At first I heard about it on Golos (Russian clon of Steemit), then when I came here I was pleasantly surprised there're fans of it among Steemians as well, for example Linda is a rather progressive Mom (
In such a way I discovered homeschooling is rather popular abroad, in Europe, USA, Canada, but I could hardly find info about it in the territory of post-Soviet countries. But now the situation is changing! At last there were made some steps towards this new form of education!
In Moscow homeschooling is rather popular now, there're several organisations who can help parents to organize it. In regions it can be met still rarely..but I'm sure this trend will widely used soon!
Why Do Parents Decide to Homeschool?
At first when a kid is just 2-3 years (the age of kindergarten in Russia is from 2 years old) many parents aren't ready to give him to a stranger, and it's very logical! It's a very small baby to give the responsibility of him to people you don't know and can't trust at all!
AT the age of 5 many homeschool children show great differences from kindergarten children - they're more peaceful, better educated, better behaving and they have much better connection and relations with parents!!
When it's time to go to school, many parents who didn't take kids to kindergartens start to find alternative variants, and homeschooling is the best for it.
The education law in Russia that allows to have different forms of education was issued in 1992.
There are at least three forms of education that look like homeschooling
.• Home education is not really homeschooling. It was organized specially for sick kids who can't go to school.
• Family education is when the child is educated by his parents. The family and the school have a contract regulating their relationship. Children come to school for some activities or for tests and exams in every subject. The district pays the family some money! Of course this type isn't popular because authorities don't want to pay extra money to parents, and they do all the best not to let families choose it.
• Externship. The relationship between the school and the family are almost the same like in family education, but children can move ahead faster and finish education earlier. The family is not paid any money in this case, and this type is chosen as a rule!
By the way, as practice shows, homeschooling really gives children much more possibilities:
- more free time
- love to education
- no boring rules and curriculum
- free choice what to study and when
- more freedom to develop their own interests
- they can study MUCH faster than at school
- they can get MUCH more qualitative education that in public schools where teachers don't have time for every student, and they aren't much interested in their knowledges but in covering school programme in time
Whatever form of education a student chooses, he takes regular final exams and gets a regular secondary school diploma.
The classical model of the educational process has exhausted itself, it is necessary to change not only the content of education, it will be necessary to change the forms and methods of instruction. This becomes obvious not only for parents, this is already understood by the students themselves. All this makes inevitable increase in the number of supporters of home schooling, and the emergence of practical experience of parents gives them confidence.
Today about 10% children in Russia have external education (about 100 000). That's why this type of education is called "elite" one. But it doesn't mean only rich people can have it, it means the quality of education is really much much better!
The attitude of the country towards this trend is ambiguous, but in all cases the state's steps toward home education are made thanks to the active position of the parents.
In the US home schooling became legal less than 20 years ago. Now the associations of home-parent parents have become a social force, which can not be neglected. At home, there are more than 2 000 000 children, and each year their number increases by an average of 10%. The United States organized investigations of school pupils and domestic children, which showed the advantages of home schooling.
However, such favorable conditions do not exist everywhere. In some European countries, home schooling is still virtually banned. In Russia as we can see it's not banned but still not very popular BUT the situation is changing from year to year!
Active position of parents and a great desire to go against nonperfect system and bring up healthy and clever children will make homeschooling a new epoch in the world education.