Writer: Nuttawut Kulkaew

Editor: Wittaya Wonglor

Over the past three years, the pandemic has put over 1.9 million pupils, or 21% of Thai children, at risk of dropping out of the education system. Some families can no longer afford to keep kids in school. Others let their children drop out until on-site teaching returns. And some families have turned to homeschooling.

Homeschooling, where parents or families teach learners, is growing globally. Countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and, especially, the United States have seen an average 3.3% yearly rise in homeschooling students since 1999, especially in rural and suburban areas and among black, Asian, and Hispanic families. In Thailand, such education has been legally recognized since 1999, as in many other countries worldwide. But there are only an estimated 1,000 homeschooled Thai kids, about 0.01% of the total.

COVID-19 boosted homeschooling in the United States from 2.6 million pupils in March 2020 to 4.5-5.0 million in March 2021. "Pandemic pods" gather small groups of children from multiple families and bring teachers or parents with expertise to teach them. Homeschooling can give students more activities than formal schools, such as arts and crafts, board games, research projects, and sports. A survey found that 60% of parents who chose homeschooling are satisfied with this learning style because of its flexibility and personalization of content for learners, as well as efficiency in managing time and study content. Families can combine homeschooling with online learning platforms, on-campus college courses, and activities in the community. Although the world has returned to a new-normal, some families are continuing with homeschooling.

But homeschooling also has challenges or limitations. Parents must dedicate a lot of time and effort to learning management and resources. Teaching quality and the accuracy and completeness of content for alignment with the governmental curriculum, as well as opportunities in higher education, are all concerns. There is also the issue of the appropriateness of the learning environment, which affects the social development of learners. Is the surrounding community suitable for a learning environment? Will learners face social isolation from being separated from others? But there is no conclusive evidence about the outcomes of homeschooling. Most research is qualitative rather than quantitative with small sample sizes. Most families refuse to participate in research because of their privacy concerns, independence, and unconventional lifestyles, which are why they homeschool in the first place.

Implications for the future:

- Participation in clubs, social groups, seminars, and events both on-site and online, both in the home country and abroad, will not only reduce social development concerns and socialization issues of homeschool students but also lay a foundation for real socialization beyond the school setting for individual aptitudes and interests. Homeschooled students will have more opportunities to access further education and work information.

- The integration of high-socioeconomic status families may provide high-quality teaching and learning modules that meet the personalized needs of each learner, while low-income groups may lack the power, time, and expertise for homeschooling.

- If artificial intelligence is used to design individual courses and career paths, the line between school and homeschooling may be blurred in a new learning model that focuses on enabling learners to apply what they have learned in real life at the lowest cost of learning.

Reference:

- Homeschooling: What do we know and what do we need to learn? https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12441

- Homeschooling on the Rise During COVID-19 Pandemic https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/03/homeschooling-on-the-rise-during-covid-19-pandemic.html

- Homeschooling Skyrocketed During the Pandemic, but What Does the Future Hold? https://www.educationnext.org/homeschooling-skyrocketed-during-pandemic-what-does-future-hold-online-neighborhood-pods-cooperatives/

- Homeschool Happens Everywhere https://www.educationnext.org/homeschool-happens-everywhere-less-formal-instructin-more-family-community-activities/

- Post-Pandemic Future of Homeschooling https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/taubman/programs-research/pepg/events/future-homeschooling

- Post-Pandemic Future of Homeschooling: Growth and diversity in post-pandemic homeschooling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGM9QJ5MwXg&t=3s

- Should educators promote homeschooling? Worldwide growth and learner outcomes https://www.proquest.com/docview/2557076766?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true

- เครือข่ายการศึกษาทางเลือก 6 รูปแบบ: รู้จักกับ “บ้านเรียน (Home School)” https://alternativeeducation.or.th/homeschool/

- สถานะและสถิติระหว่างประเทศของโฮมสคูล https://hmong.in.th/wiki/Homeschooling_international_status_and_statistics

- “พาน้องกลับมาเรียน” ช่วยเด็กหลุดจากระบบ! https://mgronline.com/qol/detail/9650000006011

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