Do you think that the one-size-fits-all approach of teaching that’s applicable in public and private schools leaves your child wanting? This and other reasons may make you want to opt to homeschool your kid(s). You may wonder if homeschooling is legal in Nigeria. This article will answer your question and also provide you with actionable tips to help you if you decide to go ahead with homeschooling your child.
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Is Homeschooling Legal in Nigeria?
Homeschooling is not illegal in Nigeria, however, there are no rules or requirements on the subject matter. Simply put, no enactment, legislation, or law serves as a formal guideline for homeschooling in Nigeria.
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What is the Position of the Law on Homeschooling in Nigeria?
Unlike private and public schools that are duly recognized by enacted laws and legislation of Nigeria, homeschooling lacks formal guidelines that are to be abided by. The reason for the lack of a legal category for homeschooling in Nigeria is closely linked to the fact it has never been a traditional alternative to public or public schools. This does not mean homeschooling in Nigeria is illegal, however.
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What is Homeschooling and How Does it Work?
As the name implies, homeschooling is simply school at home. This method of education is quite flexible as a parent may choose teaching techniques, educational materials, and curricula best suited for their kids’ needs. Since there is a lack of formal curriculum for homeschooling in Nigeria, parents may have to design their own using resources from the library and the internet or get one from a public or private school around, if possible.
Homeschooling has no arbitrary method to do it as every family may adopt different methods. Some parents may choose to teach their kids by themselves while others might hire a tutor or sign their kids up for online classes. Whichever method parents choose for their child, both the child and the parent must be committed to homeschooling.
Several reasons motivate parents to decide to homeschool their kids. Below are some motivations for homeschooling:
- to provide religious or moral instruction
- Concern about the school environment (e.g. bullying)
- Dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available in the traditional schools
- The child has other special needs
- The child has a physical or mental health problem
- To provide more customized education to the child
- Less expensive than public or private schools
- Etc.
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How to Get Started With Homeschooling in Nigeria
If you are convinced you want to homeschool your child, there are some preparations to first put in place. The next paragraphs will discuss some easy steps to get you started.
The first thing you’d have to do as a parent opting to homeschool his or her child is to do some research. You would want to research methods to use to teach your child, determine what educational materials or curriculum to use, and weigh in the pros and cons of homeschooling. You should ask yourself if you’d be able to commit the time and energy required to homeschool and whether you have a working knowledge of the subjects you’ll be teaching your kid(s). This stage will allow you to appraise yourself to gauge if you’ll be comfortable with the responsibility of educating your child.
After you’ve done your preliminary research and you’re still convinced that you want to homeschool your child, the next step of the process is to create a budget. Although homeschooling can be less expensive than public and private schools, it’s essential to still plan your budget. You’d want to factor in the cost of the supplies you’d use to teach your kid(s) and extracurricular activities. You may also want to consider hiring a private tutor to teach your child in your stead or enrolling your kid in an online program. Doing this will let you know if the resources you have will be able to give your child a quality education.
The next and final step is to design a curriculum. Remember we earlier stated that there is a lack of formal curriculum for homeschooling in Nigeria. So, you’ll be solely responsible for designing the curriculum with which you’d want to teach your child. The internet might be a good place to start. Alternatively, you may approach the traditional schools and see if you’ll be able to get the curriculum for your child’s age and class. Thereafter, choose what textbooks, educational materials and methods you feel are best suited to your child’s unique needs. You wouldn’t want your child to lack quality education because s/he is homeschooled.
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Tips on Making a Workable Schedule for Your Child’s Homeschool
Now you’ve decided to go ahead and homeschool your kid, you’ll need to design a schedule that works for both you and your child. The first thing to do is to create a master schedule that will contain the outline of your homeschool days. Your master schedule should contain the time for actual academics, extracurricular activities and rest. You may plan your child’s homeschool lessons a week in advance or just go with the flow, taking each day as it comes. Ultimately, a master schedule will make sure you keep track of your homeschool.
To ensure that your child gets a well-rounded education from homeschooling, you should block out time for each subject. In doing so, you’ll be able to cover the educational materials and curriculum you designed. Just as it’s obtained in a traditional school setting, your homeschool should contain a timetable for the subjects your child takes daily or weekly.
The final thing to make your child’s homeschooling experience worthwhile is to create time for extracurricular activities. Remember, all work (academics) and not play (extracurricular activities) makes Jack (your kid) a dull boy (or girl). And since your child would likely be in isolation during the homeschooling time, extracurricular activities will keep him active. Try to allow your child to have an hour or two of extracurricular activity each day.
From this article, you’ve seen how homeschooling can help deliver customized education for your child, without having to spend so much. While it’s not expensive and allows you to bond well with your child, not every parent can homeschool due to the widespread illiteracy among adults, lack of time, or the parent’s lack of working knowledge of the subjects they’ll teach.