ONLINE EDUCATION | DIGITAL LEARNING | HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT

Why I Pulled My Daughter Out of a Reputed Conventional School?

From 51 students in a class to the freedom & flexibility of online learning

Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash

51 students and 1 class teacher teaching four subjects to the same class along with her other classes!

This was the state of the 5th grade classroom in a reputed Delhi Convent school my daughter was attending! Most of the craft assignments and project work was not done in the class, instead parents competed for the best prize behind the scenes — It was an open secret considering the way some of the projects looked on display. My daughter went there for a year before we pulled her out of the stagnant and overbearing system.

Why did I take my kid out of the conventional school system?

This is a question I keep getting asked everywhere we go. I encounter judgemental stares peppered with inquisitive doubts and some genuinely curious queries and interest. I feel the need to inform, enlighten and put forth my perspective on this decision. Also, to help parents who are in a similar predicament and are pondering over their choices.

Before I get cracking onto the reasons, I will share some background and context in which we made our decision.

This story is not a critique of our education system. I feel that India has a comparatively robust and affordable education system with good teachers and opportunities. However, I cannot give a stellar pat to the infrastructure and facilities because they are lacking in the majority of the schools. Money is not the real issue — it is the lack of civic sense and initiative in many places. Something I also feel is changing with the times.

Indian education system has lot of options. You have multiple education boards like State Boards, CBSE, IGSCE, ICSE and IB functioning alongside the National Institute of Open Schooling, progressive schooling and homeschooling.

My daughter had the fortune to start with the best of schools and facilities in Srinagar with a smart principal who emphasised a healthy teacher-student ratio, lively interaction and etiquettes and clean restrooms.

Since my husband’s job involves frequent transfers, we are forced to contend with schools nearby. Before the age of 7, my daughter had to change four schools, but all of them were brilliant schools.

Then COVID happened. My husband also got posted to a remote border location with no schools. We decided to join him since the whole world was in lockdown anyway. We were surrounded by beautiful mountains, springs, rabbits, mountains dogs, sheep and scenery, and my child was free to run, explore and learn.

Vignettes from our remote stay.

We were joined by 5 other families — all with kids around the same age (2–9 years). It was the best of times for us. I saw my kid learn and grow so much. She studied happily as she had the whole day free to play and engage with her friends.

I had done my research before coming and got all the books and material for 2nd-grade homeschooling. I had worked as a college lecturer before and have excelled in academics as well as extra-curriculars, so the task was not particularly challenging for me and besides I enjoyed it. We finished the syllabus quite easily. My daughter also picked up ukulele, painting and reading as hobbies.

After a year, I came across 21Kschool, an online school. They provided both IGSCE/Cambridge board and the CBSE board with NIOS affiliation in India with students and teachers from many countries.

I decided to get a demo and was satisfied. Every subject had three books — two textbooks and one workbook, and everything was couriered to us post admission. They also provide capstone classes with yoga, dance and arts as additional subjects. There were lots of hands-on activities, and with the ratio of one teacher for 18–20 kids, the classroom was very well managed. My daughter loved the teachers (7 teachers for 7 subjects) and her friends and was very active in the class.

The next year we got posted to Delhi, and under pressure from friends and family, we decided to put our kid in a regular and very established girl’s convent school nearby. Our daughter cleared the entrance exam with ease and was selected for admission.

I was gobsmacked to find out that her class had 51 students and one class teacher who taught 4 subjects! Not one but four subjects, and this was not kindergarten; this was 4th grade!

She didn’t get much free time either. She was exhausted by the time she came home and was left with no interest in self-study or hobbies. She didn’t complain, but she mentioned that there was a lot of bullying in class and teachers were on their mobiles in between the classes and didn’t entertain any queries. The system failed both the teachers and the students and was targetting only profit.

She was doing well academically and made good friends who are still in touch. She also handled the bullies, but she was definitely bothered by their language and behavior.

She was happier during school breaks and played around in the garden with our beagle and did a lot of gardening too. She enjoyed her summer breaks too with friends and family. But she had lost interest in books, reading and hobbies. Hardly any of her school friends came out to play in the evening. Most had tuition and sports classes or stayed indoors.

I realised that the system we had was not working. We are not helicopter parents, but we wanted our kid to be a kid again. To get that learning and growth mindset back again. Not to bog her down with timetables and schedules, but to provide the flexibility to decide her own priorities.

I know times are changing, but our sensibilities need not devolve into something disinterested and unfeeling like AI. Staying connected with life, nature, and being mindful has no alternatives.

Each child is different and so are the parents. In our context online school suited us the most.

There are a lot of pros with online school.

1. Flexibility of Schedules. There are morning and afternoon classes. We have chosen morning timings (0930–1330).

2. A lot of free time before and after the class to do yoga, study or pursue sports activities like golf in the morning and evening.

3. Choice of Syllabus. We chose the Indian CBSE board instead of IGCSE. The books used are either from Oxford or Cambridge publications. The entire kit of books and basic stationery is sent home after fee payment.

4. Location No Barrier. One can attend classes from any location, even while travelling. Many a times, our daughter has attended class from the car with special permission.

5. All activities are done in the class, and there are recordings to fall back on if a class is missed. The topics covered are mentioned for each class, and homework is also posted with links to upload the work.

6. Individual and group projects and IDP (interdisciplinary projects) assignments are given each semester. It helps the students think creatively and work on their problem-solving and presentation skills.

7. Exams are conducted online with the help of suitable software ensuring academic honestly and ease.

8. Sports Day, Arts Competition and various other events are conducted offline as well in all the major Indian cities and in some international cities with students, like Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.

9. Multiple excursions (in India and abroad), hikes and trips are conducted all year.

10. A lot of competitions and activities (Shark Tank, Model United Nations) are held every month.

11. Students and teachers are from all over India and abroad, so the interaction is very lively and informative and full of different perspectives.

Photo by CIMT HOOGHLY on Unsplash

Cons and how we overcome them.

1. Lack of Real-World Social Interaction and Outdoor Interaction — Planning outdoor activities and play interaction by way of sports and hobby classes. My daughter plays multiple sports and meets her friends daily during vacation time and regularly on the weekends. She has met her online schoolteachers and classmates during Sports Day and other offline activities. She has had overnight stays with her classmates from other cities that we have come to know and are familiar with.

2. Physical Strain of Sitting in Front of Computers and Screen Time —  We get time to practise yoga and exercise every day. And my daughter is not allowed to use the phone. She doesn’t ask for it either. It is not even a question in our household. Computational Thinking is one of the mandatory subjects in her school from grade 3 and she is proficient with computer usage.

Photo by Fajar Herlambang STUDIO on Unsplash

3. No Physical Teacher…How Do the Kids Follow Instruction and Maintain Discipline? There are only 20–22 students in a class, and the interaction is such that most are required to participate, and the answers are visible to all. The sense of responsibility and the need to perform somehow make sure that discipline is maintained. The teachers are also trained to handle errant students. They are sent to breakout rooms, and their issues are addressed. Technical problems and issues involving parents are solved in breakout rooms by the admin/tech team. The class is not disturbed. Parents can also request on-demand PTMs with individual teachers after school hours.

4. Online Schooling Requires Active Monitoring and Assistance by Parents. Perhaps in the junior classes, parents need to monitor the classes and help the children. However, later on they manage well on their own. As parents, we are involved even in the traditional school system. The same or perhaps lesser involvement is here, as the students have to complete all the activities themselves during class hours, including craft activities and projects.

I am not seeking any validation, for we, as parents, made a choice after discussing our options. I don’t know about the future but I do want to raise a kind and capable human being not just one who excels in the rat race.

If I had access to better schools with a healthy teacher-to-student ratio and some stability when it comes to our location, I would perhaps admit my child in there. However, a nomadic lifestyle and interest in sports and hobbies apart from academics make the online education system suitable for families like us.

I don’t think any kind of schooling guarantees excellence unless the required effort is put in, and that involves mindful involvement of both students and their parents. Every system has its own positives and negatives, and we must choose according to our priorities and requirements.

Sharing my referral code for checking out 21kschool here. We get fee benefits if someone joins using the code. But this article is not for this purpose!

[embed]#AnotherWay to School Today, learning feels balanced, meaningful, and truly aligned. Happy to share this experience forward. Experience it now…referral.21kschool.com

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