For Sharjah resident Tara, it was her daughter’s first report card that was the trigger to begin her homeschooling journey. Today, she homeschools all three of her children, who are 11, 8 and 3 years old.
“When my daughter attended kindergarten in school, I got a report card which was the complete opposite of what her real personality was,” she recalled. “In that instant I knew that she was not getting the attention that she requires at school.”
A teacher herself, Tara went through six months of rigorous training before quitting her job to focus on her children. “I know how the system works,” she said. “With 20 to 30 children in their classes, no teacher has the time to focus on each child.”
She said she designed the curriculum and tailored her approach to suit her children. “My son was a kinesthetic learner,” she said. “So basically he was someone who needed to be actively engaged in his learning. When learning the Math tables, he used the floor and wall. These were only possible because he was being homeschooled.”
Homeschooling has been increasing in popularity all over the world, according to Khalfan Belhoul the CEO of Dubai Future Foundation. In November 2024, during the opening of the Dubai Future Forum, he said:
“Before Covid, nearly three million children were homeschooled globally. In 2022, the US had 3.4 million homeschooled students, and in the UK, numbers rose by 34 per cent to around 100,000. The real total is probably even higher. By next year, outside school learning will reach five million students. This shift reflects a growing understanding that education is not one size fits all. The rise of online platforms, virtual classrooms and customised curriculums means that families now have more control over how, when and what their children learn.”
This popularity has also been reflected in the growing number of homeschoolers and their increasing support network. Aminah Cooper is the founder of Duneha network which offers homeschooling support to parents in Dubai.
An American expat, Aminah is a mother of five, all of whom were homeschooled and are now adults. She explained what Duneha does, “We have group functions with the help and support of families,” she said. “There are annual events like science exhibitions, book clubs, weekly or biweekly field trips and a lot of other activities.”
British expat Gill, who established and runs the Cave Homeschooling community, recently established a scouts program in the UAE to give the students more exposure. “It is a very inclusive program which is open to everyone,” she said. “Parents can volunteer and students can earn their badges. Recently, we had an activity where children wrote letters to Palestinian kids who were undergoing counseling in Egypt. Many of them were really sweet and heartwarming.”
The community also conducts hiking trips and clean up drives to ensure that students are connected to nature. Last week, the children hiked at Mushrif Park.
However, all parents unanimously agreed that there were many challenges on the homeschooling path. Gill shared how she was helping her 19-year-old son, who is now in university, through a PowerPoint presentation. “As a homeschooler, he never had to do a presentation,” she said. “No homeschooling parent has all the answers or skills figured out. We also learn as we go and that it why it is so important to have the support of a homeschooling community. Everyone learns from each other.”
Cave also runs a mentorship program for parents who are exploring the option for homeschooling and support them with resources.
For Tara, one of the biggest challenges is her children’s future education. “My daughter wants to get into culinary school,” she said. “We have already mapped out her path. She will write her GCSEs and then apply to a local culinary school.”
“However, my son wants to be an automotive engineer. We are Indians but I have heard that in India, if he wants to get into an engineering school, we have to provide the transcripts of all years of schooling. This is not possible for homeschooled children. There are several local universities as well which will not accept without transcripts. So we are still exploring other options.”
Gill clarified that future education is one of the key challenges when it comes to homeschooling. “It depends on which pathway the parent and student wants to follow,” she said. “For the UK curriculum, they can write their GCSE exams and get into a British university. For US universities as well, it is fairly easy. However, with local universities, it is a bit harder. We counsel each family and assist them with the pathway they want to follow.”
© Khaleej Times
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