Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Cost of Education

If you would ask any parent who's sending their children to a private school to name one common worry they have when it comes to education? I think, the answer would be the rising cost of tuition fees (plus other additional expenses).

Though we all want the best for our children, the issue on education cost is a fact that us parents need to deal with. Knowing that we can't really compromise cost over quality and vice-versa. We make sure that every centavo is well spent for the benefit of our child.

Below is an excerpt from an article in www.smartparenting.com.ph

A comparison chart of current tuition fees in Metro Manila.
http://www.smartparenting.com.ph/home-living/moneywise/Tuition-Fees-for-Nursery--Kindergarten--Prep-and-Grade-1-across-10-Schools
Having seen this sky high cost of tuition fees. I decided to do a little research on alternative form of education which is readily available, will provide our children with a type of education that is best suited for them, and at a reasonable cost.

The answer: home schooling.

Question: What exactly is home schooling and how does it work?

Answer:
Home schooling means learning outside of the public or private school environment.  The word "home" is not really accurate, and neither is "school." For most families, their "schooling" involves being out and about each day, learning from the rich resources available in their community, environment, and through interactions with other families who home school.

Essentially, home schooling involves a commitment by a parent or guardian to oversees their child or teen's educational development. There are almost two million home schoolers in this country.

SOURCE: http://school.familyeducation.com/home-schooling/alternative-education/41106.html
 

I'm sure that you already have a long list of question about home schooling. And here's what I got so far.

What Are Some Advantages?
Kids who are home schooled may benefit from the one-on-one attention. For instance, if you don't understand something in math, the whole class won't be moving on without you. You might be the whole class! It's also possible that you might learn more than you would in a regular classroom, because if you really excel at something, you can keep learning more at your own pace.

Kids who are home schooled also may get out in their communities more than other kids. They may get to experience hands-on education at museums, libraries, businesses, marinas, and other community resources. They also might volunteer or participate in "service learning" where they take on local projects.

What Are the Disadvantages?
People disagree about how much formal education a person needs to be a good teacher. Not all parents and home school tutors have gone to school to learn to teach or to learn the subject they are teaching. If a parent is well educated, he or she may understand some subjects really well but others not as well. For instance, a kid's mom may be great at chemistry but not as good at English.

To be fair, not all schoolteachers are experts in their fields either. And tutors may be used for subjects the parent isn't skilled in. If a home school parent or tutor doesn't know something or can't fully explain it, the instructor and student can always research the issue together. A local library, university, community college, or the Internet may have the answers...
( read more @ http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/homeschool.html#)

How about home schooling here in the Philippines?

Catholic Filipino Academy
(www.catholicfilipinoacademy.com)
A Catholic home school in the Philippines

http://bosanchez.ph/catholic-filipino-academy/
And the tuition fee cost of CFA school?

http://bosanchez.ph/catholic-filipino-academy
Please take note that this post is not entirely proposing that we should shift to home schooling just because it appears "cheaper".

There are other important factors to consider before deciding to home school your children.

Home schooling is not just a trend nor a convenient excuse to minimize the education expense. Parents who chose to home school their children have attended orientation/seminars, and there are others who have even undergone training.

The opportunity that we provide to our children to be educated is the best gift we could ever give them. Whether we send them to a regular school or they are home schooled, the task is no walk in the park. But with our sheer determination in helping and guiding our children to succeed, there is no doubt that they can maximize their God-given talents and become productive citizens of our society.

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Other than the cost of sending our children to school, there are others factors that we encounter as parents. There is the issue of bullying, peer pressure, health conditions (especially for young learners), and the list goes on.

As a parent/s, do you consider homeschooling to be as effective as traditional school? Any thoughts?
*****
Post Script::
For an updated information and details regarding CFA (CATHOLIC FILIPINO ACADEMY), please check on their website (http://catholicfilipinoacademy.com/).

Lastly, to know more about home schooling in the Philippines, check out the following link:
http://hapihomeschooler.com/about-hapi/hapi-members-affiliates/

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