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Weighing up the options of homeschooling

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PROS

One-on-one tuition

At home your child gets the time and attention he needs from his "teacher" and can prgress at his own pace. This private tuition usually enables children to get a better quality education than might be possible in a school. 

Special needs catered for 

If your child has special needs, as a homeschooling parent you can tailor make learning to suit your child. Similarly, if your child is gifted, he gets special attention. 

Felxibility, free time

At primary school level, you can get the school day done in two to three hours and at high school level about three to four should be enough for formal academic activities. This leaves a lot of time for flexibility and spontaneous outings, many of which are also learning activities that develop a child's experience. Many high school homeschoolers start home businesses or apprenticeships while completing their education. 

No bullies?

While keeping your child at home might protect him from playground bullies, Dr Tamara Boers, a child psychiatrist, cautions that this does not solve the problem. When bullying is dealt with effectively, children are presented with a valuable opportunity to learn prosocial skills. She notes that "bullying is no longer limited to the playground and with modern technology, cyberbullying will reach your child in the home." The same can be said for other social "evils" such as sex, drugs and alcohol. Hiding your children away from them won't make them go away. 

CONS

Socialisation

While many might argue that homeschooling doesn't affect a child's socialisation whatsoever, even sugesting that it improves it as children who are homeschooled exposed to a range of people and age groups- especially adults who they can learn from- Dr Beers has her concerns. "Education involves more than just academics. Reasearch has shown that socialisation is among the most complex humna skills learnt. School environments are generally designed to teach much more than academics and learning how to interact with socially is just as important as academics," she says. "It teaches children how to be a part of community and behave appropriately."

Pressure on the parents

Being your child'd parent and teacher is a huge responsibility and could be quite stressful for parents. "Multiple 

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