The title says "mother knows best" but
this article is about schooling - not the conventional one. It is about how some parents adopt different ways to educate their children.
From the article,
"People see their children suffering in various ways, bored with school, being bullied, insulted and demeaned by teachers. My feeling, based on my interaction with the online group over the past seven years, is that probably more people are turning to home education. I do know that about six people have joined the group every week—mostly those who are home-educating their children or are seeking the courage to do so."
"The Motwanis walk down to the Gateway of India every day. Whatever catches Mahuli’s (their four-and-a-half-year-old daughter) fancy becomes a lesson. A question on why the rocks are visible at certain times of the day and go underwater at others leads to a discussion on tides; an observation of various kinds of animal poop on the Colaba pavements triggers a conversation on scatology."
"It might seem ironical that a home-educated child would find it thrilling to top a competition—antithetical to the very concept of home schooling—but Nadisha (a home educated girl) is quick to point out her priority wasn’t so much to beat 175 others, as it was to give her best."
"Children need a sense of belonging. So, unless it becomes common enough in India, parents need to focus hard on peer interaction. In fact, I think the plus points of regular schools are the break-time or the bus journeys. Without adequate interaction with the outside world, there may be too much of the parents, even a danger of claustrophobia."
"It’s not for every child. Nor is it, obviously, for every parent. But for those for whom it works, it is the most meaningful thing in the world."
Links mentioned in the article
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