Home schooling in India
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Vijay GarG
Contd from previous issue
IGCSE: International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognized qualification for school students, typically in the 15-16 age group.
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is a globally recognized qualification, conducted at the Class 10 level, similar to the Class 10 examinations of the CBSE and ICSE.
IGCSE Courses
Cambridge Primary (CIPP): 5 – 11 years
Cambridge Secondary 1 (Lower Secondary/Checkpoint): 11- 14 years
Cambridge Secondary 2 (IGCSE/O level): 14 – 16 years
Cambridge Advanced (AS/A level): 16 – 19 years
A candidate can appear for the IGCSE exams as a private candidate. IGCSE is conducted by two boards:
Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and Edexcel.
For appearing in the examinations, one has to register one’s kid as a private candidate in an IGCSE school. One can also take the examinations at the specified CIE exam centre, which could be British Council in Kolkata as it is the only CIE exam centre. For more information visit - http://www.cie.org.uk/countries/india/
Homes Schooling in India: Methods
Homeschooling system in India uses a variety of methods and materials which may follow the prescribed regulations or a mixture of any as per the intelligence and preference of children and/or parents. Most of the common methods used in India are the Montessori Method, Un-schooling, Radical Un-schooling, Waldorf education and School.
Apart from the Major Methods, Parents/Children use some Techniques Mentioned below
Self Study: If a student is intelligent and independent self-study is encouraged. Children are encouraged to figure out things by themselves and find pleasure in learning new things.
Practical Study: Parents/tutors use a practical approach or use routine based activities to educate the child. Morals, manners, speaking, reading etc. are taught with practical examples.
Personalised Study: Parents/teachers opt for not following a structured timetable or a prescribed course. Textbooks maybe partially followed or rejected altogether. Some parents will allow more attention to those subjects which are favourites or which are easy based on their kids choice. The tough ones and boring ones are given less attention to allow specialisation.
Various types of course material and educational tools are used towards this effect. Some of these are Educational CDs, Games, Magazines, Television Programmes, Websites or any other preferred or suitable material.
Home Schooling Education in India: Resources
As mentioned earlier there are many supporting bodies in India which back this option of education in various active and passive manners, some of these have been mentioned in the following paragraph.
Indian Association of Homeschoolers : Also known as Swashikshan, it is a non-profit initiative of homeschooling children, parents, guardians and friends. The members of this association include homeschoolers residing in India, irrespective of nationality & homeschoolers of Indian origin, irrespective of location. Website - http://homeschoolers.in
Homeschooling Forum: It discusses and facilitates homeschooling, unschoo-ling and attachment paren- ting at the local & national level in India. Website - http://indiahome-schoolers.ning.com/
Twitter of Homeschooling in India: A platform for sharing general links & stuff of interest to homeschoolers in India (and to people in the education field). Website - https://twitter.com/india-homeschool
FB of Homeschoolers, India: Indian homeschoolers have their own Facebook account where they can share their views and so on. Websites - https://www. facebook. com/indiahome-school http://www. facebookcom/pages/Homeschooling-Alternative-Education-in-India/135772739790943
Homeschooling in India Yahoo Group: An online support group which facilitates information regarding home educating. Website - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alt-ed-india/
Google Group of Indian Homeschoolers: Alt-learn-blr is a google based group of homeschoolers and their supporters in India.
Some Supporting Organisations
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), Multiworld Network, http://multiworld- india.org/, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), Pune Homeschoolers Group.
These resources work in favour of homeschooling education in India in any possible and legal manner which includes communicating, consultations, holding events and other beneficial and supportive activities.
Legality of Homeschooling in India
Education comes under the Right to Education (RTE) Act which came into effect on April 1, 2010. The Act makes it mandatory for every child, from 6 to 14 years, to be enrolled in a formal school. However, there is controversy regarding the legal status of homeschooling in India. This controversy started when Shreya Sahai, a 14-year-old girl filed a petition in 2011 through her mother, contending that - ‘Section 18 of RTE Act does not recognise any other mode of imparting education except the one through formal schooling’. The petition further sought a direction to include home-schooling and alternative education schools under the ‘specified category’ under Section 2(P) of the RTE Act.
In response, the Centre filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court in July 2012. As per the affidavit “Parents who voluntarily opt for systems of home-schooling and such alternative forms of schooling may continue to do so. The RTE Act does not come in the way of such schooling methodologies or declare such form of education illegal.”
(To be contd)
Contd from previous issue
IGCSE: International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognized qualification for school students, typically in the 15-16 age group.
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is a globally recognized qualification, conducted at the Class 10 level, similar to the Class 10 examinations of the CBSE and ICSE.
IGCSE Courses
Cambridge Primary (CIPP): 5 – 11 years
Cambridge Secondary 1 (Lower Secondary/Checkpoint): 11- 14 years
Cambridge Secondary 2 (IGCSE/O level): 14 – 16 years
Cambridge Advanced (AS/A level): 16 – 19 years
A candidate can appear for the IGCSE exams as a private candidate. IGCSE is conducted by two boards:
Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and Edexcel.
For appearing in the examinations, one has to register one’s kid as a private candidate in an IGCSE school. One can also take the examinations at the specified CIE exam centre, which could be British Council in Kolkata as it is the only CIE exam centre. For more information visit - http://www.cie.org.uk/countries/india/
Homes Schooling in India: Methods
Homeschooling system in India uses a variety of methods and materials which may follow the prescribed regulations or a mixture of any as per the intelligence and preference of children and/or parents. Most of the common methods used in India are the Montessori Method, Un-schooling, Radical Un-schooling, Waldorf education and School.
Apart from the Major Methods, Parents/Children use some Techniques Mentioned below
Self Study: If a student is intelligent and independent self-study is encouraged. Children are encouraged to figure out things by themselves and find pleasure in learning new things.
Practical Study: Parents/tutors use a practical approach or use routine based activities to educate the child. Morals, manners, speaking, reading etc. are taught with practical examples.
Personalised Study: Parents/teachers opt for not following a structured timetable or a prescribed course. Textbooks maybe partially followed or rejected altogether. Some parents will allow more attention to those subjects which are favourites or which are easy based on their kids choice. The tough ones and boring ones are given less attention to allow specialisation.
Various types of course material and educational tools are used towards this effect. Some of these are Educational CDs, Games, Magazines, Television Programmes, Websites or any other preferred or suitable material.
Home Schooling Education in India: Resources
As mentioned earlier there are many supporting bodies in India which back this option of education in various active and passive manners, some of these have been mentioned in the following paragraph.
Indian Association of Homeschoolers : Also known as Swashikshan, it is a non-profit initiative of homeschooling children, parents, guardians and friends. The members of this association include homeschoolers residing in India, irrespective of nationality & homeschoolers of Indian origin, irrespective of location. Website - http://homeschoolers.in
Homeschooling Forum: It discusses and facilitates homeschooling, unschoo-ling and attachment paren- ting at the local & national level in India. Website - http://indiahome-schoolers.ning.com/
Twitter of Homeschooling in India: A platform for sharing general links & stuff of interest to homeschoolers in India (and to people in the education field). Website - https://twitter.com/india-homeschool
FB of Homeschoolers, India: Indian homeschoolers have their own Facebook account where they can share their views and so on. Websites - https://www. facebook. com/indiahome-school http://www. facebookcom/pages/Homeschooling-Alternative-Education-in-India/135772739790943
Homeschooling in India Yahoo Group: An online support group which facilitates information regarding home educating. Website - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alt-ed-india/
Google Group of Indian Homeschoolers: Alt-learn-blr is a google based group of homeschoolers and their supporters in India.
Some Supporting Organisations
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), Multiworld Network, http://multiworld- india.org/, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), Pune Homeschoolers Group.
These resources work in favour of homeschooling education in India in any possible and legal manner which includes communicating, consultations, holding events and other beneficial and supportive activities.
Legality of Homeschooling in India
Education comes under the Right to Education (RTE) Act which came into effect on April 1, 2010. The Act makes it mandatory for every child, from 6 to 14 years, to be enrolled in a formal school. However, there is controversy regarding the legal status of homeschooling in India. This controversy started when Shreya Sahai, a 14-year-old girl filed a petition in 2011 through her mother, contending that - ‘Section 18 of RTE Act does not recognise any other mode of imparting education except the one through formal schooling’. The petition further sought a direction to include home-schooling and alternative education schools under the ‘specified category’ under Section 2(P) of the RTE Act.
In response, the Centre filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court in July 2012. As per the affidavit “Parents who voluntarily opt for systems of home-schooling and such alternative forms of schooling may continue to do so. The RTE Act does not come in the way of such schooling methodologies or declare such form of education illegal.”
(To be contd)