Home-schooling: Is this trend here to stay?

Home-schooling starts with a decision by the parents not to admit their child in a school, but to conduct education privately from home till whatever level the parents or the student want. In the backdrop of COVID-19 and the online learning boom, home-schooling is catching on in India, as well as in the rest of the world.  

Where is home-schooling most popular?  
According to The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) report 2020, USA has the highest number of homeschoolers, followed by UK. By the end of 2019, USA had an estimated 2.5 million kids under the homeschooling system, as the report said. As for the UK, between 2015 - 2018, homeschooling numbers shot up by 40%. In India, homeschooling has just begun, so we are listed under HSLDA too.  

Why did the home-schooling trend start in India? 
Keeping the pandemic in mind, safety was of course an immediate reason for many parents whose kids are about to begin or end school. Pre-schoolers started learning at home through courses instead of enrolling anywhere, while teens finishing high school chose to drop a year and study skill-based courses, travel if possible, and even explore an existing skill. Home-schooling is also a cheaper option for many parents. The online and hybrid class boom is another reason for this trend. These courses are cheaper and often better than traditional classroom teaching.  

Challenges to home-schooling in India  
The major challenge facing home-schooled students in India currently concerns admission to Indian institutes for higher studies. While no university can legally bar a home-schooled student, most universities prefer kids from Indian boards. Home-schooled kids appear for board exams either under the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), managed by the Indian government, or they obtain the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). While the latter is prized in foreign universities, Indian institutes are still not too eager to accept it. And going abroad after home-schooling is not a viable financial option for many Indian students.  

Nevertheless, the trend continues to grow in India, as proved by laws passed in Maharashtra and Karnataka declaring home-schooling as legal. Now the pandemic will probably escalate policies accepting home-schooled kids in most Indian universities.