According to the Growth Institute *, to have a child in a private school or in one the better old Model C schools is just as expensive as or more expensive than sending a child to university.
On the other side of the spectrum are learners of very high potential who are trapped in schools where an average pass mark of 50 per cent is deemed meritorious.
The Growth Institute mentions that there is an increasing fear that:
- Schooling becomes unaffordable
- The quality of the school system is deteriorating
- Health and safety levels are on a downward slope in schools
Therefore parents believe that the only alternative is to send a child to a very expensive private school.
However, not all parents can afford high fees, thus the learner remains trapped in a school where his/her future is compromised due to mediocre pass marks at a school.
The Growth Institute deems that home schooling will play an increasingly important option to consider.
For years, parents believed that home schooling requires the parent to be an expert teacher. That is no longer the case.
According to the Growth Institute:
- Home school tutoring centres, being the subject expects, are designed to teach content. Parents, taking the responsibility to register the learner for home schooling, act in an oversight role to make sure that the learner does his/her assignments and study for exams or tests.
- Home school tutoring centres do not coach learners for an exam. Instead, centres are designed to transform learning into insights that will serve the learner well in the final exams.
- Home school tutoring centres have smaller class sizes (maximum 15 per class in some centres). Thus tutors, who are all experienced teachers, are able to spot and deal with issues quicker than is the case in mainstream schools.
- Home school tutoring centres have direct access to national support structures to effectively deal with administrative or learning issues
- Some home school tutoring centres run special sessions focusing on work readiness and tertiary education readiness so that learners know what to expect when they leave school
- Deliberate skills acquisition is a focus in home schooling tutoring centres. Learners are taught the think independently and to cope with situations.
The Growth Institute has made it clear that in the past, home schooling was considered an option for those who cannot cope with the mainstream.
This is no longer going to be the case. As the distrust in the public schooling system grows, parents will increasingly look for affordable alternatives.
* Growth Institute is a Specialist Education company specialising in Management Education, Skills Development and Enterprise Development.
