As a parent, you constantly worry about your child. You worry about your child’s safety. even at school.
Then, homeschooling may be the best option—spend more time with your child or children daily, ensuring they are safe while educating them right in the comfort of your place.
Passion for providing quality and affordable education
The passion of Dr. Richard Paolo B. Deluria, Woodlands International Homeschool Chairman and CEO, and his wife. Ms. Frances Louise T. Deluria, a qualified registered pediatric nurse in both the Philippines and United Arab Emirates (UAE), to provide quality yet affordable education for Filipino children of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, making it possible to establish Woodlands International Homeschool, the latest venture of SRK Education Group International.
Dr. Deluria and his wife believe homeschooling can be done in the comfort of homes since it has grown more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Most families converted to this kind of new normal way of education,” said Dr. Deluria, who is also a Bachelor’s degree holder in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, a Master’s in Psychology, and a PhD in Education Major in Curriculum Design, Development, and Supervision.
Dr. Deluria underscored the vital role of technology in the transition to the new normal way of executing education.
“We have our own Learning Management System that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Likewise, mobile applications and websites are meticulously designed to serve not just as a marketing tool but as another way to create a meaningful learning experience for all its students,” Dr. Deluria shared.
For her part, Ms. Deluria said that homeschooling provides positive and appropriate socialization with peers and adults.
“Homeschooled children are largely free from peer pressure. Homeschooled children are comfortable interacting with people of all ages,” Ms. Deluria stated.
Mental benefits of homeschooling
Dr. Deluria said homeschooling has created a positive impact and installed discipline as a routine has been set up to religiously follow the curriculum, while extra time is created by homeschooling.
Meanwhile, as a personal experience for her, Ms. Deluria said that homeschooling has allowed their child to “explore other talents that have since been honed like playing piano, swimming, and basketball.”
Academic accomplishments
Dr. Deluria believes that homeschoolers and traditional school pupils can attain academic accomplishments.
“Both have equal opportunities for everything as long as both will not be confined in the four corners of their rooms or for homeschooled children, at their home,” he said.
However, Dr. Deluria refuted the “misconceptions” about homeschooling, for one the lack of socialization.
“Though if you look at the history of education, learning from home is one of the earliest ways of educating children,” he explained.
“It has since evolved to a better and standardized process that is now being enjoined by a lot of families globally,” he attested.
As to the assessments, Dr. Deluria said that Woodlands International Homeschool does quarterly assessments.
“I homeschooled the student’s family preferred PH curriculum, then the same will be enrolled in the partner school to report in the Learning Information System (LIS) of the Department of Education, if they chose the US curriculum then they will be reportable to the partner school in Texas,” he said.
Future of homeschooling
“Since we have started this noble mission of creating an alternative way of doing the new normal way of education, Woodlands International Homeschool will follow the best practices of all its counterparts across the globe,” Dr. Deluria assured.
In the UAE, he cited, more than a thousand students have been interested and have since converted into enrolling in our curriculum.
“Testimonies from all the current and past students have proven both effectiveness and economical reasons on why they wanted our way of execution,” he said.
Woodlands International is anchored on the solid foundation of providing both the Philippine and US-based curricula of SRK students in the Middle East.
It belongs to the group that has served almost 2,000 students across the region, catering to different types of families with the trust and engagement of the Filipino and International Community that has since moved to international schools or other western countries like the United States, Canada, and other European countries.
Its curriculum is now well-certified under the Department of Education in the Philippines and the United States.
The average cost of homeschooling per child will be P75,000.00 per year but can be adjusted based on the future needs of the families.
Likewise, there will be options for payment on additional tutors should the subjects will be really challenging.
“It is more flexible,” Dr. Deluria excitedly shared.
Courage
To those parents who are having second thoughts to homeschool their child or not, Dr. Deluria said that it takes a lot of courage to homeschool one child.
“As a parent, I feel how a day will go home without a single nag to our naughty kids. Yet if you allow exploring homeschooling and the benefits of it, like us, you should be able to feel comfort, safety, and close attachment to your children. Attending one of our orientations may somehow ease as well all your worries as we have a very interactive session before enrollment,” he encouraged.
“Homeschool-based education shall be the future of education,” Dr. Deluria concluded.