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ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF EDUCATION

Education is a very powerful process thanks to which positive changes in humans are created for good. Whether it formally takes place in a school or happens in other ways, education is an indispensable component of human life. With the changing conditions and developing technology in the world, different forms of education are welcomed more than ever before and below we introduce you two commonly available alternative forms of education: open university and homeschooling.

1. OPEN UNIVERSITY

Education should have no boundaries. It should be accessible to all. Keeping in mind the needs of various people from various walks of life and from various classes of the society. Government in every country has tried to make education accessible to all over the years. In that process, the world was introduced to universities and institutes offering education through various modes according to the need and affordability of different groups of students. Though the most popular mode of education is regular or full-time; there’s a large number of people who can’t pursue it. There may be different reasons for it; affordability, irregular schooling, location, medical reasons, etc.

Here is the exact definition of ‘Open and Distance Learning’ as a system: “wherein teachers and learners need not necessarily be present either at same place or same time and is flexible in regard to modalities and timing of teaching and learning as also the admission criteria without compromising necessary quality considerations”.

Let’s start with explaining how the Open University will support your learning. The method of study you will use with the Open University is called ‘supported open learning’. This means that the course is carefully structured and you are taken through the components step by step. Each course is made up of a number of components, and could include: written texts, study guides, set books (which you will have to buy before the course begins), readers, videos, audio tapes, computer software, and CD-ROM. You will be learning mostly on your own, in your own time, and in the space that you have organized yourself, but with the support of your tutor and services from the Open University.

Supported open learning involves you in becoming an active learner; taking responsibility for motivating yourself, pacing your studies, and managing your workload to suit your own circumstances. There are deadlines to meet such as assignment submission and exam dates, but matters such as how, when and where you study are very much up to you. In order to learn effectively from this method, you need to become actively involved in your own learning process. This means both assessing what you have learned as you go, and testing out new ideas and concepts. One way of doing so is by keeping in regular contact with your tutor letting him or her know if you are experiencing difficulties with your studies, or are having problems that may affect your ability to study.

Students studying at a distance are expected to be able to cope with increased independent learning, and be able to use their tutor as a resource rather than a provider of knowledge. Many courses include project work, which means planning and executing a small piece of research. Although your tutor will expect to see the plan for your project, and may check up on your progress, there may not be an opportunity for lengthy discussions or feedback as your project develops.

You will have to organize your time and motivate yourself to keep to your timetable, if you want to avoid last minute panics. Likewise, the amount of secondary reading you do will be your own responsibility and, if time is scarce it can be tempting to cut corners and miss out on some essential background reading. One of the advantages of supported learning is that is allows you to have more autonomy as a student, and gives you flexibility to study how, where, and, to some extent, when you choose to do so. The reverse side of the coin; however, is that you need self-discipline in order to meet deadlines and submit work on time – you are responsible for your own learning.

2. HOMESCHOOLING

In developed countries, compulsory education is the norm for children aged from around 6 to 16. Even so, in most cases this does not mean that the child has to attend a school. Increasing numbers of parents are choosing to educate their children at home. In the UK it is estimated that up to 100,000 pupils are being taught in this way, which equates to about 1% of the UK school population. In the USA, home education, or homeschooling as it is known, has reached unprecedented levels with approximately 2 million children, or 4% of the compulsory age group, now receiving tuition at home. Parents cite various reasons for keeping their children away from school, ranging from a lack of satisfaction with the school environment to a wish to provide their own religious instruction. Homeschooling is a controversial issue surrounded by misgivings, with supporters emphasizing its benefits and detractors pointing to its limitations and risks.

The reasons why parents elect to educate their children at home are often linked to emotionally charged issues rather than rational arguments that reflect the pros and cons of homeschooling. Typically, a child is removed from a school following negative experiences, for example bullying, or exposure to bad influences such as drugs, discrimination, bad language, or falling in with the wrong crowd. Consequently, homeschooling is ardently defended by its proponents who are not necessarily best placed to consider its downsides dispassionately. While the popularity of home education is on the increase, it remains an oddity, associated more with problems at school rather than a positive decision to provide a real alternative.

While homeschooling of a child is unusual, learning from parents is not, so formal teaching at home can be regarded as an extension of the parents’ normal role. However, education in the home environment can have its limitations; for example, when there are gaps in the parents’ knowledge in key subject areas such as fractions or algebra. Moreover, teaching is not merely the dispensing of knowledge acquired, but rather a skill that has to be taught, practised and mastered. Parents are not professional teachers and if the outcomes are poor then the parents can only blame themselves. Homeschooling is both time-consuming and demanding. Parents can lose out financially and socially when they are obliged to spend the entire day at home. Lack of socialization is perhaps the main criticism of homeschooling. When children are taken out of school they cannot interact with other pupils or engage in school activities, including team sports. Later, a young person may find it difficult to integrate in ordinary social settings or lack the coping skills to deal with the demands of everyday life. Socialization outside of the home can negate some of these shortcomings, bearing in mind that the home-educated child is likely to have more free time to engage in recreational activities. Indeed, it might be argued that the socialization experienced in the natural setting of a community is preferable to that within the confines of a school.

Although homeschooling has its shortcomings it also offers several advantages. Tuition is on a one-to-one basis so it can be personalized to meet an individual child’s needs. There is no strict curriculum so the teaching can be readily adapted for those with special educational needs or learning disabilities. Children are allowed to develop at their own rate, and attention can be focused on subjects that a child enjoys or has a particular aptitude for. Parents can provide religious education and impart moral values consistent with their own beliefs, and they can also include subjects that may not be available in their local schools, for example Latin or Archaeology. The timetable is entirely flexible with no time wasted travelling to and from school, no lack of educational continuity when moving home, and no restrictions on when to take family holidays. It should come as no surprise that with all these benefits, homeeducated children usually outperform their schooled counterparts academically. However, this is not conclusive proof of the effectiveness of homeschooling. Parents who home-school their children tend to be well-educated and in a higher than average income bracket. Consequently, these parents are more likely to show an interest in their child’s education, encouraging compliance with homework and offering support, meaning that the child would probably have performed well had they remained within the school system.

Parents who educate their children at home may choose to shun school completely. Despite this, local schools should offer parents and children support and guidance, extending access to school trips, library resources, recreational facilities, syllabus information, assessments and examinations. The future of homeschooling and its position in the education system are uncertain. Nevertheless, it is the duty of the state and the parents to ensure that home-educated children are given an education that affords them opportunities in life and equips them for the world of work.

 

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  • Posted on : September 24th, 2018

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