 |
|
|
| What is Home-schooling? |
|
It is 10 a.m. on a weekday. While most teenagers are in class, Kimberley, 14, is curled up on the sofa reading a biography. Krystal, 17, is watching the Discovery Channel. Taking the day off? Well, not quite. In fact, they are in school - homeschooling, that is. Krystal and Kimberley Tan have been home-schooled for the last seven years by Dr Kevin YL Tan and his wife, Mrs Tan Meng Lang. We speak to Dr Kevin Tan,” Adjunct Professor of Law at NUS and President of the Singapore Heritage Society, who runs his own history and heritage consultancy. When and why did you decide to homeschool your daughters? We started this about seven years ago, when Krystal was in Primary 4, and Kimberley in Primary 1. The girls enjoyed their kindergarten years but when they entered primary school, it was a totally different environment altogether. There was too much regimentation; we felt that the education system was more interested in testing, rather than learning. In addition, there were just too many classes and way too much homework, plus lessons on Saturdays too! We bore with the system for three years, until our second daughter, Kimberley entered Primary One. When we saw that the sparkle was going out of her eyes as well, we weighed our options and started looking around. What did you set out to achieve when you embarked on home-schooling? We wanted the girls to embrace learning, to be eager to find out more about the world around them. We encourage them to read, and read widely. Literacy is key. Once they have a solid foundation in language, they know how to go about looking for the information they need, regardless of the subject or field that they are exploring. Learning then takes off naturally. How did you gather the resources needed? My wife (Mrs Tan Meng Lang, a former educator) and I did a fair bit of research to see if we could work out our own system based on our daughters' abilities. We signed the girls up for enrichment classes and engaged tutors for selected subjects. Before the girls left school, they were already doing music. Kimberley took up the violin, and Krystal, the piano. Music is excellent in complementing both right and left brain functions. One of the best resources we used was the series of books by ED Hirsch, author of "Cultural Literacy", entitled "WhatYour 1st (2nd etc) Grader Needs to Know". Do you see any differences between your daughters and other teenagers? Well, for one thing, maybe they are less competitive as they are not exposed to peer pressure. That may not always be a good thing when they are preparing for exams! (Krystal will be sitting for the International GCSE A Levels). Being home-schooled also means that there is less exposure to negative influences. The girls are teenagers now — they are more independent, they want to go out with their friends. On this issue, there is a difference between networking and socialisation. When you're in a class with forty others, you probably know their names, but may not get the chance to know all of them well. Our girls get a chance to know their friends better and have developed good socialisation skills. What do you value most about your home-schooling experience? Do you have any advice for parents who are thinking of taking up home-schooling? We are close to our daughters and can see their different personalities emerging. We enjoy seeing them grow up before our eyes. To parents, I have this to say this: they must be able to take chaos for a while! However, the rewards are there. You will develop close bonds with your children and see them develop into unique individuals - an immeasurable experience. What is home-schooling? Home-schooling is learning at home, either with families or with other children in the community. Some children follow a daily routine based on a particular curriculum under their parents' supervision. However, more often than not, parents customise a learning programme for their children that may include self-learning, enrichment classes, sessions with a tutor and learning activities in various settings. The Ministry of Education (MOE) estimates that there are about 60 seven-year-olds taught at home instead of school, twice the figure in 2003 (The Straits Times, April 18, 2008). If you are thinking of taking up home-schooling for your children, do note the following:
- the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) Enjoyed this article? Read another perspective on home-schooling by Jeremy Yeo, father of two boys aged 7 and 8.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email this
Hits: 1190 Comments (0)
 Write comment
|
