Homeschooling in Nigeria, also known as home education, is the education of children ideally at home or a variety of places outdoor other than school. Home education is usually conducted by a parent, ward, tutor, or online teacher.
Over the years parents commonly cite two main motivations for homeschooling in Nigeria which are dissatisfaction with the local schools and the interest in increased involvement with their children’s learning and development also Parental dissatisfaction with available schools typically includes concerns about the school environment, the quality of academic instruction, the curriculum, bullying, tribal racism and lack of faith in the school’s ability to cater to their children’s special needs thereby gaining greater control over what and how their children are taught.
If you are considering homeschooling in Nigeria as an educational option for your child, you might as well get a sheet of paper and a pen, as this article focuses on the major pros and cons!
Pros of Homeschooling in Nigeria
1. Bonding
Family bonding is one of the main reasons some parents opt for the schooling method to educate their children. By homeschooling a child, parents get to spend lots of quality time with their children and this encourages bonding. during this period children tend to see their parent as their best friends and endeavour to tell them anything there is, thereby increasing the trust level between parent-child. In addition to that, the bond developed during homeschooling has proven to be one of the strongest bonds a parent can have with a child.
With homeschooling, it is easier for children to share their dreams and aspirations with their family; it becomes easy for parents to identify the unique abilities and attitudes of their children. This also enables bonding with siblings and other close family members.
2. Quality Learning
In most Nigerian school public or private, there are usually over Forty students in a class. In this scenario, teachers are unable to focus on every child’s need because definitely not all Teachers can keep up with the slow learners, so they lag behind in their studies; however, this is not the case with homeschooling.
Homeschooling ensures the child and the parent are on the same page thereby receiving quality learning, as all the teaching attentions are directed on the child. However, parents with special needs children who are unable to find a quality special needs school for their children should definitely resort to homeschooling.
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3. Flexibility
A lot of parents and guardians prefer homeschooling in Nigeria because of flexibility. This is because there is freedom and flexibility when it comes to the curriculum and learning styles; Unlike the rigid or structured ways of schools. There is no rush or pressure whatsoever.
In fact, if a child has a strong interest in a particular skill or subject, homeschooling is the best way for that child to develop his or her Niche. Also, for parents looking at instilling some particular manners, values or ideologies into their children, homeschooling can help achieve them perfectly.
4. No Peer Pressure, No Rush
In Nigeria where bullying and children going out of their way due to peer pressure, homeschooling is the best way to curtail the excesses of these Abuses. When a child is home-schooled, he or she is comfortable in his or her own clothes, as there is no need to worry about wearing outfits from the latest trends. The child would never try to fit into whatever is in vogue at that time. This greatly builds the child’s confidence and self-esteem.
thus there is no room for negative influence and no room for any abuse or assault from peers or outsiders.
Cons of Homeschooling in Nigeria
1. Training
Homeschooling in Nigeria takes a lot of training, time and effort. before a parent can homeschool a child, he or she must have a background in education, especially in technical subjects like Mathematics and Science. Since the parent is solely responsible for the child’s education, it can feel like a whole lot of work.
Homeschooling in Nigeria is greatly discouraged for secondary school students especially because the parent is likely not knowledgeable about the standard grading system. Since the parent is likely not a professional in education, he or she might not know the fairest method to grade the child thereby telling on the child’s external exam results such as waec, Neco etc.
2. Fear of Failure
People may be oblivious to the fact that homeschooling is a lot of responsibility. The future of the child’s education is in the hand of the parents that homeschooled him or her, and any slight mistake could affect the child’s education. This is why the pressure to perform as well as the fear of failure is usually huge.
As fun and easy homeschooling in Nigeria may seem, a lot of parents fear that their children might fail or fall behind in the real world. for example, if the child is always being taught mathematics at home, by the time he sits for an external exam and he passes very high in mathematics and low in other subjects then the essence of homeschooling is defeated and not balanced. thus This is not good enough as the pressure to keep up becomes pretty much intense.
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3. Opportunity Cost
Homeschooling in Nigeria can get a parent thinking about “opportunity cost.” first off, the parents must be well grounded in Education, secondly, he/she must be able to have a hold and a balance of every subject, A lot of time is needed to plan out the curriculum, write down school notes, explain the educational materials and also ensure the school notes are up to date. It is challenging to do all these homeschooling works and still maintain a regular salaried job.
Therefore, parents that want to homeschool their children must be ready to weigh all these sides by side and come up with an opportunity cost — which is sacrificing being paid in a salaried job — so that they can have the time to teach the children at home. Also, this also tells on the personality of the parent whether they are extroverts or introverts being an introverted parent can be a problem as the parent wouldn’t have the time and space to be himself or herself. Similarly, an extroverted parent might not like to be confined to the four walls of the home, teaching the children.
Therefore from the aforementioned pros and cons, it is evident that there are reasons why and reasons why you should not opt for homeschooling in Nigeria. however, In reality, the toughest part about homeschooling in Nigeria is actually making that conscious decision to put every sentiment aside and start the homeschooling process.
Nonetheless, if you ever consider homeschooling your child, there are tons of resources online that can help you out. You could even connect with parents around the world through online homeschooling forums. Nevertheless, if you want the best schooling experience for your child, it is advisable to your enrol him or her in a school that provides a well-rounded education.
