I had an interesting discussion on homeschooling in Hong Kong with a parent. She is frustrated by Hong Kong's education policies and the policy changes in her daughters' school. So she wants to withdraw her children from school, at least for a while, so that she can homeschool them. Unfortunately, homeschooling is illegal in Hong Kong.Since it is not an alternative to formal education, Hong Kong parents would not bother to further investigate into the pros and cons of homeschooling. The only pieces of relevant knowledge would be from the news when it reports how particular parents got sued for withdrawing their children from school regardless their intention.
Though we don't have much knowledge on homeschooling, the impression we have is quite negative - homeschooling doens't provide children with the right social up-bringing, parents' role should not be confused with that of an educator. However, parents may be shocked when they see the graph above (click on graph for its source from 1998), which tells us the academic achievement of homeschool children in comparison to children who recieve formal schooling. There are other researches, like the Homeschooling Grows Up research survey from 2003, which prove how successful homeschooling create better students and citizens.
Click here for the TIME article, Seceding from school (August 2001), mentioned in the survey.
Honestly, I'm not a supporter of homeschooling either due to my own upbringing and lack of knowledge in this area. However, after reading some researches and sharings, I started reflecting on how the home (caregivers and the environment) is contributing to the socialization of the younger generation. We are aware of the imperfection in the school system and education policy, yet after our children enters the school, "home" plays such a passive and minor role in their learning. Parents' role is only to cooperate and cater for schools needs (namely financial ones), is this right? Homeschooling has been the mode of learning throughout history before the concept of formal schooling and compulsory education were born; it has given birth to many great thinkers, philosophers, artists and scientists. Is formal schooling only a way to keep society in order and it has actually been supressing a lot of new thoughts and ideas?
Furthermore, as a promoter of creativity education, I am particularly interested in looking at how a structured homeschool arts program help nurture children's creativity. Schools are already putting too much emphasis on academic subjects like English and Math; are parents faciliatating learning by giving children more English and Math homework at home? Many parents are aware of how schools are not putting as much emphasis on aesthetic education as they desire, so kids are sent to music classes, drawing classes, dancing classes, etc - is this the best we can offer our children? Although homeschooling is not a choice in Hong Kong, can a homeschool arts curriculum supplement what children are lacking in their formal schooling?
Honestly, I'm not a supporter of homeschooling either due to my own upbringing and lack of knowledge in this area. However, after reading some researches and sharings, I started reflecting on how the home (caregivers and the environment) is contributing to the socialization of the younger generation. We are aware of the imperfection in the school system and education policy, yet after our children enters the school, "home" plays such a passive and minor role in their learning. Parents' role is only to cooperate and cater for schools needs (namely financial ones), is this right? Homeschooling has been the mode of learning throughout history before the concept of formal schooling and compulsory education were born; it has given birth to many great thinkers, philosophers, artists and scientists. Is formal schooling only a way to keep society in order and it has actually been supressing a lot of new thoughts and ideas?
Furthermore, as a promoter of creativity education, I am particularly interested in looking at how a structured homeschool arts program help nurture children's creativity. Schools are already putting too much emphasis on academic subjects like English and Math; are parents faciliatating learning by giving children more English and Math homework at home? Many parents are aware of how schools are not putting as much emphasis on aesthetic education as they desire, so kids are sent to music classes, drawing classes, dancing classes, etc - is this the best we can offer our children? Although homeschooling is not a choice in Hong Kong, can a homeschool arts curriculum supplement what children are lacking in their formal schooling?
