't expect the kids to come out any more enlightened than their backwards mom. :)
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
I guess it depends on your location to certain level (you may teach elementary stuff at home but not that of HS, College, University etc). But even then, I am more in favor of children going outside to learn because they pick up a lot from outside which you may not be able to teach at home.
Teaching your child inside the 4 walls will certainly give you the advantage of creating your own environment to suit your needs but how long will you let this continue? There are a lot of things in my life which I learnt by going outside in the world and not at home.
We should let our children be familiar with the world outside of our house so that they can also be exposed to that world, which will help them in knowing right from wrong and will help them in life (to distinguish between good and bad) and pick the right path.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
for those that said children need to socialize.....
I have met many parents who chose to home school their children and have set aside some time for them to socialize as well (ie playdates, scouting, etc). At our masjid they have a homeschooling program set up where a few mothers teach each others kids in a small group of maybe 5-6 kids....another example of the kids socializing and interacting with other kids.
I think home schooling is great for those mothers/fathers who are qualified to do so and have children that are willing to sit still for them. Also it takes a lot of patience and self discipline on the part of the mother/father and child. So it really depends on each individual person/child....not everyone can do it even if they want to.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
We should let our children be familiar with the world outside of our house so that they can also be exposed to that world, which will help them in knowing right from wrong and will help them in life (to distinguish between good and bad) and pick the right path.
^ agreed...
a child should not be contained within the 4 walls of ones own home. therefore if one wants to home school their child they need to make sure they arrange other outlets that go beyond the home. This way they can see the outside world and learn to interact with other people...muslims and non-muslims alike.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
I agree with mamaof3 .. kids miss out in socialization with other kids which is far more important than academics excellence, in my opinion.
I heard that homeschooling parents ogranize social activities for their kids (group of homeschooler parents) to fight that.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
AE:
True, but the keyword here would be qualified. If you, being a parent, have never finished elementary or high school, then you possibly cannot teach your children how it is like to go to a College/University.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
AE:
True, but the keyword here would be qualified. If you, being a parent, have never finished elementary or high school, then you possibly cannot teach your children how it is like to go to a College/University.
of course @qualified...
btw...most parents dont home school their kids beyond elementary.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
Is homeschooling done by parents? or can they get someone else to do it if the parents are not qualified? Also, do they (parents) get compensated for doing this?
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
While homeschooling is a brilliant idea in many ways, I think I would rather send my kids to school just so they can associate with other kids and I can be more creative and productive instead of being burnt out teaching them all day!
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
Thanks a lot arjay for sharing your thoughts on this…
HOME Scholing may sound great but we must remember the famous phrase EASIER SAID…THEN DONE ! for it takes a huge concentration and giving up many things a mother would like to do when her children are at school and husband at work…like coffee parties…vsisiting friends, shopping around…etc etc.
I think I have already changed my lifestyle for children for not having long telephone conversation with friends, for not having a tv etc and I’m working on not spending more than half an hour on net.
I’ll be teaching them through Kinza Academy’s homeschooling programme inshaAllah which is based in USA and members of the Advisory Board are people like Jhon Taylor Gatto and Sh Hamza Yusuf Hanson.
The Kinza program is a complete homeschooling service that includes the curriculum, daily lesson plans, and an online advisor to assist you and your student throughout the school year.
Our StoryOur Story
KINZA ACADEMY is a scholastic organization committed to the revival of traditional education for children. Our goal is to introduce parents to the perils of modern education and to offer alternatives for their children in the form of homeschooling and community-based, traditional schools.
At present we offer a predominantly Western curriculum based on a traditional, “classical” education, as defined by Dorothy Sayers in her must-read article The Lost Tools of Learning. The curriculum is presently directed at primary school-age children, but as our organization continues to grow we will expand the curriculum to encompass the traditional secondary education as well.
We intend to provide an in-house tutorial program, which would be a community-based service for homeschooling families, that would provide a tutor to teach their children in the privacy of their home. For parents who cannot assume the responsibilities of homeschooling but nonetheless wish to have their children educated in an alternative setting, Kinza Academy is presently researching ways in which it can assist communities in establishing traditional schoolhouses that offer a classical liberal education.
Why Should We Homeschool Our Children?
“For the sole true end of education is simply this: to teach men how to learn for themselves and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain.” Dorothy Sayers
There are numerous reasons to homeshool our children, which is why so many people are choosing this educational option for their families. The most common reason is the obvious failure of the modern educational system to train and educate young people. The 1993 National Adult Literacy Survey found that one in every five adults was illiterate.
Departments of education in such states as Alaska, Tennessee and Washington have conducted studies that found the typical homeschooled student comes out ahead on every significant measurement. Achievement tests have found that homeschoolers average as much as 30 percent higher than both public and private school students. Many elite universities, such as Harvard and Yale, are beginning to recognize the excellence of a homeschooled student’s education, and are actively recruiting students at homeschooling conferences and fairs.
For many parents there is also a concern about the child’s character development. With the tendency on school playgrounds towards peer pressure, bullying, and cliques, it is difficult to encourage the finer qualities in a growing child such as kindness, justice, and compassion, Another natural quality in a child is self-motivation. In the modern school system where the love of learning is cut off at the root, children lose the ability for self-motivation and become dependent on outside factors to stimulate them. In adulthood this translates into the subsequent need for entertainment, amusement, and diversion from what should be a life spent in the pursuit of knowledge and excellence.
On both public and private campuses there is the increasing problem of children being sexually abused, and being exposed to violence, drugs, and sexual activity at very early ages. Many parents do not want to gamble on whether or not their child will become the victim of a violent crime, a drug user, or have a teen-age pregnancy as a result of going through America’s public school system.
Another important aspect of homeschooling that often gets overlooked is the bonding that takes place between the child, the parent, and its siblings. A homeschooled child spends much more time with their parents and siblings, time that forms deeper bonds and more meaningful relationships with their family members, A healthy family relationship sets the stage for the child’s abiltity to form lasting relationships outside of the home which is essential if one is to succeed in the world.
There is the amusing concern about socialization and homeschooled children, and the irony is that homeschooled children are in fact, better able to engage socially with all age groups than public or private schooled children, which usually only feel comfortable with their own age group. That homeschooled children are unsocial has turned out to be a myth.
Some perks also come with homeschooling. Homeschooled families choose their own curricula, not the state, homeschooled families choose their school days and hours, not the state, homeschooled families choose their days off and vacations, not the state, and homeschooled children though better educated, actually have more time in the day to learn a musical instrument, excel at a sport, become involved in community activities, and form meaningful relationships.
The benefits to homeschooling are innumerable. If we are to have healthy relationships with our children, raise independently thinking, just and compassionate people, homeschooling, as an educational option must be seriously considered by every parent who is able to teach their child at home.
sorry to say but I don’t think many people are talking from their experience nor they have done any research on homeschooling.
I’d suggest do read John Taylor Gatto’s books or articles and also the overall results of the homeschooled children.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
My wife heads the KG to Class IV wing of the Karachi Grammar School-Clifton Campus since 1992 and I made her read your submission…and she said I 100% agree with this lady.
I went through some submissions on this thread…and I stand-by my ten cents worth!
Khush Rahein…
-Raju
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
sorry to say but I don't think many people are talking from their experience nor they have done any research on homeschooling.
I'd suggest do read John Taylor Gatto's books or articles and also the overall results of the homeschooled children.
As I see it, there are Pros and Cons to both side. My answer will still be the same. As for experience, I agree with you. I don't have any experience of homeschooling. Where my family is concerned, oh let's just say that my 4 aunts were homeschooled, 1 of my niece is currently going through the phase and 3 of my cousins were homeschooled (2 of which currently are ) :)
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
the best program, best intentions and best kids are limited by one thing, capabilities of the teacher and family approach.
which is why the students reading the same books in different schools perform so differently, school and teacher factors, and even students in the same class perform differently (learning styles, family support, individual ability)
the best curriculum for homeschooling will not do much if the parent/teacher is not capable of doing justice to it.
That is exactly what others in the thread have said. While homeschooling itself may or may not be superior, we can compae and contrast the higher academic test levels verus social skills etc all day anot not reach a conslusion because to different people, different aspects would be important. What we can however be certaion of is that not everyone is meant to be a good teacher (not even some who are teachers) and for parents who are thinking about homeschooling to figure out
and let me just say it, do it for the right reasons. i.e. parents feel that after weighing all pros and cons of homeschooling and honest assessment of their own abilities they should do it to provide what they think is the better learning alternative. Not to protect kids from society and all, because eventually they will have to face the society, and while sheltering them may seem like a fine idea, the challenges would still be there. Churning out a kid who is uneasy relating to people and unable to integrate and function well in society.
the number of homeschool starts that are abandoned are something to consider. Those ppl thought they could do it tooo, but could not.
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
Exactly 
k:
You know that one day your kid is gonna have to step outside and it is better, they are prepared ahead of time and know the society in which they live in rather than facing the challenges all of a sudden (unless you have slowly prepared your kids to face such scenerio ahead of time by familiarizing them from beginning).
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
I agree that not every parent can do homeschooling for certain reasons, in our case I'm willing to put all my time and effort into it(which is the most important thing for homeschooling I think), my husband's been giving tuitions for maths and science for nearly 10 years now and I have a little experience in teaching young children too also my interest in developmental psychology and literacy will be helpful.
The concern about socialization....well I'm not worried about it. Usually children learn to pick the bad habits from their friends and classmates, I think in homeschooling parents can prepare their children with love, attention and teaching manners and instilling morals in them in a better way for the benefit of the society, also homeschooling doesn't mean to keep your children at home for 24 hours, there are lots of places like sports club or an after school club where children can make friends and socialize with others.
I don't think a child need to stay in a room with other children of his/her age for 8 hours to be a good person rather they need to interact with people of all ages.
Here's an article I found interesting(I'm only posting those parts of the article which are relevent to the topic)
Homeschooling Intrigues Me - Where Do I Start? by Greg and Moira Bell
You are not alone. Nowadays, it is rare to meet an American parent who hasn't at least heard of home schooling. Those looking at homeschooling from the outside routinely express two chief concerns - 1) "How can homeschooling parents tolerate being with their kids 24 hours a day?" and 2) "What about socialization?"
Allow me to move these two mental boulders out of the way, then you'll be better able to see more of the treasures which lie ahead down the homeschool path.
AT HOME WITH MY KIDS ALL DAY ?!!
"I struggle just to get my kids to do their chores and they constantly snipe at each other - I wouldn't have the patience to be with them all day!"… Sound familiar? Many prospective homeschoolers, who have had their children in daycare or institutional school, start with similar concerns. Let me tell you some good news. Much of the surliness kids exhibit toward parents and siblings is an outcome of spending large chunks of time everyday on the receiving end of the verbal and emotional abuse of other children while in an institutional setting. It is an outcome of being forever compared and measured against other children. Who's smarter? prettier? skinnier? more popular? more athletic? As these children become homeschoolers they typically go through a 3-6 month period of detoxification where their harshness and defensiveness gradually melts away. This is one of the best kept secrets of homeschooling - when your kids realize they have innate value and uniqueness and that you are committed to seeing them successfully outfitted for their personal special place in the world - their hearts get bonded to yours! This process can take longer depending on the length of time kids have been in institutional schooling, but it will come when you replace criticism, comparing, and competing (mainstays of institutional schooling) with encouragement, customized learning, and the goal of mastering what's important. You will also find many ways to be away from home by yourselves or with other families enjoying cultural opportunities, nature, exercise, field trips, etc.
SOCIALIZATION
So what's the real question behind "What about socialization?" Are we laboring under the notion that kids need lots of time with their age mates to develop important social skills? What do well-socialized kids look like anyway? Are they the teens you see hanging around the mall? The kids who are taking weapons to school and using them? The kids who discuss last night's sitcoms each day with friends as though those actors and situations are real? Those subdued with drugs to make them manageable? Those that pressure each other to look, act, speak, and believe just like the rest of the adolescent herd? When we're willing to face the facts, it's fairly obvious that a well-socialized person is one who respects and learns from those older and wiser than himself, and who cares tenderly for those younger, weaker and needier. He is someone who understands his own strengths and contributes in his unique way along the human continuum.
I've often been told by homeschool skeptics that children need to be with a room full of age mates all day to learn to "face reality" and toughen up. My observation is that a room of age-same students immediately contrive to define themselves by their differences. ("I have nicer clothes than she", "He has more friends than I do", "I'll never be as good at math as she is", etc.) This isn't a criticism of kids - it's just something I've observed over and over. Homeschoolers operate within an age-blended environment which more accurately reflects the "real world" where people of all ages and skills are mixed together. The beauty here is that the differences are real - different ages, different skill levels, different strengths, different likes, different privileges. Everyone's place is defined, respected, and non-competitive. I believe "reality" is an age-blended environment where people are free to learn and better themselves at their own pace in an atmosphere of mutual respect. (a.k.a. "homeschooling")
SO WHAT IS HOMESCHOOLING REALLY?
In a nutshell, homeschooling is the process whereby responsible parents, through a motivation of love, train, equip, and launch their own children as responsible, literate, and skillful on-going adult learners. It differs from traditional public/private schooling in that parents act as the direct overseers of the child's learning process. It results in family glue rather than family fracture. It fosters maturity anchored in real life experiences from a much younger age, and it can be fully customized to the learning style and specific destiny of each child. It fosters genuine social graces through interaction with people of all ages. It is bursting with real-life problem solving opportunities, which are their own best tutorial.
You'll no doubt start homeschooling thinking about "academics" and "subjects", but as you progress in it, you'll discover that the essence of successful homeschooling is less in the "schooling" aspect and far more in the concept of "home". You come to experience the reality that families are the building blocks of human life. And healthy families are the seed beds where balanced, loving, capable humans are grown. You tend those little seeds, supply ample water, fertilizer and sunlight, control the weeds and get a healthy root system in place which will enable those little sprouts to one day become mighty, healthy, fruit-bearing trees. You see that each child is constituted differently right from the beginning and their style of "leaf", nurture and feeding needs, and long-term purpose are unique.
IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE KIDS
As you recognize and work with your own special "plants" you wind up filling your own "educational holes" (for many of us, those are the legacy of our own institutional education). Many homeschooling parents report that they are finally "learning" (appreciating, absorbing, retaining) all the academic content which they missed during their own school years as they go through the material with their own kids. Some have termed homeschooling "The education of two generations". With the high caliber of materials available to home educators, a parent whose own education was weak need not fear.
As homeschooling parents, we are also realizing that our children know and like each other and us as their parents much more than we did our siblings/parents growing up. This is largely because our kids are together, sharing many more joint memories and learning from one another rather than growing up with groups of peers in separate classes in what our kids call "away school."
Re: Homeschooling/Home Education for children
What kind of challenges and scenarios are there which homeschooled children can’t face suddenly, easily and nicely but others can? Can you please give few examples?