Homeschooling in Tanzania

[Mlenge]

There is an urgent need for policies to allow for homeschooling in Tanzania. At the moment the legal and policy landscape does not provide for homeschooling. Now is the time.

EDIT 1: WHAT IS HOMESCHOOLING

Homeschooling - Wikipedia

During this time, American educational professionals Raymond and Dorothy Moore began to research the academic validity of the rapidly growing Early Childhood Education movement. This research included independent studies by other researchers and a review of over 8,000 studies bearing on early childhood education and the physical and mental development of children.[citation needed]

They asserted that formal schooling before ages 8–12 not only lacked the anticipated effectiveness, but also harmed children. The Moores published their view that formal schooling was damaging young children academically, socially, mentally, and even physiologically. The Moores presented evidence that childhood problems such as juvenile delinquency, nearsightedness, increased enrollment of students in special education classes and behavioral problems were the result of increasingly earlier enrollment of students.[15] The Moores cited studies demonstrating that orphans who were given surrogate mothers were measurably more intelligent, with superior long-term effects – even though the mothers were "mentally retarded teenagers" – and that illiterate tribal mothers in Africa produced children who were socially and emotionally more advanced than typical western children, "by western standards of measurement".[15]

Their primary assertion was that the bonds and emotional development made at home with parents during these years produced critical long-term results that were cut short by enrollment in schools, and could neither be replaced nor corrected in an institutional setting afterward.[15] Recognizing a necessity for early out-of-home care for some children, particularly special needs and impoverished children and children from exceptionally inferior homes[clarification needed], they maintained that the vast majority of children were far better situated at home, even with mediocre parents, than with the most gifted and motivated teachers in a school setting. They described the difference as follows: "This is like saying, if you can help a child by taking him off the cold street and housing him in a warm tent, then warm tents should be provided for all children – when obviously most children already have even more secure housing."[15]

News - Homeschooling Gains Popularity with Oregon Parents | Heartland Institute

“Research shows that homeschool kids are at least as good academically as public school kids,” Ray said, “The public schools have all government-certified teachers, and they spend $11,000 per year on each child. The homeschoolers do it with non-government-certified teachers and no tax dollars.
“The research shows, in study after study after study for 35 years now, homeschool kids do better academically than kids in public schools,” Ray said. “It’s not an attack on public schools.”

Homeschooling | education

Homeschooling, also called home education, educational method situated in the home rather than in an institution designed for that purpose. It is representative of a broad social movement of families, largely in Western societies, who believe that the education of children is, ultimately, the right of parents rather than a government. Beginning in the late 20th century, the homeschooling movement grew largely as a reaction against public school curricula among some groups.

EDIT 2: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HOMESCHOOLING

Benefits of Homeschooling – Classical Conversations

There are three benefits of homeschooling that really helped me enjoy my K-12 experience, and made it so I can emphatically say I am glad I was homeschooled. It provided me with the flexibility to pursue my interest, it taught me how to study, and it taught me how to socialize with others.

Our Experience with Homeschooling | Science Questions with Surprising Answers

For some background, both of us attended public school, but we have homeschooled each of our five children since birth. Although homeschooling has its challenges, we have generally loved homeschooling, have seen it bear wonderful fruit, and would recommend it to others. Using our experience with homeschooling as a basis, we will relate its: I. Benefits, II. Misconceptions, and III. Challenges, as well as IV. Our Approach

EDIT 3: FURTHER READINGS

Homeschooling 101
Homeschool Demographics

Can the poor citizens homeschool their children?
https://community.babycenter.com/post/a47468173/homeschooling_and_poverty

UNESCO and homeschooling
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001598/159851e.pdf

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

How will the general public of this country benefit from homeschooling ???
Last time i checked homeschooling was pointed out as one of the reason for the collapse of public education

 

[Mlenge]

How will the general public of this country benefit from homeschooling ???
Last time i checked homeschooling was pointed out as one of the reason for the collapse of public education

History shows many ways to acquire education:

1. Public Schools
2. Private Schools
3. Homeschooling
4. Apprenticeship

To mention a few.

Tanzania recognizes only the first two as the formal ways of getting education. That is serious omission of the Homeschooling option.

Homeschooling provides the best outcomes to the child, out of the first three options.

May you provide an example of where and why public schooling failed because of homeschooling? And why would you consider it a problem if more parents homeschooled their children instead of sending them to public schools?

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

History shows many ways to acquire education:

1. Public Schools
2. Private Schools
3. Homeschooling
4. Apprenticeship

History elsewhere, not in Tanzania.
If a multitude of Tanzanians cannot even afford to get enrolled for free education do you think homeschooling would be possible ?? Nevertheless, lets be realistic: If we want any radical change/a paradigm shift in education sector, it has to be for the common good. But unfortunately homeschooling would be for few elects born with silver spoon around neck, and a nation we cannot enact a legislation which would only benefit children of government bureaucrats.

May you provide an example of where and why public schooling failed because of homeschooling? And why would you consider it a problem if more parents homeschooled their children instead of sending them to public schools?

Twishenis as we know it, is form of homeschooling without a certificate.
It was a rampant, prevalent and a notorious practice in the 90's to the extent that even some college students had twisheni. Prof Peter Maina castigated the practice after conducting a massive reseach on its adverse effects on Education System in Tanzania, if i remember correctly it was in 1998. And he advised that this form of Homeschooling deviates from ordinary norms first hand. Teachers and Academics did not teach well and spend time in schools because they ran the Twishenis which provided them with a double income as compared to their ordinary payments. The end result was that public schooling became futile and useless.

There was a time, Ministry of Education issued a decree banning all sorts of homeschooling like Twishenis after understanding that it is a potential storm. With a shortage of expertise and a dire need for public education homeschooling would be a disastrous. And the elite class would neglect their responsibilities in Public Schools because their children are home schooled. This would wreak havoc my friend.

 

[Mlenge]

History elsewhere, not in Tanzania.
If a multitude of Tanzanians cannot even afford to get enrolled for free education do you think homeschooling would be possible ?? Nevertheless, lets be realistic: If we want any radical change/a paradigm shift in education sector, it has to be for the common good. But unfortunately homeschooling would be for few elects born with silver spoon around neck, and a nation we cannot enact a legislation which would only benefit children of government bureaucrats....
.

Let us extend the points you have raised:

1. Homeschooling will only benefit "the rich". So, let us banish homeschooling.

Would you ban private schools -- starting with international schools -- with blasphemous high tuition fees? Let us all remain with St. Kayumba schools, No? If one bans homeschooling because only the rich can afford it, then one also should ban private schools. You see, that is probably not a very good idea.

It is a misconception to consider homeschooling as only the preserve of the rich. Homeschooling is one of the best ways to break the poverty cycle ( Breaking the Poverty Cycle | Penniless Parenting ).

You cannot strengthen the weaker, by weakening the stronger, some folks would agree to that.

2. Banning Homeschooling is for public good.

This could not be farther from reality. Homeschool has many advantages over public school. Least of which, is, homeschooling saves the taxpayer money, (e.g., Homeschoolers Save Taxpayers $22 Billion Per Year ). Tanzania government spends a lot of money in the education sector. The money saved by having many children homeschooled would be used for other things of public good. That is not counting the long-term economic and social benefits emanating from having the children homeschooled.

3. Homeschooling is the enemy of public schools (using tuition centres as homeschooling-exemplars)
Problems within the public education inflict more damage to the public schools more than taking the children out of the school to unschool them with home-based education can do.

In old times (yeah!) it was prestigious to go to a public secondary school (amepasi!!). Private schools were seen as a haven of 'failures' who could not make the cut with the prestigious public schools. Then something happened: in recent years children who get selected to join public secondary schools, some of them shun the selection and go to private schools. Going to public schools may raise more queries than going to private school. Nothing to do with homeschooling.

The republic have now seen the need for recognizing the different ways of acquiring education ( http://www.iae.ac.tz/list-of-registered-open-schools/ ).

All what is missing is going the next step of allowing homeschooling; homeschools sans intrusive regulations.

 

[Mlenge]

Mheshimiwa Profesa Kishimba, Mbunge. Kimsingi anachokielezea Mheshimiwa Profesa Kishimba (MB) ni kuwepo kwa hitaji la kuwepo kwa the homeschooling option, pamoja na apprenticeship.

 

[TUJITEGEMEE]

Mheshimiwa Profesa Kishimba (MB)

Anastahili kuitwa Profesa. Mh. Kishimba ni intelligent na anajua kujenga hoja kwani ana uzoefu wa kutosha wa jamii zetu za kitanzania.Nimeshangazwa na baadhi ya wabunge kuona hoja za Mh. Kishimba ni vichekesho.

 

[TUJITEGEMEE]

Back to the topic:
Questions to 'mleta hoja':
1.What does homeschooling really mean!?
2. Does it involves keeping your kids home and contract (in monetary terms) teachers of maths, reading, writing, etc to come home teach your kind based on the timetable you have set (i.e. you act as an administrator of homeschool,uh!)?
3. How does it really operate; who regulate and check the quality and standard of the eduction offered to the kids in this form of schooling?

I have many questions; but open my mind by answering these questions first.

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

Let us extend the points you have raised:

1. Homeschooling will only benefit "the rich". So, let it banish homeschooling.

Would you ban private schools -- starting with international schools -- with blasphemous high tuition fees? Let us all remain with St. Kayumba schools, No? If one bans homeschooling because only the rich can afford it, then one also should ban private schools. You see, that is probably not a very good idea.

It is a misconception to consider homeschooling as only the preserve of the rich. Homeschooling is one of the best ways to break the poverty cycle ( Breaking the Poverty Cycle | Penniless Parenting ).

You cannot strengthen the weaker, by weakening the stronger, some folks would agree to that.

2. Banning Homeschooling is for public good.

This could not be farther from reality. Homeschool has many advantages over public school. Least of which, is, homeschooling saves the taxpayer money, (e.g., Homeschoolers Save Taxpayers $22 Billion Per Year ). Tanzania government spends a lot of money in the education sector. The money saved by having many children homeschooled would be used for other things of public good. That is not counting the long-term economic and social benefits emanating from having the children homeschooled.

3. Homeschooling (using tuition centres as homeschooling-exemplars) is the enemy of public school
Problems within the public education inflict more damage to the public schools more than taking the children out of the school to unschool them with home-based education can do.

In old times (yeah!) it was prestigious to go to a public secondary school (amepasi!!). Private schools were seen as a haven of 'failures' who could not make the cut with the prestigious public schools. Then something happened: in recent years children who get selected to join public secondary schools, some of them shun the selection and go to private schools. Going to public schools may raise more queries than going to private school. Nothing to do with homeschooling.

The republic have now recognized the need for recognizing the different ways of acquiring education ( http://www.iae.ac.tz/list-of-registered-open-schools/ ).

All what is missing is going the next step of allowing homeschooling, homeschools sans intrusive regulations.

England is planning to obliterate the Private Schooling System. No endowments no, Nothing: Know the reason why ???

 

[Mlenge]

Anastahili kuitwa Profesa. Mh. Kishimba ni intelligent na anajua kujenga hoja kwani ana uzoefu wa kutosha wa jamii zetu za kitanzania.Nimeshangazwa na baadhi ya wabunge kuona hoja za Mh. Kishimba ni vichekesho.

Nitafurahi siku moja kusikia Mhe. Kishimba amepewa dhamana ya ngazi ya uwaziri.

 

[Mlenge]

Back to the topic:
Questions to 'mleta hoja':
1.What does homeschooling really mean!?
2. Does it involves keeping your kids home and contract (in monetary terms) teachers of maths, reading, writing, etc to come home teach your kind based on the timetable you have set (i.e. you act as an administrator of homeschool,uh!)?
3. How does it really operate; who regulate and check the quality and standard of the eduction offered to the kids in this form of schooling?

I have many questions; but open my mind by answering these questions first.

These questions require in-depth replies. But before that, may you enlighten us what is school; and for that matter, what is education?: at least for the purpose of this discussion.

 

[Mlenge]

England is planning to obliterate the Private Schooling System. No endowments no, Nothing: Know the reason why ???

Kiongozi Malcom Lumumba ,

I am not privy to those happenings, as they pertain to the fiscal policies of England, from the public coffers to the private schools.

Obviously, it is a matter of conjecture: may be the England governors are not really interested in spending public moneys in private schools? Or may be the public money comes with strings attached, and the private schools do not like it, and have refused to bite the bait? Or, is it that England is in financial doldrums, and cutting-off financing to private schools is a low-hanging fruit in the austerity measures? The possibilities are endless.

But how is that related to the homeschooling option?

 

[TUJITEGEMEE]

These questions require in-depth replies. But before that, may you enlighten us what is school; and for that matter, what is education?: at least for the purpose of this discussion.

Before 'googling'
----
In layman manner, As I am:
1. School is a place or interface where a learner and trainer( wether physical or virtual) meet to exchange information by means of communication, usually the flow is from trainer to learner.
2. Education is a an infinite package in the form of information and acts recieved by learners from a number of trainers.
====
After 'googling'
----
School definition is -1. an organization that provides instruction, 2. place where children go to be educated

Education is 1. the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits;
2. the process of teaching or learning, especially in a school or college, or the knowledge that you get from this; 3. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself
*******
I am sure we are not trying to confuse each other. However, thank you for this valuable question.

 

[Mlenge]

...
----
School definition is -1. ... 2. place where children go to be educated

Education is 1. ..; 2...; 3. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself
...

School. n. A place where children go to be educated.
Education. The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself.

From the definitions above that you provided, when combined, can read:

School is a place where children go to acquire education, i.e., general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgement, and generally preparing oneself.

It follows that,
Homeschool is a home whose children stay to acquire education, that is, general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgement, and generally preparing oneself.