When we started homeschooling in 2004, we really didn’t know what it would look like and where we would end up. I just know that it was something God told us to do. At that point in time, there were few homeschooling families around and definitely no such thing as co-ops. It was hard to find a local homeschooling family. Most were expat families.
More are Considering Homeschooling
Fast forward to 2016. There are a lot more homeschooling families now. And they are becoming more visible to the public, with a few of us having been interviewed and featured by the mainstream media. Homeschooling is now seen in a positive light and as a viable alternative to an MOE-directed education. A small but increasing number of families are considering homeschooling, especially for the pre-school years. Many do “drop out” along the way as their needs have changed. Or simply because they have found the going tough – keeping it real here! Homeschooling is certainly not a bed of roses. And this is why I am writing this post as an older (ahem!) homeschooling mother.
Are You Considering Homeschooling?
Homeschooling has many, many benefits. I certainly don’t regret homeschooling my children. But it is hard work, requiring many sacrifices too. Before you take that big leap, here are 7 points to consider and bear in mind.
1. Start with the WHY
If you are considering homeschooling, it is crucial that you start with the WHY. Do not homeschool as a knee-jerk reaction to peer pressure (negative or positive), or out of fear.
You need to know WHY you want to homeschool your child. This WHY must be strong enough to carry you through the tough days, the very tough days. The days when the voices in your head – real or imagined – are yelling at you that you are messing up your child/ren’s lives by not sending them to school. That they could have achieved their fullest potential if they had gone to school (i.e. get better grades). Trust me, the voices will come.
RELATED POSTS: Why do we homeschool? and Homeschooling will not save your child
We homeschool because God said so. Not because we think we are more spiritual or because we can achieve better academic results. He just said to do so. Without any guaranteed positive outcomes. We obeyed. Still obeying. Sometimes with lots of temper tantrums, and screaming and kicking (me, not the kids!) but He has not said to stop. Not yet anyway. So, we press on.
2. Start with the End in Mind
It doesn’t have to be concrete and set in stone but it helps to know WHERE you are leading your child to. If your eventual goal is for him to apply for a place at the polytechnics or universities (local and/or overseas), research and find out what their admission criteria are. If you are not planning for him to apply for either, but learn a vocational skill instead, find out how he can get certified. Then find out how you are going to get him the relevant qualifications that will allow him to apply at the various institutions.
This is Singapore. Paper qualifications are important. And if you are planning for him to be an entrepreneur, do you at least have a rough plan on how you want to encourage this mindset? Remember, aim for nothing, and you will hit it every time. You don’t want that for your child, right?
3. Be United as Husband and Wife
BOTH have to be convinced and convicted. If not, the pressure to prove to the other party that homeschooling is the right decision will be an unfair and huge one. You will need the encouragement of your spouse, not criticism. At the slightest trouble, homeschooling will be blamed as the cause of it. Shy? Must be because of homeschooling. Can’t speak Chinese? Must be due to homeschooling. And so on. A united front also needs to be presented to the extended family who will be concerned at the different path you are taking their beloved grandchild/ren on.
4. Know that Homeschooling Requires Discipline
Of both the child and the homeschool teacher! It requires discipline to follow through a plan that is set up. Plans, with their scope and sequences, are useless if there is no follow through. Be careful not to use unschooling as a cover for poor discipline! It is easy to keep declaring each day a free and easy one. This works only when the children are in pre-school and in the lower primary levels. Not so when they have to sit for external tests and exams (think PSLE!)
5. Homeschooling Also Requires Discernment
One of the benefits of homeschooling is flexibility. Change curriculum halfway? Sure! Change homeschooling method? Why not? We call the shots. BUT this is where we need discernment.
a) Flexible or Wishy-washy?
Are we being flexible or are we being wishy-washy? When we are too “flexible” we end up confusing ourselves and our children, achieving nothing in the end. Sure, by all means, change the curriculum that isn’t working. But are you having a case of BSOS – Bright Shiny Object Syndrome?
Whichever curriculum you choose, you will hit a point where it seems as though your child just isn’t getting it. So you start looking around for a “better” programme. You purchase it and then you hit a point where he doesn’t seem to be enjoying it anymore. Learning becomes laborious and tedious again. You purchase yet another curriculum that promises to solve your every homeschool woe. Guess what? After 3 months, 6 months, or even a year, you hit a point where it doesn’t seem to work again! Change again?!
This is NOT good for your student. He is confused. There are gaps in his education. (Let’s be honest here: every curriculum WILL leave gaps in their education, but switching from one curriculum to another make these gaps even bigger!)
b) Discernment Includes Knowing your Child
When you see him struggling with a subject or concept, are you able to discern and pinpoint the problem? Is he is truly not understanding it because of the teaching style (maybe he is not a visual learner and the curriculum you chose requires plenty of reading.) or is he just being well, a child? Does he have a learning disability? Or maybe he needs to learn to push through?
As homeschooling mothers, we need discernment to know the bent of our child so that we can make better decisions.
6. Homeschooling is More Expensive than Public Schooling
Public schooling in primary school in Singapore is free. And you pay just $5/month for secondary school. Of course, costs add up if you choose to send your child for tuition and enrichment classes. But these are optional – to a certain extent 🙂
With that in mind, homeschooling is expensive. Homeschool curriculum is expensive. On top of that, one of the requirements in getting the certificate of exemption from MOE is that there must be a dedicated parent at home, homeschooling the child. So a full-time-out-of-the-home job is out of the question. Many concession passes and student rates are also not available to homeschoolers although the situation has improved from previous years.
So little by little, the costs add up.
7. Homeschooling in Singapore is VERY Different from Homeschooling Elsewhere in the World!
a) PSLE
These 4 letters set us apart before anything else. And that benchmark homeschoolers have to clear. Honestly, I don’t think either will be removed anytime soon. Tweaks are being made but this is a slow process. So, you have to take that into consideration.
It is my opinion that as responsible homeschool teachers, we ought to prepare our child for this exam and prepare him as best as we can. Signing the form, agreeing to the terms of the Certificate of Exemption, meant that we agreed to prepare them for PSLE, amongst the other requirements.
So, please prepare them for PSLE. No, it isn’t the end all and be all of life but why should we not prepare our child to do the best he can? Do we not want our children to have a spirit of excellence in their lives?
b) That Benchmark Requirement
BUT bear in mind that he may not clear the benchmark. Then you have to ask: What will you do if he doesn’t clear it? How will you position it to him if that happens? Are you aware that while you may not mind, because you can see the bigger picture, your child could very well mind a lot? He may feel really lousy and thinks he is stupid or not good enough.
Will you send him into the school system at Primary 4 or 5, or even 6 in order for him to avoid the benchmark, and then take him out to homeschool him after PSLE? If yes, how will you position it to him? Again, take into consideration his self-esteem. Position it clearly to him if that is your plan.
c) Application to Polytechnics and Universities
In my post, After Grade 12, then what? Homeschooling the secondary school years and beyond, I mentioned that that locally, homeschoolers are not looked upon favourably. Bear that in mind. So far, both polytechnics and universities require certification they recognise before one can apply. Such as the iGCSE, GCE O/A Levels, IB, or a high school diploma plus SAT and SAT Subject Tests. (Actually, they also don’t look upon us with favour when we apply to go into the school system after homeschooling PSLE!)
When You Choose to Homeschool
When you choose to homeschool, you choose to take on the full responsibility for your child’s entire education. It can be a heavy burden to bear. But God is ultimately in control. Despite all our mistakes and poor judgement calls, He can still turn things around.
However, you do need to make conscious and responsible decisions for your child’s education. A homeschool mother shared what her now adult child told her when she was having issues being accepted by the various universities. She said, “You chose to homeschool us. So you ought to have made sure we have options!” She had felt that her parents’ choice to homeschool her impeded her choices as she was not accepted into universities of her choice. OUCH!
Be Blessed!
Yes, homeschooling is hard, and at times, not fair. But guess what? Nothing rewarding and of value comes easy! And as I like to say to my children on a regular basis, lest they forget – life is not fair, get used to it!
Go ahead and homeschool if that is what the Lord has laid upon your heart. Just be aware of the costs involved and have a plan to deal with the obstacles that will come your way. If He has called you, He will make a way for you. Just stick close to Him and listen to His promptings and directions. Be blessed as you obey Him!
Related Posts
Start with the Why
Why Do We Homeschool?
Homeschooling Will Not Save Your Child
After Grade 12 Then What? Homeschooling the Secondary School Years and Beyond