Mir Hasnain Iqbal
Can a child learn everything from books while sitting at home? Certainly. But can books alone teach a child how to behave, respect others, face disagreements and live in society? That is where the real debate over schooling and homeschooling begins. Every parent wants the best for their child. Some believe that schools put unnecessary pressure on children, while others argue that education at home offers greater freedom and individual attention. With homeschooling attracting attention, parents need to pause and ask a simple question: are we educating our children merely to pass examinations, or preparing them for life? A school is not just a place to learn lessons. It is a place to learn life. At school, children meet classmates with different habits, opinions and temperaments. They learn to share, cooperate, compete and sometimes adjust against their wishes. They discover that everyone cannot have their way all the time. They learn to wait for their turn, accept defeat, respect rules and take responsibility for their actions. These everyday experiences may not appear on a marks sheet, but they leave a lasting impression on a child’s personality. Homeschooling can provide academic knowledge, and some parents may have good reasons for choosing it.
Children can learn at their own pace, receive individual attention and follow a flexible timetable. For families living in remote areas, children facing particular difficulties or those unable to attend school regularly, learning at home can be a practical option. But education does not end when a lesson is completed or a textbook is closed. Who teaches a child to handle an argument with a classmate? Who gives a child the experience of working with others, accepting criticism and learning from failure? Parents can teach these lessons at home, too, but a school provides daily opportunities to practise them among people of different personalities. Knowledge may help a child earn a living, but character helps shape the person that child becomes. This is particularly important in Kashmir, where parents often attach great importance to education.
Families make sacrifices to ensure that their children study well and secure a promising future. Yet somewhere along the way, education is too often reduced to marks, ranks, degrees and government jobs. We worry about what children will become professionally, but do we give equal attention to the kind of human beings they are becoming? A student may score excellent marks and still struggle to respect others, accept a different opinion or take responsibility for a mistake. Academic achievement is valuable, but it cannot be the only measure of education. Schools, however, must also look within. Overcrowded classrooms, rote learning, examination pressure and a lack of individual attention can make education a burden rather than a joyful experience. A school that teaches discipline through fear, or values students only for their marks, fails to fulfil its wider responsibility. The answer is not to assume that every school is good or that homeschooling is wrong. Some children genuinely need a different learning arrangement.
“True education goes beyond exams and success to build good human beings. It balances ambition with humility, confidence with respect, and competition with cooperation. When deciding between homeschooling and traditional school, parents must evaluate the whole child—academics, emotional growth, social development, and character. School and family must collaborate to turn real-life lessons into lasting values.”
Parents should be free to consider their child’s circumstances, but they must also think carefully about social interaction, practical learning, academic standards and the demands of educating a child at home. For most families, a good school supported by an involved family remains a sensible choice. Schools provide teachers, classmates, organised activities and opportunities to learn beyond the home. Parents, in turn, reinforce good manners, encourage curiosity, monitor progress and teach values through their own example. Neither school nor home can do the job alone. A child who learns honesty in a classroom but witnesses dishonesty at home receives a mixed message. Similarly, parents who teach respect cannot expect much if the school humiliates children or tolerates bullying. Children need consistency between what adults preach and what they practise. Kashmir’s winter conditions, snowfall and difficult transport routes may sometimes interrupt regular schooling.
In such circumstances, home-based learning can help children keep up with their studies. But temporary learning at home is different from permanently replacing school, where a suitable and safe school is available. Before choosing homeschooling, parents should ask themselves honestly: Can we provide proper teaching in all essential subjects? Will our child have enough opportunities to mix with other children? Can we maintain a routine, assess progress and meet relevant examination requirements? Most importantly, will this decision genuinely benefit our child, or are we reacting to a temporary problem? These are questions worth considering before making a decision that may shape a child’s future. We should also remember that school attendance alone does not guarantee good manners, discipline or strong values.
These qualities develop through good teaching, a healthy school environment and responsible parenting. The aim should be to improve schools, not merely send children through their doors. Our children need knowledge, but they also need patience. They need ambition, but they must learn humility. They need confidence, but they respect others. They need the ability to compete, but they must also learn to cooperate. The real purpose of education is not simply to produce successful students, but to prepare good human beings. Before deciding whether a child should learn at school or at home, parents must look beyond convenience and examination results. They must consider the whole child: academic ability, emotional growth, social development, behaviour and character. A child may learn a chapter at home, but life offers lessons that no textbook can fully teach. A good school, working alongside a responsible family, can help turn those lessons into lifelong values.
(The author is a teacher and Environmental Science researcher pursuing a PhD in Environmental Science. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the authors and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
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