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 I was a certified regular school goer…. from those paint-in-my hands, sand-in-my-hair kindergarten days to the eleven years of grade school plus high school years where the orange and white plaid uniform was the only fashion statement to make. But I must say, those were some glorious years of learning and formation for me. I was a diligent student; I got the good grades; and I was proud to have learned from the best…that wonderful teacher I come home to after that tiring day at school…my mom. She’d tutor me, help me review, check my homework, and even fix my schoolbag (laziness on my part, yes) But she was just the best learning companion I ever had. Her patience and creativity rubbed off on me and I can proudly claim that I am what I am because of her.
This is the reason why I believe that parents could be the best educators that could influence our lives through and through… and no wonder why homeschooling is now a much embraced option for children’s education. A true testament to this “teaching and learning at home” would be The Master’s Academy (TMA), a world class Christian school founded by the Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF), and has been administering a homeschool program since 1999. With its DEPED accreditation and US partnerships, TMA is the first international homeschool in the Philippines.
TMA Managing Director Edric Mendoza admits, “Probably the most asked question about homeschooling is about the child’s socialization skills. Does he or she become  deprived of social interaction? No. In a regular school, children are grouped by age and are horizontally socialized with their classmates hence, limiting the opportunities to relate to older children and adults. At TMA, children socialize vertically and intermingle with people of all ages.” Edric’s wife Joy, who is also the daughter of CCF Senior Pastor and TMA founder Peter Tan-Chi, and along with her siblings are probably the most noted homeschool graduates in the country (known to have reaped awards in sports and in the academics during their high school and college years), currently homeschools her children. She shares, “At TMA, we hold monthly events not just to provide venues for socialization but to celebrate occasions where children share their God-given talents and life passions. We had a bazaar before where a 6-year old not only got to showcase her love for baking, but to tap into her entrepreneurial skills as well. And recently, we hosted an art exhibit which really was a tool to encourage excellence and healthy competition among them. Then we also have extra-curricular classes, which we call MAPE (Music, Arts, and Physical Education) that really help the children become well-rounded individuals.”
 Academic-wise, homeschooling can be the best educational system for a child. For one, a parent can custom-select the curriculum and method according to the child’s pace and even to his/her strength and weaknesses. “You know your child better than anyone else,” Joy says. “During the years when children learned how to walk, eat, or read, parents have already gained their children’s trust as being loving, compassionate teachers. The teacher-student relationship is intrinsic to the Dad/Mom-child relationship.” Homeschooling also affords a near ideal teacher-student ratio. Contrary to a regular school where there are 40-50 students to a teacher, at homeschooling, the child has as much as one-on-one time with their teachers (their parents). At the same time, the parents also get immediate feedback from that one-on-one time as to whether each of their children understands what they are learning. And according to Joy, “When it’s one-on-one, teaching and learning is so focused that you can accomplish so much in just an hour. Parents become really hands-on to their children’s education…in a way it helps them become more involved in their children’s lives.”
“But of course, it’s not really the academics that we focus on but it’s the learning environment that matters,” says Edric. “Homeschooling creates and reinforces the bond between family members… it is also the spiritual heritage that parents can pass on to their children and to guide them in internalizing Christian values. The homeschool curriculum is flexible and its coverage is determined by the best teachers available… the loving parents.”
Ready for homeschooling?
The Master's Academy Home School
3rd Floor St. Francis Building,
Bank Drive, Cor. Julia Vargas
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City 1550 |
