Arianwen Harris used to joke that homeschooling was her “worst nightmare”.
Key points:
- Some parents are seeing benefits and may continue to homeschool their children after classrooms reopen
- Only three jurisdictions in Australia allow a blend of home and classroom education
- Singapore has compulsory stay-at-home days to practise e-learning in case of lockdowns
“I’ve never wanted to homeschool,” she said.
“I’ve got friends that homeschool and I’ve been really impressed with the work that they do with their kids, but I just never thought it was something that I would be capable of doing.”
Ms Harris and her boys Ziyad and Yazid had a rocky start to home learning, juggling the regimented plans and different timetables set by the children’s school.
But after more than a month helping her nine and five-year-old learn from home because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ms Harris is no longer joking.
“It’s challenging, but we’re enjoying lots of it,” she said.
The Queanbeyan family has begun the process of registering for longer-term homeschooling after seeing how well the children were doing at home, especially the eldest.
“He had been struggling with reading and spelling at school, but because we’re at home now and we’re getting to do lots of reading, he’s really making great strides in that, because we can do loads more one-on-one reading,” Ms Harris said.
She said the family had tied in activities the children enjoyed, such as cooking, media and Pokémon, with their school-provided learning.
West of Melbourne, in Werribee, Kylie Pearson tells a similar story. The singing and music teacher has three daughters in primary school, and said she was considering homeschooling when schools reopened properly and the pandemic eased.
“Two of my kids are on the spectrum, one with ADHD as well … and I’ve just noticed how they’re slipping through the cracks,” she said.
She has been surprised by gaps in her children’s abilities to tackle math