Parent Guide to Getting Started with Homeschool in India: Everything You Need to Know

Planning to homeschool a child, but not sure how to go about it?

Well!

Congratulations on considering the most futuristic educational choice for your child!

And be assured that you are one among the many PROGRESSIVE PARENTS seeking information on this brilliant schooling alternative!

At K8 School we are committed to offering the best possible handholding to the Indian parent community. So be with us to explore answers to all your puzzling questions related to home education or online homeschooling.

This homeschool guide will include:

• • History of home education

• • All details about the legitimacy of homeschooling in India

• • Practical challenges faced by parents during the process

• • Pros and cons of homeschooling

• • Most convenient homeschooling curriculum/options

• • Tips to homeschool a child

Let’s get started!

What is Homeschooling in India?

Home-based education is an age-old concept wherein a child completes school education at home, without visiting a brick-and-mortar institution. From the Vedic Gurukuls (1500 to 800 BC) to customizing a child’s education at home, this choice has always existed in India. During the global pandemic, this paradigm made a powerful comeback. But again, our Indian stakeholders lacked preparedness. And the process of educating a child at home had a set of unique challenges.  

After a long phase of pandemic schooling, home education eventually retained its status in the form of online programs (offered by accredited online schools) and parent-led homeschooling (without the support of an institution).

But there is still ambiguity about its legitimacy aspects. Let’s try and figure it out!

Suggested Read:- What is Homeschooling? – Is Homeschooling Allowed in India?

Home Education: The Legal Aspects

RTE 2009

In India, the most important constitutional act related to education is the RTE 2009 (Right to Education enshrined in the Indian Constitution’s Article 21). Broadly, this act safeguards a child’s right to education. And in this way, our government acknowledges every child’s right to education in the most important initial stages of schooling.

While the RTE does not mention anything categorically about educational alternatives (like homeschooling), it does not condemn any such choices either. A leading journal highlights that home education (or an online homeschool program) does not violate the RTE.

Public Interest Litigation (Delhi High Court) 2009

Basic education is a child’s right acknowledged in the RTE. However, there is no clear mention of home education in the clauses of the RTE. In 2009, this concern (ambiguity about homeschooling) was raised through a PIL before the Delhi High Court. This PIL requested an amendment to the RTE Act. In response, the High Court division bench dismissed this PIL. And the petitioners were asked to make a representation to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

Finally, the MHRD filed an affidavit that stated its vision for home education. According to this affidavit, homeschooling is not an illegal option. Because it is not interrupted by the RTE clauses in any way.

In the absence of a crystal clear policy, this choice is mostly subject to the family’s preferences.

But how viable or convenient is it to homeschool a child in India?

Read on to find all your answers!

How Does Homeschooling Work in the Mainstream Indian Schooling System?

Open Learning System (National Institute of Open Schooling)

To materialize the idea of universalization of education, the Indian Ministry of Education introduced an open school in the year 1989. By the official numbers, this choice of home education served 4.13 million students in 5 years.

Below is a glimpse of some enrolment trends procured through the NIOS website.

Year	Total Students
13- 14	521410
14- 15	489559
15-16	500784

Indian students can also opt for Cambridge exams as private candidates (with a limited number of syllabus options). This is another way of following a homeschooling curriculum.

International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)

State Boards and Government Initiatives

The best examples of legitimate home education in this homeschool guide are Maharashtra’s ‘Open Educational Board’ (from January 2019) and the capital’s ‘Delhi Model Virtual School’ (from August 2022). With these state-level options, students need not visit a physical campus each day only to attend a school.

With a plethora of choices, Indian students are readily opting out of the traditional schooling patterns. In the upcoming section, we will discuss some reasons behind the popularity of educational alternatives.

Why is Homeschooling a Popular Choice in the Post-Pandemic Era?

• • Addresses accessibility issues (For example- facilities in remote areas)

• • Resolves teacher quality concerns

• • Supports the learning of disabled students

• • Reduces chances of bullying and harassment, etc.

• • A safe haven for victims of school violence

• • Brings down the overall costs of education

• • Helps to maintain gender parity

• • Makes world-class education feasible in the Indian setting

What are the Challenges Faced During Parent-Led Homeschooling?

Creating and Maintaining a Structure

Let’s face it!

Even when parents know what is homeschooling, it is not easy for them to create a replica of a full-fledged school at home. A school includes a curriculum, teachers, a schedule, set of activities (planned for students) over and above a host of miscellaneous tasks (like co-curricular activities, PTMs, and excursions, etc.). Managing all this without an institution or proper guidance is certainly impossible for most parents.

Social Isolation

Following a home schooling curriculum without the support of an institution deprives a child/student of the opportunity to socialize with like-minded peers. As the sole responsibility of creating alternative socialization opportunities lies with the parents, it often adds more responsibility making them more anxious and stressed out.

Meeting Educational Standards

With a literacy rate of only 76.3%, several Indian parents can feel overwhelmed while homeschooling a child. To most, balancing work and family is a big concern. And it further gets aggravated because of their mediocre or sub-standard teaching skills.

Please refer to the synopsis below for the gender-wise literacy trends in India.

Year	Overall	Men	Women
2001	61.10%	73.41%	47.84%
2006	62.75%	75.19%	50.82%
2022	76.30%	83.45%	69.10%

Pro and Cons of Homeschooling- A Nutshell

Pros	Cons
Flexibility	Added responsibilities for parents
Less academic pressure	Limited socialization
Tailored learning	Problems related to the transition to higher educational institutions
Cost-effective	Limited access to facilities like playgrounds, libraries, school labs, etc.
More time for hobbies

Getting Started – How to Create a Seamless Homeschooling Experience

Enrolling in an Accredited Online School

Most home schooling options lack a certain level of structure and teacher handholding. To fill these voids, the concept of 100% online schools (with proper accreditation) was introduced to the Indian audience by K8 School.

An accredited online institution like K8 School is as good as a traditional school in India. It conducts virtual classes throughout the academic year. Parents can keep all worries like procuring a curriculum, teaching the child at home, arranging for a private tutor, and monitoring progress at bay. K8 School takes care of all this and it offers much more than this!

Reach out to our academic specialists to compare the choices of home education with our online school programs. Before we wrap up, here’s a look at some tips.

Quick Tips for Homeschoolers and Stakeholders in India

• • Research the options of transition to higher education institutions while opting for home education at the secondary and higher secondary levels.

• • Understand what is homeschooling and compare other options like an online homeschool program before making a final decision.

• • Join homeschooling communities to minimize any struggles in isolation.

• • Gauge the child’s learning style well.

• • Be open to changes to improve the overall experience.

Final Thoughts

We hope you are now clear about all aspects of parent-led homeschooling, online schooling, and the difference between these two. Delve deeper into home education by following our blog page, and keep learning about the new choices to make an informed decision for your child!

K8 School is dedicated to the greater good of Indian students and the parent community. Please feel free to connect with us to know more about practical educational alternatives for your child.

Thanks for Reading!  

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