KNOWLEDGE LAB

‘Towards creating a more balanced and ‘wholistic’ education’

UNDERSTANDING HOME EDUCATION

Homeschooling is the future of education. It offers parents and students a variety
of affordable study options as well as flexibility. Students can study from home
and then meet the teachers at designated times for face-to-face lessons and
exams. This is making education cheaper and more accessible to students.
However, this is a very new and strange concept in Botswana for primary and
high school students. Nevertheless, this is the future of education as more and
more parents embrace the concept for the following reasons given below.

It is cheaper
In most cases, what a parent pays per student for one term in a private
International school is what they would pay for a year. The impact of this is that
now you can afford to give your child an international education. Many parents
who have been struggling to pay school fees can now relax and comfortably
afford to pay for the same education. All the student needs is a computer,
parent support and our support and the programme will run.

Education is individualised
A student studies at their own pace through written text, teaching videos,
illustrations and animations until the content is mastered. Studying individually
has a higher success rate than learning in a classroom with a group of students.
Students in a classroom have to maintain the same pace whether they grasp the
content or not because the teacher moves on to the next concept when the time
allocated is completed. If a student is slow, they are left behind; if a student is
fast, they have to wait for the others.
The students who are left behind have to go for further tuition lessons after
school or in the holidays to keep up with the class pace. This causes
discouragement in many students and the stigma of being ‘slow’ breaks down
the student’s self-esteem. In the long run, a student becomes disinterested in
academic studies and gives up hope of ever achieving their dreams. Studying
individually at one’s own pace, gives every student a chance to do their best and
achieve their goals and dreams.

Wholistic education – less time on academics

When a student studies individually, they generally cover more subject content
than they would have if learning in a group. What can be covered in two or
three days in one-on-one learning, would normally take one full week in a
classroom setting. This means that the parent or teacher who is working with the
student can have more time to engage a student in other non-academic
activities. Morning hours are usually enough to cover academic content which
frees up the afternoons for other activities such as: practical activities for better
understanding, field trips, art, music, drama, sports, cooking, apprenticeships,
information technology, library, and any other interests the student may have.
This creates a more balanced and wholistic education which every parent wants
for their child. Many parents today wish they had been given the opportunity to
develop their natural talents and interests when they were young rather than
trying to do it when they are adults. Today’s parents want more for their children
than just academic grades. Online basic education can be a solution for this
problem.
Wholistic education is a better way to prepare students for the future global
society which is already a reality for the current young generation. Many young
people today have multiple jobs and businesses which they operate to make
ends meet. Full-time jobs are less and less available in today’s economy.
Opportunities have to be created by offering a skill or service for a few hours to
clients. A student who has fully developed their natural gifts and talents by age
18, will always have clients who need their services, and with innovation and
creativity in marketing online, they can build future businesses.

Blended learning
Blended learning limits the amount of time a student spends on the screen.
Students do not spend the whole learning session looking at a screen. Rather, this
is combined with other off-line activities. In addition to the e-learning element, a
physical teacher or a parent is required to give learning support to the student
such as oral discussions, explaining concepts further, explaining
vocabulary/instructions, following the timetable, performing experiments,
guiding research, submitting assignments etc. The platform gives each student
assignments to complete after each module, practice questions, experiments and
exams which are done offline using workbooks and printouts. Thus, the learning
experience for the student alternates between reading on the screen, writing by
hand on the workbook or printout, and interacting with the physical teacher.
This experience is called blended learning.

Integration with other curricula

The curriculum gives the parent or teacher room to add on other subjects that
are beneficial for the individual student. The core subject requirements at the
primary level are maths, English and combined science. This leaves room for
adding other subjects like social studies or geography and history, religious
education, a language, art, music, IT and more.

The Botswana context

Homeschooling is definitely an emerging and viable option for the education
system in Botswana. Homeschooling, also known as home education, is the
education of students at home or various other places by a parent, facilitator,
tutor or online teacher. Homeschooling as we know it in today’s world is still very
new in Africa. It is practiced mostly by expatriates and the middle class in society
who would typically enroll their children in private schools. Although
homeschooling as a concept was practiced in Africa as the mainstream
traditional education system before the 1800s, it has now returned in a different
form to a different generation. The alternative, private schooling, is expensive.
Parents looking for an affordable, quality education settle on homeschooling
where they can control costs and maintain quality.
There are many motivations for parents wanting to homeschool their children –
typically this is due to an increased interest in getting more involved with the
student’s education. The above can also be a result of bullying, standards of local
curriculum, racism, lack of faith-led teaching, or not being able to cater for
students with special needs.
Homeschooling can include different methods of learning such as online learning,
outdoor lessons, self-directed learning, following specific curriculums. Knowledge
lab is a great option for children wishing to be homeschooled. Whether the child
will be studying at home with the support of a parent, or at a study centre with
the support of a tutor, we are here to support.
The core idea behind home-schooling is to tailor make the instruction to the
learning speed, and in the style, most appropriate for learners. Home schoolers
get the chance to explore a range of topics that might not be normally offered
until high school and/or university. They can study psychology in grade four, or
finance in form 1, while many home-school families do teach English, math,
science, and history, education is by no means limited just to those subjects.
Many parents seek out home-schooling because their kids need more one on one
attention. Home-schooling is often a great solution for kids who are advanced
learners, as well as kids who feel disengaged in school, bored by the curriculum,
or struggling with a learning disability. Unfortunately it is surrounded by many
myths and misconceptions. Defined as an instruction in an educational program
outside of established schools, home-schooled kids have the same access to online
learning, friendships, and extracurricular activities as the typical public school
student — but without many of the drawbacks, like standardized lesson plans
and bullying.
Currently, there are approximately two million children home schooled in the
United States – and that number is growing by about 10 percent per year.
Studies show that kids who are homeschooled perform well on standardized
tests, excel at Universities, become self-directed learners, and succeed as adult
employees. Parents are the first teachers; they provide the moral and social skills
necessary for a viable community. Studies have shown that when parents are
empowered then their offspring have a better chance of reaching their full
potential.
Following on the footsteps of global giants who have changed the course of
history, among them Sir Albert Einstein who is famous for the theory of relativity.
The Einstein’s could not afford to send their son to school and so homeschooled
him with the help of a medical student who tortured him in maths and science.
The list of homeschooled geniuses in politics, literature and entertainment
includes among other former President of America, Barack Obama, the 28th
President of America President Woodrow Wilson, famous novelist Agatha
Christie, famous poet William Yeats, musician Taylor Swift who was too shy to go
school and two tennis pros Venus and Serena Williams. The two sisters showed
promise at the game of tennis at a very early age, so their father decided to
homeschool them to fit their practice schedule into their education.
Homeschooling is the future. “Education is changing and soon the conventional
going to class and attending lessons is going to be obsolete. Homeschooling in
developing countries is predominant, parents use DIY approaches to teach -
anything to change the conventional style of teaching that is in public schools
really.
In as much as homeschooling seems to be a good idea it is not a one size fits all –
it is not for every parent, parents can get homeschooling training on how to
handle their student (child) even emotionally.
Embrace the global shift. This is the wave of the future.
Who is it designed for?

This model of learning is not for everyone. It is designed for the following group:
✓ Families who want their children to achieve a high degree of academic
excellence while strengthening and preserving their Christian and family
values throughout the academic experience.
✓ Parents looking for an affordable, quality education where they can
control costs and maintain quality.
✓ Parents who want to allocate enough time for students to learn essential
life skills and morals, develop gifts and talents, socialise, explore and
research interests, and to read widely.
✓ Families who would like their children to get private education without
having to hire a private tutor or without having to send them to a private
school.
 ✓ Families who prefer to homeschool their child without having to bear
responsibilities of managing the entire educational process.
✓ Families with children who need a little more teacher-student attention
and have not been able to get the help they need in a traditional
classroom.
✓ Students who want more time to pursue their God-given gifts.

Our Vision

• Create a more balanced and wholistic education – giving students the

opportunity to develop their natural talents and interests.
• Equipping and serving families in Botswana and abroad throughout
their homeschooling journey.
• Develop children academically, spiritually and morally, based on three
pillars: intellect, character, and spirituality.
• Develop international-mindedness and strong personal values.

Our Mission

Successfully educating and edifying students toward academic excellence,

spiritual maturity, and emotional wisdom, equipping and supporting parents in
their role as primary educators, with the ultimate goal of glorifying God and
advancing the kingdom of God.

Our Approach

✓ The goal of homeschooling is not just to provide an education adequate to

pass exams, but to fully develop the potential of every student to find their
passion and make a positive and unique contribution to society. Grades
are there as a guide to mastery of concepts but not to define who a
student is or what he/she will become in future. They don’t make or break
the life of a student.
✓ Teachers partner with parents to develop the whole child- academically,
spiritually, morally, emotionally and physically.
 ✓ Parents serve as co-teachers in specific roles ranging from direct instruction
to independent study monitoring, as specified by the instructor.
✓ Students are mostly encouraged to work independently, think and do
school exercises on their own, and seek for help when necessary.

Global giants who were homeschooled

Following on the footsteps of global giants who have changed the course of
history, among them Sir Albert Einstein who is famous for the theory of relativity.
The Einstein’s could not afford to send their son to school and so homeschooled
him with the help of a medical student who tortured him in maths and science.
The list of homeschooled geniuses in politics, literature and entertainment
includes among other former President of America, Barack Obama, the 28th
President of America President Woodrow Wilson, famous novelist Agatha
Christie, famous poet William Yeats, musician Taylor Swift who was too shy to go
school and two tennis pros Venus and Serena Williams. The two sisters showed
promise at the game of tennis at a very early age, so their father decided to
homeschool them to fit their practice schedule into their education.

For services, consultation, support and advice contact:

KNOWLEDGE LAB

# (Call/SMS) +267 74332739

#WhatsApp group link:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/Cz00KDafJNODGQ7UT0VQ2g
#Email: knowledgelab.bw@gmail.com

Education with a higher purpose!