Homeschooling is not novel in the country, yet widespread misconceptions persist.
To know more about homeschooling, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sat down with Mai Bobadilla, the social media manager of Teacher Mom Academy PH, who dispelled the common myths about the program.
This interview happened during the launch of the "Mist of Care" kit by Fast Aid on November 28, 2023.
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HOMESCHOOLING: ADVANTAGES
Myth #1: Home-schooled kids lack socialization skills.
In fact, home-schooled children have more free time to have playdates or engage in activities with diverse age groups for their social skill development.
Teacher-mom Mai explained, "We call it a myth because we also have communities with our own homeschool providers or even family friends who are also homeschooling."
"So what we do is that we gather together, bring the kids together and have playdates.
"Also one thing that is beautiful about homeschooling is that you could do interest-led homeschooling.
"So if the child is, for example, interested in music, you can enroll her in music classes.
"And then theater, if she's interested in theater, you enroll her in theater. So it's a big world out there for them, for the kids.
"They're not really just in the classroom, unlike in the traditional school na nandun lang sila sa classroom. And yung time nila, pag-uwi, homework pa sila.
"In homeschooling, they are given talaga free time and then they are exposed to what really interests them.
"Kasi di ba, when you enroll in a music class, hindi naman kayo pare-parehong grade 7 or ganun. You're exposed to more, parang different set of ages.
"You interact with younger kids, older kids, even adults yun. So actually mas yung socialization nila, mas malawak."
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HOMESCHOOLING: HOW DOES IT WORK for parents?
Myth #2: Problem arises when the roles of parents as teachers overlap.
Another concern among parents is when to draw the line between being an authoritative figure as parent and as teacher.
But as Mai reassured, in homeschooling, the parent-child relationship takes precedence over traditional teacher-student dynamics.
"Sometimes yung myth na ito, ano ito parang yung relationship with the parent and child.
Kasi parang ikaw yung teacher, siya yung bata, di ba? Parang it can blur the line," she related.
"When does the wall come off? Kailan ka teacher? Kailan ka mom? In homeschooling kasi, we prioritize the relationship.
"So especially in the early years, it's really about building your relationship with your child," she underscored.
"And if you have a good relationship with your child, it's easier for you to teach them.
"It's not about yung authority as a mom, tapos yung child will be parang takot sa iyo, di ba?
"When you do homeschooling, it's like you're just interacting together, learning together. So mas nagba-bond pa yung parent and child."
The flexibility of homeschooling also allows for breaks during tense moments, promoting a collaborative and nurturing learning atmosphere.
"Since flexible siya, for example, medyo na nagkainitan na or yung bata ayaw sumunod, you can always take a break," she advised.
"Mabilis, or break muna tayo para to calm down and cool off, diba?
"Hindi siya yung parang rigid na, dapat tapusin mo yan, ganyan-ganyan. Naiiwasan yung mga ganoon.
"So it's really first building the relationship with your child and then your child trusts you."
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HOMESCHOOLING: HOW DOES IT WORK for students?
MYTH #3: Home-schooled kids adapt/adjust slower than schoolchildren.
Homeschooling typically lasts until high school, at which point apprehension over adjusting to a college setting begins to emerge.
Mai stated, "Parang it will be hard for them to shift to traditional school.
"Kasi especially if homeschool siya from the start, tapos pagdating niya ng high school or college, when you decide that they will shift to traditional school, mahihirapan sila mag-adjust.
"But as we saw in our group, even in our community's group, ang bilis mag-adjust ng mga home-schooled kids because yun nga, as I said earlier, yung socialization nila is very malawak.
"They have a wide range of people that they interact with, so when they go to the traditional school, it's easier for them to adjust to the environment, especially for college.
"Kasi marunong na sila makipag-usap sa mga tao, and then they are also parang confident."
Moreover, homeschooled kids have the advantage of avoiding being compared to others or being bullied, as it happens in traditional school settings.
Mai said since the focus of homeschooling is the children's character and their interests, "yung confidence ng bata, mas nabi-build siya."
She elaborated, "Wala yung kagaya sa school na ikukumpara ka sa classmates mo ni teacher.
"So ito, your parents really build up your confidence. When you go out to the traditional school or into the real world, your confidence is there.
"Di ka mahihirapan, and there's zero chances of getting bullied."
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HOMESCHOOLING: Cost
MYTH #4: Homeschooling is more costly.
Some homeschooling families opt for professional tutors, online courses, or educational services, contributing to the misconception of high costs.
In truth, homeschooling can be cost-efficient as there are no miscellaneous fees to pay, say, for school uniforms or schoolbus fare.
It is also a fact that many homeschooling families have maintained educational standards with cost-effective alternatives.
Mai pointed out, "Medyo ano siya, e, kasi there are schools naman na medyo mababa rin yung tuition, di ba?
"Kasi there are homeschool providers and then they have different costs also.
"Pero when we talk about the cost, parang it's lower than yung mga high-quality schools na natin.
"They have lower cost in homeschooling, and it's being compared na to dun sa mga high-quality private schools na tuition. So yun."
A survey of Philippine homeschool providers have shown that homeschool basic tuition fees locally can go from PHP5,000 to over PHP100,000 a year, depending on the program.
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