Nowadays, a growing number of Filipino parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are choosing homeschool setup for their children.
According to iCademy Middle East, there are now over 600 children of various nationalities enrolled in home-based school setup, of which 70 percent are in the UAE.
Cody Claver, General Manager of iCademy Middle East, said many of these students are athletes who need flexible time for their sports training while also learning academics.
“We’re seeing a number of athletes and performers who are coming to our school because they need flexibility within their daily schedule,” Claver told ABS-CBN News Middle East News Bureau.
Homeschooling is practiced by many parents around the world, where in they educate their children at home instead of sending them to a traditional public or private school. But it still follows a particular curriculum.
The Internet enables this setup become easier and more effective but it’s not the primary reason for Filipino families who reside in the UAE.
For Ani Mary Grace Vega, homeschooling was the last option she had in mind for her 5-year-old son Dreo. However, there is no Filipino school in Fujairah.
“Last choice ko po talaga ‘yung pagho-homeschool, kasi pahirapan pumasok ng school sa Fujairah and walang Filipino school doon, which is gusto ko sana Filipino school ang mapasukan ng anak ko,” Vega said.
Malou Nicdao, another Filipina parent said, “We homeschool dahil sa health condition ni Kyle, dahil hindi siya puwedeng ipasok sa traditional school dahil mahina ‘yung immune system niya.”
According to Isabelle Gallagher, General Manager of Homeschool Global Middle East, another reason for the growing number of homeschoolers nowadays is that parents are able to gauge the phase of the children’s learning capabilities, and to have more quality time with them to develop closer relationships.
“They’re able to give their child a one-on-one focus, the attention, they’re able to educate their child according to the child’s phase, the child’s interest and passion,” Gallagher told the report.
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