Homeschooling in the Philippines: FAQs and Tips for Parents

“Really, you teach your child at home?”  (Sometimes complete with disapproving look)

“Homeschool? What’s that?” (Occasionally raised eyebrows accompany the question)

“Umm...won’t he become anti-social?” (With a know-it-all flair)

“Bakit sa bahay lang siya magaaral? May problema ba siya?” (“Why is she going to learn at home? Is there a problem with her?”)

“Don’t you need an education degree to teach your kids?”

The above remarks are just a few of the usual reactions that most parents get when they tell someone that their child is being homeschooled. This is even more true in the Philippines, where homeschooling has become known as an acceptable form of education only in recent years.

This article hopes to share some facts and tips that will be of help to Filipino parents who may be considering homeschooling or are already homeschooling their children.

First things first: Is homeschooling in the Philippines legal? 

Knowing one’s legal status as a homeschooling parent is one of the most important steps you will need to be a successful homeschooler, according to Vicki Brady, mother of 7 homeschooled children, and author of “The Basic Steps to Successful Homeschooling.”

Based on the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, a U.S.-based non-profit advocacy organization “established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms”, homeschooling is considered LEGAL in the Philippines.

As stated on their website, Article XIV, Section 1(2) under the Philippine Constitution, states that the country will “establish and maintain a system of free public education in the elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural right of parents to rear their children…”

Under the last phrase, it is stated that “Without limiting the natural right of parents to rear their children,” religious groups, mission boards, and families can branch off from public education to create their own private education.

Since homeschooling is considered legal in the Philippines, this gives parents who are considering alternative education options for their children more peace of mind. i.e. they won’t have to worry about being charged with “child negligence”, which sadly has happened to some homeschoolers in the United States, despite the fact that it is legally accepted in all fifty states.

Click here to learn more about DepEd Accreditation, Homeschool Programs with DepEd Accreditation, Validating Programs and Unschooling.

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Read on to learn more about DepEd Accreditation, Homeschool Programs with DepEd Accreditation, Validating Programs and Unschooling.

What about DepEd Accreditation?

When it comes to homeschooling, this is usually one of the most frequently asked questions. Since the legal compulsory age for school attendance is 6 to 12 years, some homeschooling parents seek DepEd accreditation only when their kids begin grade school. Others only do so when transferring their children to regular schools.  There are also quite a few parents who homeschool all the way through grade school, sometimes even through high school, without seeking DepEd accreditation.

There are two main ways to get DepEd Accreditation for homeschooled kids:

Homeschool Programs with DepEd Accreditation

The first way is to enrol them in an accredited homeschool program. Some of the more well-known programs are the Catholic Filipino Academy (CFA), founded by Catholic lay preacher Bo Sanchez, The Master's Academy (TMA), a Christian school set up by the Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF),  and  the Living Heritage Academy, under  the School of Tomorrow (SOT). The Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila and Angelicum College also offer a Catholic home study program for elementary and high school levels.

The Philippine Validating Test (PVT)

The second way to get accredited by DepEd is by letting your kids take the Philippine Validating Test (PVT) from the Department of Education when transferring them to a regular school. This test is also taken by children who go to regular private schools that have not been accredited by any of the Philippine's school accrediting bodies. It is taken per subject per year level. The drawback is it can be taken only once.

For parents who seek an alternative way to formally assess their children’s education, testing your kids at the Center for Educational Measurement Inc. (CEM) is one option. CEM allows you to test your homeschooled child per subject per grade level while taking the pressure off your child, since its tests are designed to measure academic ability and achievement of students, and not simply to pass or fail them.

The school of life – What is Unschooling?

Some parents who choose to homeschool their kids prefer to do “unschooling” which basically consists of letting the child learn from the “school of life.” Emphasis is placed on learning life skills through actual practical application, for example, basic literacy, entrepreneurship and so on.

Unschoolers usually let their kids learn whatever is most interest to them. For example, if your child loves dogs, you teach them their academic subjects like English, Math and Science based on that particular topic. You can read books about dogs, watch documentaries about dogs, do Math problems involving dogs as subjects.

Click here to read on about parents' concerns and children and socialization.

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Read on about parents' concerns and children and socialization.

Parents who choose to unschool are generally not so concerned with getting DepEd accreditation for their children, and are more concerned with teaching their kids how to “survive life.”

Tips for successful homeschooling

A lot of parents may ask themselves this question when they start their homeschooling journey: Am I capable of teaching my children? The fact is one does not even need an Education degree to teach one’s kids. However, DepEd does require the parent who will be teaching to at least have a college degree.

Some homeschool programs, such as The Masters Academy and Catholic Filipino Academy, require at least one of the parents to be the children’s teacher. This is to help achieve one of homeschooling’s primary goals i.e. to foster deeper relationships between parents and children.

However, there are some parents, specifically mothers, who may still want to be able to have a career while at the same time homeschooling their kids. The Homeschool of Asiapacific aims to cater to such families, and allows homeschooling parents to hire a tutor to homeschool their kids using their curriculum. On the other hand, there are mothers who choose to homeschool their kids while working at home, or after office hours, or even during the weekends. It’s all really a matter of time management and making the family schedule work for everyone involved.

The most important thing for parents to note when it comes to homeschooling their kids is this: IT’S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. In the long run, you will be forever grateful for the perfect moments homeschooling will give you and your kids.

Children and socialization

In one of the online definitions of socialization, it is described as:  “a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.” (dictionary.reference.com)

With this definition in mind, one would actually think that teaching one’s kids at home, where one can control what he sees and hears, would overall be quite beneficial in forming a child’s identity. Parents are able to teach their children the desired “norms, values, behaviour, and social skills” according to their own moral code, beliefs and faith. In today’s modern fast-paced world, where even preschoolers are exposed to negative experiences such as teasing, bullying and others, most parents would jump at the chance to have their kids grow up in a safe, accepting and loving environment.

In fact, many real-life homeschoolers testify that homeschooling actually makes their children more sociable vertically (i.e. among their peers) AND horizontally (i.e. with people older than them).

Click here to read on about children and socialization, as well as tips for homeschooling families.

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Read on about children and socialization, as well as tips for homeschooling families.

Homeschooled kids also have the opportunity to socialize in different environments and situations, as they are encouraged to be exposed to “living books” i.e. real-life people they can learn from and go on educational trips to different places.

The issue of socialization in fact, is almost never an issue for homeschoolers. As long as your kids have opportunities to play with their neighbours, cousins and siblings, and perhaps join peer groups in your church or neighbourhood, then socialization should not be an issue.

Homeschooling tips for beginners

A lot of parents who want to or are already homeschooling could benefit from the following homeschooling tips from real-life homeschooling parents (as paraphrased by the author):

1. “For those who are Catholic or Christian, pray and discern really well about your decision to homeschool. More than a commitment, parents should have the conviction that homeschooling is part of God’s plan for their family. After all, not every family is called to homeschool.” (Mommy Vicki, homeschooled her 7 kids)

2. “Read up on homeschooling. Read all the books you’re able to get your hands on. Research also on possible curricula that you may want to avail of.” (Mommy Josette, homeschooling her 2 children)

3. “Let your kids be kids first and enjoy being kids. Don't rush them into learning academics. I believe in Moore's Philosophy of Better Late than Early ... it really is about their Integrated Maturity Level. Focus more on building... creativity and imaginations.” (Mommy Jeanne, unschooling her preschool-aged daughter)

4. “Start with a goal in mind. One of the goals we had was that we wanted our children to be educated at home because we wanted to be their main influencers in life. We believe that sending them to school would also mean giving up our reins to their teachers. Every family who is considering to homeschool must begin with a goal.” (Mommy Michelle, homeschooling 3 out of her 4 kids)

5. “Trust your child’s learning capacity. They learned to love, smile, crawl, walk, talk, run, dress themselves, and understand their world before starting school. They will continue growing and learning without the traditional school.” (Mommy Bev, homeschooling her 3 kids)

There is still a lot more to be learned and shared about homeschooling in the Philippines. It is this author's hope that with articles like these, more and more parents will open their hearts and minds to the concept of educating their kids right in their own homes. After all, as one homeschooling nanay, Mommy Blessie, so aptly puts it: "The best teacher for our kids is the one who loves them most."

Photo from commons.wikimedia.org

SOURCE:

• Blessie Adlaon's blog "The Nanay Notebook"