For new-age parents, kids, home is where the school is

NEW DELHI: All of 14, Aayushi Pandey says that she wants to study theoretical physics from one of the world’s top universities. A jazz dancer, self-taught sketch artist, swimmer, guitarist and blogger, she has studied theatre at the National School of Drama and also learnt Bharatnatyam for eight years. To top it all, she’s also the author of ‘Okozbo’, a science fiction novel.But ask her what school she goes to and she shows her home address as the answer.
“My parents decided to give home schooling a shot when I was in Class III. They made sure I had a secure seat at the school I was in, just in case this idea didn’t work out. But thankfully, it did,” said Aayushi.
Aayushi belongs to a growing crop of Indian children whose parents have given traditional schooling a miss. “We met other parents who were home schooling their children. We realized it was definitely worth the risk that we were taking,” added her mother, Ritu Pandey, a psychologist.
Most parents blame the "poor standard" of the existing education system for their decision to take up home schooling. Under this system, children spend 4-5 hours a day studying a subject of their choice, at their own pace. The rest of the time is devoted to extra-curricular activities.
“I hardly had any inspirational teachers. I never wanted my children to go through the same,” said Arun Ellassery from Kerala, who has home schooled all three of his children.
Urmila Samson, a mother of three in Pune and also considered one of the first in the country to take up home schooling in 1992, agrees. “When my eldest child was being home schooled, I realized that we had to break through layers of conditioning from our academic life. My kids have the time to pursue what they love, without a rigorous timetable,” she said. Her eldest daughter is fresh out of a UK-based university, while her sons, 18 and 15, plan to be footballers.
Additionally, home schooling is recognized under the Right to Education Act, which was a cause that the entire home-schooling community was fighting for since long. Otherwise as well, home-schooled children can take exams either through National Institute of Open Schooling or International General Certificate of Secondary Education.
While the system provides children the freedom to pursue studies at their pace and preference, there is the fear that vital social skills that schools provide might be absent under home schooling. “There are chances that children’s thinking capacity might be restricted since they're not in a proper institution with their peers. Their learning might be based on their parents' thought process or values alone,” cautions Nikhita Pabreja, Delhi-based psychologist.
But products of the system point out ways to work around this. "Home schooling did not make me shy or socially awkward. I have friends from various age groups and backgrounds because of the different activities I do. Also, I got to travel with my family, which made me adaptable," said Aditi, Elassery's daughter, currently studying design at Coimbatore.
"It is a completely workable programme. Such children are no less than those bound to an institution. Of course, its success depends a lot on the parents — their background, education, ability to provide for the child," said Lakshmi Krishna Kumar, a psychologist.