Q: Is sending a child to school necessary?
A: The answer is a definite Yes! It is important to send a child to school as that is where they learn the basics about the worldly ways and to grow for the future. It provides a foundation for everyday skills, more specifically better social skills, behavior and character building.
Q: Why do you think so?
A: Here is a list of few of the reasons that parents choose homeschooling.
- a) Choosing the right school is difficult
- b) Parents find the joy of spending extra time with their kids at home.
- c) No transportation – so the fee and the time to travel is saved.
- d) Children can spend time studying at their own pace.
- e) The child gets personalized attention.
Reasons may galore but it also has its downsides. Let’s list a few of them
a ) If the parents themselves are to do the schooling, it takes a lot of time to plan and implement the curriculum and strategies. Also, it can be very challenging to a single parent to succeed with homeschooling.
- b) On the other hand if they are employing a home tutor, then that could turn out to be expensive. Also will have to keep a watch on what is happening there on a daily basis.
- c) No Social interaction as homeschooled children have limited access to people other than the family and there are no physical peer groups, no extracurricular activities where they fail and learn to try again.
- d) Above all in these testing time, making both ends meet becomes very hard and challenging if one parent is unable to work and so homeschooling may put a huge strain on the family finances.
Q: Considering all the above points it would be better for a child particularly young child to be schooled in what you are saying.
A: Yes. Especially in view of the following advantages.
- a) Schools instils discipline which is a must for young children as they grow up. They also learn how to behave with elders and peers.
- b) Sporting events and elective options like arts, crafts and music at schools make the child more vibrant and competitive.
c) The regular school teaches children to manage time and be independent as they have to schedule and take care of their home works, studies etc and take transport at the scheduled time etc. - d) Qualified and experienced teachers will have a positive impact on children’s understanding of the concepts. Also can help them emotionally to boost their confidence and be a better human being.
- e) With children going to school, both the parents have the option to take up jobs that will give them the much-needed finances.
Everyone will agree that a disciplined, well-mannered child who grows with competitive spirit but knows how to work in a team is better for brighter future of not just the child, but to the family, society and the country as a whole. And a better chance of getting such a person is with regular schooling.
(Excerpts from an interview with Mr. B Pothuval, Retd. Government School Teacher and Academic)
