Vinod Tawde calls homeschooling illegal

Mumbai: Even as more and more parents in the city are getting attracted towards the concept of homeschooling, state education minister Vinod Tawde seems to have dampened their enthusiasm by stating that “homeschooling is illegal”.

“As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2010 it is illegal. How can you call it education when a student is made to sit at home?” said Mr Tawde on November 23 while speaking to The Asian Age.

However, parents and activists said the government’s stand is contrary to its own conduct as home-schooled children are allowed to appear for board examination and complete their education.

In homeschooling, the students complete their education at home, which is managed by their parents. From basic lessons, academics to social development of a child, everything is done at home.

Many parents are happy to teach their kids at home for their overall well being.

Rachel Xavier, a parent from Mulund, whose eight-year-old son is taught at home said that her son does all the things a ‘normal school-going kid does. “He goes with his friends, plays sports and mingles with friends and relatives,” she said.

“He does everything like other schools, except that he does not go to a regular school. How can the government term it illegal,” Ms Xavier added.

Manisha Jhakaria, another parent from Navi Mumbai said, “The government should look from fee hikes to safety concerns. If the government is calling homeschooling illegal, we too have our own side of the story.”

The RTE Act that came into effect on April 2010 makes it mandatory for every child from the age of 6 to 14 to be enrolled in a formal school. “Every student should be going to a formal school, if not then how is it education? At school, a student gets to interact with other students, friends and different people. This leads to the social and physical development of the child. We see homeschooling as an illegal activity,” Mr Tawde.

Kavita Aggarwal, chairperson of the members of international schools association (MISA) said that there is nothing right or wrong in homeschooling. “It is the parents’ individual choice. No university or college anywhere is going to ask a child if he did a formal school education or homeschooling. All that matters is a board certificate which states that he or she has successfully cleared class 10, 12 or graduated with so many marks,” Ms Aggarwal said.

However, Ms Aggarwal raised concerns about a child’s social and emotional development if taught at home. “A formal school has friendly environment, groups, visual and auditory learning which leads the child to a better future,” she said. Experts feel if the circumstance of a child needs him or her to stay at home then homeschooling is the best option. “Like for example if the child is sick or needs to purse a particular hobby like any sport, homeschooling is the best,” said Jayant Jain, president of Forum for Fairness in Education, Mumbai.

Taught at Home

• Malvika Joshi (17) from Mumbai is now studying at the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Sahal Kaushik (14) from Kanpur became the youngest ever to crack the IIT-JEE. Now, Sahal is heading to Stony Brook University in New York for his PhD.