Is Homeschooling Right in Kenya Today?

Homeschooling is only something that happens elsewhere, or so we all thought until when we found out that one of our writers was home-schooled right here in Kenya. This proved such a surprise, that we decided to find someone to articulate the reasoning behind this uncommon practice. Enter Isabella Mugo, a Pastor at Mamlaka Hill Chapel, who studied Literature and Society at the University of Nairobi and feels that home-schooling has a place in Kenyan society today. To shed light on the other side of the argument we asked Annika Phillips, a teacher a Braeburn School, why she felt that traditional schools should not be abandoned just yet.

Isabella Mugo - YES

The breakdown of relationships between parents and children is very real today, isn’t it?

Dad and Mum are so busy keeping up with the Joneses that kids are learning that money is the most important thing in the world. In my view, the case for home schooling is one against a worldview of materialism.

Home schooling strengthens the bond between parent and child, which is the most important thing they’ll share as long as they live.

Teaching values to children is hard work. School can’t teach values for you. There’s no time to learn about honesty when there’s a curriculum to finish, revision to be done and exams to be passed. Even Sunday school can’t do it for you. It’s too brief. You have to go the extra mile, to spend a lot of time with your child.

Teaching your child at home allows you to choose the curriculum, methods and pace for your child, to conform to your child’s specific learning style, to hone their talent, to meet their particular needs.

Are you afraid that your kids will be isolated? There are home schoolers’ associations all over the place, that bring kids together for games, drama, cooking classes, camps, musicals. Your kids can interact with other kids as often as you like, within the same safety and value system you uphold at home.

Are you worried that home schooling puts your children in a bubble? Teaching your children at home allows you to study and explore the world together, so that when they finally get “out” to it, they’ll have the moral character, self-esteem and security to deal with most of it.

Home schooling will cost you. You’ll need to read up to be a qualified enough teacher, you’ll need to buy school supplies. Most of all you’ll need to be disciplined so that there are no distractions or interruptions.

It is true, there may be some things learned in school that will not be learnt at home, but I’m more interested in those things that are learnt at home that won’t be learnt at school.

Annika Phillips - NO

Deciding to home school your child depends on you and your situation. I personally wouldn’t home school my children for many reasons: the key one being the social implications. From day one at school, children are experimenting and testing the boundaries of what is socially acceptable. They encounter different cultures, religions and opinions and adapt to and thrive on diversity.

Friendships formed at school can be very influential and help sculpt us. Of course your child may experience difficulties at school - who doesn’t? But you can’t protect them from the world indefinitely. We don’t send children to school just to bestow the rules of spelling, grammar and arithmetic upon them. Schools also act as mental, social, and intellectual training grounds that prepare our children for life.

Most of us remember inspirational teachers, people with a range of teaching strategies and a lifetime’s experience of working with young people. By limiting your child’s exposure to different teachers, you could be denying your child such inspiration.

Private tuition can have advantages but it’s not always ‘deep’ learning. As a teacher, I encourage children to work collaboratively with their peers and problem solve as a group. Collaboration and teamwork are skills that are imperative in any child’s future.

Another factor to consider is the research, planning, and time management involved. Motivating and inspiring children can be somewhat exhausting. Without the ability to hand your child back at the end of the day, you wouldn’t have the possibility to regroup your thoughts and prepare for the next day as a teacher can.

It is understandable that parents are tempted by the lure of home schooling, especially when they feel overcrowded classrooms are not providing individual nurture. But, in my opinion, there’s no persuasive enough argument that removing them from formal education will benefit their long-term ability to thrive and succeed in society.

When all is said and done, parents must decide what is best both for their child’s development and for their relationship with them.