HYDERABAD: There is still no certainty as to when schools would reopen and many parents, for this reason, have started teaching their kids at home. Also, many are worried about the effects of online classes.
According to psychologists and parents associations in the city, homeschooling is emerging as a better alternative to online classes and even the conventional classroom learning. “Here, the child’s learning and development is monitored by a parent without any specific curriculum or pedagogy. Nonetheless, the child here is pursuing his own interest and their curiosity makes them learn better,” says Dr Priyadarshini, a psychologist who was part of the My Choice My Future team which conducted psychometric tests on over 18,000 government schoolchildren across Telangana.
However, in India, not many know about homeschooling which is essentially triggered by curiosity and is a motivation-based learning method. “Instead of hourly lessons on different subjects (which can get boring), learning is derived by curiosity and through experimentation. It is like a playground without restriction. But monitoring by a parent or caretaker is essential,” she says.
Though hesitant at first, Tollywood actor Siva Balaji has now started to homeschool his kids. “Our kids were in Mount Litra Zee School, Manikonda, which was charging nearly Rs 1 lakh for e-classes. We stopped all that and hired a professional tutor. Besides, our children are free to explore their interests,” he says. “I was hesitant at first, but since the government was destined to promote schoolkids, I decided to give my children a break. My daughter is interested in music and my son in drawing, they both now have the time to explore their own interests and are doing great,” he says.
But Siva is worried if there would be a learning gap. “My brother, who lives in the US, told me that homeschooling is pretty common there and it’s better if I don’t take the risk by sending my kids to school during a pandemic. My kids are now less stressed and more creative. My neighbours, too, are considering this option.”
Psychologists suggest that parents should use this pandemic period to spend more time with their kids. They should encourage an experimental learning approach which is way more productive than sitting before digital devices all day. “It is a pleasure to see our kids learn,” says city-based clinical psychologist Dr Navodita Kumar. “With trial and error over time, parents also undergo a learning process and understand what works best for their kids. For that, they must interact, focus and enjoy spending time with kids.”
“Teach them or not, children keep learning,” says Nagati Narayana, president of Telangana Parents Association. “Many parents are anxious that their child might lose an academic year. But, the need of the hour is to promote experimental learning. It should at least be promoted among government school students who do not have access to online lessons.”