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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Media coverage: Parents turns to home schooling - Cape Times 14 February 2011

The following very positive article appeared in the Cape Times on 14 February 2011:


Parents turns to home schooling    


homeschool
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Helen Baker, left, is home schooling her children Jasmine, Daniel and Aimee. Picture: Cindy waxa
Instead of being taken to school every day by their parents, home has become school to three Cape Town children.
Daniel, 12, Jasmine, 10, and Aimee, 8, are taught by their mother, Helen Baker.
Their class is around a table just off the kitchen and, surrounded by books and stationery, they start their school day by raising hands to answer questions and filling answers in their workbooks.
Their father, Kevin Baker, who works to support the family, helps with homework in the evenings.
He said the decision to teach their children at home had not been easy and their reasons for deciding were complex.
“We wanted the best education, like any parent does,” he said.
“In our situation we felt (conventional schooling) was not going to work for us.”
The Baker family could not afford private education and so they decided to give home schooling a try.
“The obvious advantage is they get a lot more one-on-one attention. That is what makes it work for us.”
Kevin Baker said the children, in Grades 3, 5 and 6, were happy and loved being taught at home.
“They get to learn in their own way and at their own pace.”
An added advantage, Kevin Baker said, was missing the “mad rush” other parents and pupils faced in the morning of getting dressed in uniforms and travelling to school.
“It’s a much more relaxed environment.”
The family followed a timetable similar to conventional schools, starting at 8am, breaking for lunch and then continuing with afternoon lessons.
After classes ended for the day the children took part in a wide range of extramural activities, such as ballet, cricket and swimming. Kevin Baker said the children joined other children at extramural activities and at events organised by other home-schooling families who lived nearby.
“On the social side they are definitely not lacking. The one advantage with home schooling is they are able to relate to children older and younger than they are, because that is what they do all day.”
Helen Baker had no teaching experience and enjoyed learning the curriculum as she taught it to the children.
“It is quite satisfying. You have to be one step ahead of who you are teaching,” she said.
Kevin Baker advised parents considering home schooling to research it extensively and to be aware that it was particularly difficult when starting out.
“Home schooling does not work for everyone. It is a hang of a commitment.
“You have to know that you really want to do it.
“We have no regrets. There is a big support base out there.” - Cape Times
michelle.jones@inl.co.za
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To read it online goto Cape Times - IOL

Homeschooling in South Africa in the Media

A recent letter wrote by a homeschool mother.  We need more similar exposure to Homeschooling:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Taryn Hayes <cr.......>
Date: Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Subject: Letter to the Cape Times: Regarding the Homeschooling article
To: ctletters@inl.co.za


ctletters@inl.co.za
To the editor: Cape Times

I'd like to commend Michelle Jones of the Cape Times on her refreshingly balanced article addressing home schooling in South Africa (14-02-2011).  Home schooling families are often misrepresented as kooky misfits.  The reality is that, generally, home schoolers are normal people who have simply chosen a different educational experience to the mainstream choice.
Our home schooling experience is similar to the Baker family.  We enjoy this lifestyle choice and the freedom it allows us.  We get together weekly with four other families where our children enjoy play time, music, art and Xhosa lessons together.  And we benefit from a large, growing support system of home schoolers which includes the Cape Home Educators who provide us with Sports Days, Prizegivings and Eisteddfods.  

Home schooling in South Africa is definitely growing.  Which makes me wonder if the figures mentioned are not representative of the actual number of Western Cape home schooling families.  From what I understand, many home schooling families feel reticent to register due to the lack of clear, constitutional policy documents in the Western Cape. Also, some feel that they cannot, in good conscience, register as they would be required to follow the government curriculum and not the educational method of their choice. These factors perhaps explain the decline in the numbers of Department of Education registered home school families, but the massive increase in home schooling families each year.  

Essentially, however, home schooling is legal and more families are choosing this path.  The commitment is huge, but so are the rewards.  While we've not formally determined how far into the future we will walk this path, I am greatly encouraged by the many South African home school students who have matriculated well and are currently being lauded as well-rounded students who excel in all aspects of tertiary education.

Taryn Hayes
Plumstead
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Plumstead is in Cape Town, South Africa.    To read more about Tary Hayes, visit her blog.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Homeschooling in Africa

I recently found the following on a blog:
This is an idea I have been toying with for long. Here in Kenya school children are overburdened by the education system. Learning should be fun. When kids leave home before their working parents and arrive after them with home work to last till 11pm ........?!
What is happening in your community? Is home schooling a better option? Have I missed out on some advantages of public or private school?
Hey Id like to hear from you all in Africa and beyond. Thank you 

My short answer: 

Homeschooling is definitely an option to consider. We have homeschooled our 4 children in South Africa and would do it again!

We started in 1996 and our last son wrote Cambridge AS levels in 2010.

When we started it was not common at all. It was not easy, but it is rewarding and the fruit of the effort makes it worthwhile.  I believe that many of us in Africa can benefit by educating our  children at home.  I plan to discuss this in more detail on this blog. Follow me and come back for more soon.

Regards
Johan Grobler
Retired Homeschool Father
PS I also maintain a homeschool resource website at http://homeschool.grobler.co.za