Why homeschooling is bound to rise
SOME STUDENTS ARE SUITED FOR TAILORED LEARNING, FORUM IN DUBAI TOLD
Reason: Some kids do not feel comfortable in the classroom
We [schools] also need to think about what the child wants to learn and when he or she wants to learn. But no one does that; we’re just administrating tests and finding the ‘fault’ within the child.”
Pramod Mahajan | Principal and director of Sharjah Indian School
Our goal for education is to become the profession of the future, produce change, reshape conceptions, build-up the minds of the youth on the basis of modern technology.”
Dr Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Shaikh | Saudi Arabia’s education minister
Homeschooling is rising in popularity, especially among students with niche interests or needs, UAE school principals told the GESS (Global Educational Supplies and Solutions) Dubai conference yesterday.
Speaking during a panel discussion on homeschooling, principals said some children, such as those with special educational needs or “hyperactive” learners, do not feel as comfortable in the classroom.
“I’m sorry to say this but many schools shrug away children with special needs … Homeschooling is going to go way ahead,” said Dr Thakur Mulchandani, director and principal of Sunrise English Private School, Abu Dhabi.
Factory of marks
Other children, who excel in certain subjects, sports or arts, feel unmotivated at school, which has become “a factory of marks”, said Pramod Mahajan, principal and director of Sharjah Indian School.
“We [schools] also need to think about what the child wants to learn and when he or she wants to learn. But no one does that; we’re just administrating tests and finding the ‘fault’ within the child,” he said.
Mahajan praised Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) for “granting licensing for homeschooling” and rejected the idea that homeschooling makes children less social.
Mulchandani agreed that “learning doesn’t happen inside four walls”, saying homeschooling, as well as outdoor activities, will have “a big say in education in the coming years … it won’t replace schools but a massive number of students will opt for homeschooling”.
The session included panellist Pratima Sinha, CEO of DSR Educational Society (India) and was moderated by Husien Dohadwalla, academic director at Fazlani L’Academie Globale (India).
High-profile show
GESS is now in its 13th edition in Dubai. Among the highprofile guests who attended the opening were Dr Majid Bin Ali Al Nuaimi, education minister of Bahrain; Tarek Shawki, education minister of Egypt; and Dr Damir Sehovic education minister of Montenegro.
Addressing GESS Dubai, Saudi education minister Dr Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Shaikh said there is a special focus on education in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. “Our goal for education is to become the profession of the future, produce change, reshape conceptions, build-up the minds of the youth on the basis of modern technology,” he said.
Gerd Leonhard, CEO of The Futures Agency, in his keynote, talked about technology and humanity. “Our biggest challenge is not that the machines will take over, but that we become too much like them … Invest as much in humanity as you invest in technology,” he said.
Matt Thompson, project director, Tarsus, organisers of the event, said: “GESS, a UAE based brand, has become so successful that we’ve expanded it to key education markets around the world.”