Mum Is My Teacher

Instead of going to primary school like their peers, a small group of Singapore kids spend their days being schooled at home by their mothers. Why do they choose this unconventional route? We ask four families.

- Venessa Lee

Jedidiah Eo, eight, has been learning Latin and the history of the Magna Carta. These subjects – as well as others he takes, such as geography and science – are not part of the syllabus for pupils his age, who are in Primary 2 in mainstream schools.

They are part of his Classical Conversations homeschooling curriculum, which aims to develop a love of learning through a Christian worldview. It is one of several curricula, including the Ministry of Education (MOE) syllabus, which his mother, Elaine Eo, 40, has been using to homeschool her son since he was 2 1 / 2.

His sister Sarah, six, is also homeschooled; and their youngest sibling, Hannah, three, joins in where she can – for example, in their daily reading sessions.

Homeschooling encompasses a wide range of philosophies and educational approaches. Besides parents who adhere to the MOE curriculum, there are families who follow other structured curricula or a mix of educational approaches. Some of them practise “unschooling”, which is driven by the children’s interests.

Yet others subscribe to 19th-century British educator Charlotte Mason’s method, which includes learning through “living books”, quality literature where the author is passionate about the subject; as well as an emphasis on nature and the outdoors.

Jedidiah and Sarah’s homeschool routine starts at about 9am – they do chores such as making their beds and sweeping the floor, which Elaine says is part of contributing to their household.

This is usually followed by an hour of desk work and two hours of reading in a group, in both English and Mandarin. The children then help with lunch by laying the table or cutting vegetables.