Homeschooling means teaching your kids at home without recruiting them in a conventional school.  In homeschooling, the teachers will attend to your wards at home and the kid will learn everything school has to offer from home.  Another name for home schooling is elective home education or simply home education. It can be given to both physically healthy pupils and students with one form of disability or another that prevent them from leaving the home for school. 

Home schooling can take place physically or online; it is left for the parents of the students involved to decide which they want for their wards.  Some parents get dissatisfied with the conventional school and are compelled to opt for home schooling. Many more parents are also opting for it today because of the many benefits if offers.

While homeschooling has its benefits, it is also important to consider some of the disadvantages.  In this informative piece, we will show you some of the many advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling.  The information provided here will help you to make up your mind about whether or not to opt for homeschooling in Nigeria. 

Advantages 

Flexible education 

Homeschooling offers flexible educational services to students and this is why many parents opt for it. Homeschooling offers 100% freedom to students, enabling them to learn everything that school has to offer from the comfort of their homes.  

The teachers will teach the students at home in line with the normal learning style and school curriculum. The teachers can equally design the subjects and topics to meet the specific needs of the students, enabling such a child to learn at his own pace. 

Leaning without pressure or rush can help a child to learn faster and better.  Is your ward interested in a particular subject or you want him to catch up with other students in that area? Homeschooling will turn out to be one of the best ways to make this possible. 

Incomparable learning quality 

The quality of learning from home is incomparable.  In the conventional school, the teachers will have to deal with tens of students in each class. It can be difficult for the teachers to meet the academic needs of every student in their classes. Not even private schools are left behind in this since many of them also have tens of students in each class. Slow learners in such a class will have a difficult time catching up and the quality of education will be somewhat poor.

Homeschooling can save your wards form such an unfriendly situation. He will be the only focus of the teacher, ensuring that he has 100% attention. The teacher can, therefore, impart knowledge within the period that the teaching lasts.  If your ward is a slow learner, homeschooling can help the child to catch up very fast. 

Bonding with the teachers and parents 

Your wards can develop quality relationships with the tutors if given the opportunity of homeschooling.  This bond can help the child to like the tutor, which can promote the quality of learning. Many experts believe that dislike for a particular teacher by students can prevent the student from grasping what the tutor is teaching.

Since homeschooling ensures the teacher is completely focused on the student, the two of them can get to know each other better, which will build a good bond that will improve assimilation in the student. 

Aside from bonding with teachers, your wards will also be able to develop better bonds with you since they will always be at home.  Homeschooling enables you to spend a lot of time with your wards and guide them better. Such a bond will help you to easily detect those unique abilities of your child and give you an opportunity to guide them through life.

Freedom from peer pressure 

Peer pressure is one of the most damaging things a child can be exposed to. Exposure to peer pressure can cause your child to deviate from the right path and this can tell on your peace as a parent. You will not have to worry about this if you opt or homeschooling for your child.

The child will always be with you, enabling you to guide him in al his decisions and keep him away from bad friends and bad influences.  Absence of peer pressure can improve your child’s self-esteem and confidence.

Disadvantages 

Societal pressure

If your child stays at home for schooling, members of your community may start wondering and asking questions why the child is not attending schools like every other child. Some of them who do not know that the child is participating in homeschooling may think he does not go to school because you do not have the money to pay for school fees for you do not value education.

While it is true that their opinions do not matter, such opinions and side talks can get so loud at times and you will not be able to ignore them. 

Lack of exposure

Homeschooling is good for the academic progress of your children but may also prevent them from having adequate exposure and experience of life. There is more to the conventional schooling than just academic; it can teach the child so many things that can prove useful later in life.  For example, the conventional schooling can expose your wards to different categories of individuals, which can give him quality experience of life, an experience that will prove useful when the child gains admission into the university.      

If you enroll your child for homeschooling, the child may end up being matured since he will lack the opportunity to learn the hard way; learning the hard way can prepare your child for future challenges. Let it be known that no child can escape from the realities of life and the conventional schooling can prepare your child for those realities. You also cannot keep the child indoor forever; he will always leave home in the future. 

It can be costly

While homeschooling is one of the best ways to get your wards educated, it can also be a costly choice. Teachers will normally charge you a higher amount for homeschooling than conventional schools will charge you.  

Homeschooling is beneficial but it may not be an accessible method of education for those who are on a tight budget. Only the well-to-do in the society can afford such a luxury. Maybe you want to consider your financial capabilities before you go for homeschooling for your wards.