5 Alternative Education Strategies for Those Who Don't Want to Send Their Child to School

In the book "A Call for a Parent", journalist and psychologist Kristina Sandalova shares her own and other people's experience of teaching children outside the school walls, cites opinions experts on family education, and also gives advice on how to organize the educational process so that the child is comfortable and interested in learning at home.

With the permission of Individuum, we are publishing an abridged excerpt that will help you find out what types of alternative education exist and which one is closer to you and your child.

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Strategy 1: school at home

What is "school at home"? […] Some mistakenly think that when a child studies at home, teachers from school come to him. This option is really possible, and it is he who is called "home schooling", but it is resorted to only when the child is seriously ill. You can switch to home schooling only for medical reasons.

"School at home" implies a different approach: when parents teach the child themselves or with the help of tutors, but the teaching style is no different from the typical school. Mom or dad […] draw up a clear schedule, introduce a system of assessments and mandatory tasks, attract tutors in some subjects, rely on school manuals and the curriculum.

pros

• Very convenient and the easiest way to organize classes. You can take a ready-made, long-proven program and act according to the algorithm.

Minuses

• Creative and individual approach to the child is reduced to nothing. The pace of mastering the program and approaches to the presentation of material are averaged, standard and correspond to the conditions schools, when there are 20–30 children in the class and the teacher does not physically have the opportunity to personally deal with each student. And at home, an enthusiastic mother runs the risk of becoming a “teacher” in the bad sense of the word, who will start hourglass, demand to keep a high pace, endlessly evaluate and criticize, present material dryly and scientifically.

Family education makes it possible to move away from the authoritarian model of education, to hear the voice of the child himself, to see his needs, desires and interests. But "school at home" hinders rather than helps the process of individualization, since the child here acts as a passive consumer of ready-made knowledge. And if in a public school such a model is dictated by the system itself, at home nothing prevents us from changing the strategy to a more democratic one.

Strategy 2: a specific program, but different learning formats

This option is suitable for people who want to rely on a ready-made educational framework. There is a huge number of available programs: in addition to officially recognized ones, according to which children study in public schools, there are authorial, experimental, foreign ones. Official programs approved by the Ministry of Education and meeting federal standards (FGOS), meet the main requirement: allow the student to acquire the required minimum knowledge and pass certification. Other programs may not meet Russian standards. Therefore, if you choose a foreign or author's program, it is important to pay attention to the topics, the amount of material and content, so that you do not run into problems when passing the certification.

How is this option different from the previous one? The fact that parents take a certain program as a basis, but the material itself can be presented in different ways. That is, it is not necessary to strictly follow one textbook: you can watch a video tutorial or an interesting program on the topic, find an explanation in another manual, make a project, and so on.

pros

• This option is convenient for parents: they do not need to "reinvent the wheel" and come up with their own system. At the same time, there is space for creativity - parents take into account how the child perceives the material and learns information, try to interest him, find books, videos or games that will help to reveal the necessary topics brightly, vividly and intelligibly.

Minuses

• If some topic “doesn’t fit”, is difficult for the child, this approach requires a lot of effort on the part of parents and can slow down the process.

Strategy 3: own program based on the school

This option implies that you first look at the assessment plan, find out at the school to which you are attached what topics your child will need to pass at the end of the year. And then, given the list of these topics, compose your own program. If you wish, you can expand some topics or add new ones, take different programs, textbooks and mix […]. Or even take assignments on the same topic from different manuals and books. No one will stop you from using author's programs, as well as your own developments and ideas.

That is, in this option, you, in fact, take into account only the topics of certification, but otherwise you are free to do whatever you want: try different approaches, use video tutorials, shows, books - and mix them up based on the interest and needs of your child.

You can change topics in places, go through them in the order that is convenient for you, and for those books, videos, films that are interesting and understandable for your child. If some topic is still poorly given, you can leave it for a while, go through another one, and then return, and stop a little longer on the materials that the child was hooked on and properly delve into them.

pros

• This creative approach takes into account the pace of the child, his inclinations and interests. At the same time, it maintains a connection with the school curriculum, allows you to take certifications and, if necessary, return to school at any time.

Minuses

• Parents will have to immerse themselves deeply in the educational process: look for different options for presenting material, show creativity and pedagogical savvy, especially in order to interestingly present boring topics required for passing certification.

Strategy 4: own program without relying on school

In this case, you create your own educational program, which may differ significantly from school, but fully take into account the individual characteristics of the child and reflect the values ​​of your families. You choose everything: how to present the material, the pace of learning, subjects and topics - and go absolutely your own way, without looking back at the school.

This option is possible if you decide that the child will not take intermediate assessments until high school. In the 9th and 11th grades, certification (within the framework of the OGE and the Unified State Examination) is mandatory for everyone, so you will have to prepare in any case. But until the 9th grade, you can focus solely on your own desires and needs of the child.

pros

• This approach offers maximum flexibility. Parents have complete freedom in how to think through and compose a program, what subjects and skills to emphasize.

Minuses

• If the program is very different from the school one, you need to understand how the child will pass the assessments. By law, passing intermediate certifications up to the 9th grade is a right, not an obligation (that is, in fact, they can not be passed), but the OGE and the USE are mandatory in any case. And for admission to the OGE, the child must pass the certification for the 9th grade in all subjects. Therefore, the issue of preparation is worth considering and making all decisions in advance.

Strategy 5: self-directed education

I know families who choose the path of self-directed education, when the program is determined by... the child himself. He himself decides what exactly he or she would like to do. Parents in such families often not only do not put pressure on children, but do not even push them in any direction: the family only helps to gain access to the knowledge in which the child has shown interest himself.

For example, if he suddenly wants to study biology, he will be helped to choose books or video lessons, but will not be further instructed, carried away and motivated. And if you decide to quit, they will not dissuade you. The idea of ​​self-directed education is that children themselves feel what they like. After all, this is where the talents of the individual lie, so you need to listen to the call of the soul, and not impose your own hobbies and ideas on the child.

pros

• This approach allows you to see the true needs and inclinations of the child, to immerse himself deeply in what he is really interested in, without being distracted by other tasks. For example, a child may study for several months only history: read books, watch videos, go to museums and excursions, draw, do themed crafts, projects, and the like. I know children who studied many subjects with such blocks, and there is logic in this. It is often easier for a person to dive into one topic for several months without worrying about other subjects or assessments. However, this approach brings positive results only in those families where the very atmosphere suggests a love of knowledge. If the child is left to himself and his main hobbies are computer games, then the result is likely to be just the opposite.

Minuses

• There is a risk that when the time comes for passing certification, the child will not be ready not only in terms of knowledge, but also psychologically. However, psychology can be improved if the child is engaged in some sections where there are competitions, exhibitions, presentations, and knowledge can always be gained with the help of tutors. However, in any case, it is worth considering in advance how to prepare for certification for the 9th grade and passing the OGE. And also take into account the risk that a child in self-directed learning at some point may feel themselves are not very successful compared to other children who manage to both pass exams and go to mugs.
• In addition, you must always remember that laws may change and there is no guarantee that all children will not be subject to mandatory assessments for each class. Therefore, in my opinion, when drawing up the program, it is still worth considering the necessary school minimum.

The book "A Call for a Parent" will be useful to those who are thinking about not sending their child to school, but taking responsibility for his education. It will help you understand how and what to teach children so that they receive high-quality knowledge, and do not suffer for eleven years at a school desk.

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