Home Education in South Africa is fraught with many hurdles and challenges today. We find ourselves in a peculiar situation in 2020, amidst a global economic and health disaster. Looking back at the many developments and crucial junctures that have shaped our journey thus far, we must admit that we have once again, arrived at a precipice of uncharted territory for our country.
The Road Ahead
There are going to be changes, many changes, and we probably won’t like most of them. Nevertheless, as homeschoolers (I shall use this name interchangeably with Home Educators for now – we are in a period of flux) we have an undeniably unique ability to adapt with change, so in the greater scheme of things, we will be fine!
One thing that is true of any child’s life, is that giving them a foundation that truly does prepare them for life on their own, is still the greatest thing any parent can do. A foundation that teaches healthy thinking and reasonable coping mechanisms really does provide an efficient springboard into the real world. This is something that deserves much research and discussion before we can point to an absolute formula for ‘success’ for a child becoming a young adult.
About Socialisation
Many people think that homeschooling keeps you isolated and separate, but the reality is that by not being in an institution with a name to which one must pander (as apposed to your own) in a uniform that keeps you anonymously shut away in small contrived worlds where children are cloistered inside well monitored walls for 12 years, home can become be your inspirational hub from which real life grows and prospers. Depending on what you deem growth and thriving looks like . Of course, and to bring us back to reality, we must admit that for this to happen, the parent must cater to it. This is where it gets tricky…
So what exactly must a parent cater to? Which are the factors deemed most important in terms of education of a child’s mind, heart and world view? Are we really going to presume that there is a single proven set of previously assigned aspects that trumps all others? What of the individual child? What of the family circumstance? The questions are greater than the answers right now, and they seem to be the same questions we have always asked, except, now they are steeped in apprehension for the future in a country where the laws and the environment are fast changing.