The way we chose to educate our children is changing year upon year. Perhaps we can look back on the pandemic and realise that although pushed upon us due to circumstance, learning at home has become a more usual way to learn, compared to the years before.
The truth is, home schooling has been a reality for many families for countless years – it’s nothing new. For many children, home schooling is a much better option than going to a private or public school. It’s the personal choice of the parents over whether to home school their children or whether to send them to school itself and both options have their pros and cons.
If you’ve recently moved to Dubai and you’re looking for a school to send your child to, you’ll quickly realise that the choice is huge. Not only that, there are often waiting lists for places and that can mean that your child is missing out on valuable educational time while you wait for a place to become free. By choosing to home school, you can make sure that your child doesn’t miss out on any learning time while waiting for a place.
However, some parents don’t want to wait for a place because they prefer to home school on a long-term basis. If that’s your choice, you’ll find plenty of support in Dubai.
Home Schooling in Dubai
While home schooling may be the minority choice in many other countries around the world, it’s certainly not an unusual option either. Home schooling became the norm during the pandemic but it’s been the norm for many families for a long time, and something that many will continue to choose. It may also be that some children preferred the home schooling experience during pandemic lockdowns and requested to continue with this way of learning afterwards.
It’s true that home schooling isn’t for everyone but it’s a great choice for many. In Dubai, many families choose to home school their children and the Government actually offer a lot of support in terms of learning materials for families who choose to go down this route.
The home schooling in Dubai means that children will still need to register with a private school but can go through the home schooling route. This means they don’t need to attend regular classes but the Government will provide them with learning materials and books, making sure that they stay up to date with everything they need to learn.
Not all private schools participate in the home schooling system but there are many that do. Parents are required to sign a contract that sets out the amount of time the child is going to study at home and fees are agreed.
Of course, this isn’t the case if you’re currently waiting for a school place to arise. Many families move to Dubai for work and they haven’t yet decided on a school to send their children to or they’re waiting for a place to become free. In that case, you don’t need to register or sign a contract, and your child can continue to study at home until their place frees up and they can start attending regular classes.
The Advantages of Home Schooling
It’s easy to assume that by home schooling, your child is somehow missing out. That’s not necessarily the case.
Or sure, some children prefer to go to school and be sociable. But, home schooling doesn’t mean that your child has to miss out on the social elements of their childhood. In fact, one of the benefits of home schooling is the flexibility it provides to ensure they engage in social activities. By making sure that they get out and about and meet new people outside of their learning times, they won’t miss out on anything.
Home schooling is often a better choice for some families and some children prefer it because they’re not so confident in groups, or because they find that a one-to-one route suits them better.
For some, it’s more of a necessary thing and perhaps not totally down to choice. We mentioned earlier that finding a school place in Dubai isn’t the easiest thing if you want to make sure your child goes to a good school that suits their strengths. In that case, home schooling in the short-term means that they’re continuing to learn and that’s never a bad thing.
Home schooled children often become resilient and confident. It’s a very flexible way of learning that ensures that you can focus on your child’s individual strengths, while also dedicating plenty of time to their weaknesses. In schools, there is only one teacher and several children; while smaller class sizes can solve this problem, it still won’t be a replacement for one-to-one teaching. When a child has that direct teaching available to them, they’re more likely to become confident and face any challenges that greet them in overcoming weaknesses or problems.
Of course, you’ll also get to see your child growing in confidence and knowledge in front of your very eyes. This can be a huge satisfaction for a parent and will alleviate any worries you have about their progress. Their tutor will also be able to report directly to you about any problems that may arise, while also keeping you up to date with their successes on a regular basis.
Perhaps the biggest downside is the lack of interaction during the day, as obviously there are no other children around. The only way around this is to make sure that you take your child to extra-curricular activities, such as sports teams or help them to develop a hobby that involves other people. Then, they can combine their home schooling with socialisation and not miss out in any way.
How Can London Governess Help You on Your Home Schooling Journey?
Whether you’re moving to Dubai and you’re in the process of trying to find the right school or you want your child to be home schooled over the long-term, we can help you out.
Your child’s education is obviously paramount in your mind, and rightly so. When moving to a new area, let alone a new country, looking for the right school is probably second only to finding a house. It’s an extremely stressful thought because you want to make sure that your child doesn’t miss out on any precious educational time, but you also don’t want to jump into choosing a school that is perhaps not right for them. By waiting it out a little and taking your time, you’re cutting down on that possibility, but you may also risk them falling behind in their learning.
That’s where we come in.
Here at London Governess, we can match you up with the ideal governess for you and your child. Our governesses are highly trained, fully qualified teachers, and they have experience in travelling all over the world. As such, they have experience in different curriculums and methods of teaching.
A governess can home school your child until a place at the right school appears. Or, if you find that your child enjoys and prefers home schooling over the long-term, you can register with a private school and sign up for home schooling. Your governess can then tutor your child and support them through their educational journey.
Most schools in Dubai follow the UAE curriculum, however international schools follow either the US or UK curriculum, depending upon the school in question. However, the majority of schools also teach Arabic as a second language to all children. This can be a big challenge for children who have never heard the language before, but our highly experienced governesses are on hand to help ease the challenge and help your child to learn the language with confidence. Without a doubt, this will go a long way towards easing them into the country and will give them a lot more confidence when going out and about, as they learn more.
Home schooling may be something you’ve never tried before but our governesses will give you the confidence to realise that it can be a great choice. While it might not be something you choose for your child over the long-term, and maybe you want to wait for a place in a school, when it becomes free, but you can still make sure that your child doesn’t miss out on anything in the meantime – that’s sure to be one of your main concerns as a parent.
The Ins And Outs of Hiring a Governess
You may not really know what hiring a governess means and in that case, let’s give you a run-down.
We have a range of highly experienced and qualified governesses on our books. By contacting us and letting us know your specific needs, we will then set to work in finding the right professional for you. We have years of experience in this matching process and you can rest assured that you will be very happy with your final choice. Our governesses are all thoroughly checked before they’re even signed to our agency, so you have no worries about safety.
You can hire a governess to live with you or to work on a live-out basis. You can then set working hours and tell us what you would like your governess to do, e.g., home school. If that’s the case, we can set you up with a governess who is also a qualified teacher. Your can also specify any other areas of interest you want your child to focus on, such as sports, learning a musical instrument, learning a language, etc.
Many of our governesses have years of experience in travelling around the world and working for different families. We also have many governesses who have lived in Dubai for many years and understand the local area very well. This will help to ease you into your new life in the city, and help you to explore the local area and the spots of beauty outside of the main city itself.
When it comes to home schooling, you’ll no doubt want to make sure that your child socialises with other children too. That’s not a problem when you hire a governess. Outside of your child’s learning hours, your governess can accompany your child to the local park and other spots where they can socialise and play with other children. They can also take your child to sports games and any clubs that they want to try too.
If you need to travel anywhere, your governess will be able to travel with you, so your child remains in their route and doesn’t miss out on any of their schooling.
Of course, your governess will become almost like a part of the family. Your child will develop a close relationship with their governess and they will become a shoulder to learn upon. This is important when moving to a new place, especially a new country. As such, your child will become much more confident and able to thrive in their new location, without feeling like they need to push themselves out of their comfort zone in order to make new friends and feel like they belong.
Your child’s education is without a doubt one of the biggest priorities in your life. When you choose to home school with the help of a qualified governess, you’re putting their education first. For sure, you might choose to put them into school in the end, but in the interim period, you’re ensuring that their learning continues and they stay up to date with their peers.
You may also find that home schooling is such a success for your child that they want to stick with it over the long-term. In that case, your governess can help your child to hit their educational milestones and grow in confidence with every single success they achieve.
If you’re keen to learn more, don’t hesitate to contact us. We have years of experience in helping families to make moves such as this, while putting the needs of their child first.
