Home or away?

Whether homeschooling is born out of desire or necessity, the legalities of it in Hong Kong remain sketchy. There is no lawful obligation for the parents of children up to six years old to enrol them in any school, but it is required by law to enrol after this age, says Ruth Benny, who runs Top Schools, a school placement advisory service. However, Ruth (and other homeschooling families) says that if a family can make a case for their child not attending formal school, then Hong Kong’s education board may show leniency and be able to make concessions. Each case, though, is highly individual.

One way to get around this is by opening a school. Sound like a stretch? Not to Peck Leng Chan-yeo. “I’m not an educator, I’m just a very passionate mum,” she says. Two years ago, Peck Leng decided to open Almitas Academy in a commercial building in North Point.

Peck Leng had homeschooled her two boys until the age of six, and saw them fourish. Her philosophy at home centred on whole learning, incorporating a sound academic base with a well-rounded character – beliefs that she brings to her new school, which will cater to children from Primary One through to Primary Five. Parents like Peck Leng who enjoy a high level of involvement in their children’s education, might fnd themselves sold on the school, which has just fnished accepting applications for Primary One. Small classes will enable an individualised curriculum suited to the needs of each child. School hours will be every afternoon from Tuesday to Friday, leaving time each morning for parents to bolster learning with a Christian-based curriculum from

an American educational products company called Accelerated Christian Education that is recommended by the school and is used by private schools and homeschoolers across the US. Peck Leng says many parents want more input into how their children are educated, but have little opportunity or experience, and don’t know how to start. She has plans to hold regular workshops for parents on educational strategy, which are included in the monthly fees to encourage attendance. “A lot of parents would like to be more involved in their child’s education, but they are scared,” she says.

Make learning fun

Homeschooling can be as loose or as structured as desired, thinks Sangeeta Soni, another mum who has homeschooled her three children to primary level. Her twins, she says proudly, have never been enrolled in kindergarten, and homeschooling hasn’t held her children back. Her eldest is now enrolled and happy in an ESF school.

Sangeeta says she started instructing phonics while her younger twins were still in highchairs “with their slushy food.” They now read a level above what’s considered usual for their age. But teaching has always been fun, says Sangeeta, who taught through games and around the subjects that her children were naturally curious about. “It’s not like we sat around a desk counting and chanting,” she says.

Supermarket trips were an ideal start for learning about countries of origin and even fag recognition, says Sangeeta, who suggests parents can use even an outing to the park as a jumping-of f point to educate. “If they’ve seen a frog in the park you can learn about life-cycles or habitats,” she says. Those who oppose

homeschooling worry that teaching at home stifes children’s social skills. Sangeeta admits that her children can be shy, but says it isn’t fair to blame that on homeschooling when, in fact, that could be their natural personalities. She also enrols her children in extracurricular

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