The Future of Education: Traditional School vs Home-based learning

The methods of learning today have undergone significant changes from when formal education first began. While many parents still prefer traditional learning for their children, homeschooling has its own merits and is widely practised in countries like the US, Australia, UK, Japan and Russia. The newest entrant is home-based learning or online learning which has gained popularity in the last 5 years and is currently booming, particularly during this time of the global pandemic.

For parents looking to go beyond a brick-and-mortar school for their children’s education, there are some key factors you need to take note of while doing your research. Let’s take a closer look at how these three pedagogical approaches work.

Traditional learning

A traditional education emphasises basic educational practices, skills, facts, morals and behaviour that society deems important for survival, social and material success. The most common and popular method of teaching, traditional education requires students to attend lessons together in a designed classroom. Let’s take a closer look at what traditional learning has to offer:

Pros

• Imparting social skills
• Creating friendships and interpersonal relationships 
• Promoting interaction among peers
• Creating a daily routine and schedule
• Takes the onus off parents to be educators

Cons

• Follows a “one-size-fits-all” methodology 
• Students have to follow the pace set by the teacher
• Rote memorization is common in many schools
• Learning becomes more about passing exams and knowledge is not retained
• Some students can fall prey to bad influences, bullying and peer pressure

Traditional learning still remains the most common and most popular method of education practised the world over and is very often a child’s first introduction to a school environment.

Home-based learning

‘Home-based Learning’ is a recent development in modern education, which refers to a school-at-home approach that combines the best of both traditional learning and homeschooling. Mostly conducted online, schools and learning institutions provide lesson plans and study material via the Internet. Depending on your child’s school or learning centre, every class will be conducted differently from delivery to assessments to progress reports. 

Pros

• Greater flexibility – students can learn at their own pace and revisit lessons as many times as possible.
• Tutors or faculty members will be in charge of teaching and students can log in from anywhere. 
• Several e-learning tools are used to provide an interactive and engaging learning experience for students. 
• Classes are conducted online either live via video calls or recorded sessions for students to access at their convenience. 
• In many cases, students can create their schedule, customise their curriculum and even take on curriculums from other countries. 
• Online classes allow students to connect with their peers virtually, ensuring they develop social skills and interpersonal relationships as well.
• Parents or family members play an active role in their children’s lives and form close family bonds.
• Students are encouraged to pursue other activities and interests 
• Protects young children from the possibility of bullying, peer pressure and negative influences

Cons

While students are able to interact with their peers in a virtual classroom setting, they lose out on physical interaction. However, many parents are overcoming this by enrolling their children in communal activities like swimming, sports and performing arts classes and accordingly some curriculums even provide credits for the same.

While each teaching practice comes with its own set of merits and demerits, choosing the right school and style of education for your child does require a lot of thought. If you are looking for an effective, engaging and reputed home-based education centre for your child, then head over to Vineyard Academy.

At Vineyard, our focus is not only imparting knowledge but also creating a holistic environment for students to grow into well-rounded and successful citizens of tomorrow. Get in touch with us for more details regarding the benefits of online schools and homeschooling in India.