It has been one week since the release of the GCE ‘O’ Level examination results for students in Singapore. Stories abound carrying the different themes of jubilation, disappointment, motivation, hope, and so on. Whichever the sentiment, these students have expectedly been spending the past week reflecting on their journeys while weighing their options for the way ahead.
For homeschoolers, the attainment of the GCE ‘O’ Level certification or its equivalent marks an even more significant milestone. At this juncture, families face two options for post-secondary education:
- (i) (Re-)Enter the mainstream education pathway through one of its institutions, such as junior colleges, polytechnics, or private schools;
- (ii) Continue taking ownership of their education by homeschooling through the next academic milestone.
Image credit: Kalsum Harun and Grace Tan
Making Choices and Commitment with Conviction and Courage
Perhaps the most daunting aspect of this milestone is having to commit to the choices we make that we deem may impact our homeschoolers’ careers and overall life chances. What factors should we consider in forming our decisions with courage?
The ability to take a leap to commit to one’s choices with conviction and courage is predicated on the quality of the decision-making process.
- Clarity of goals
- Adequacy of information
- Alignment with our values and persuasions (intellectual, physical, spiritual, social, etc)
- Aversion to anticipated risks associated with each possible choice
- Ability to be vulnerable
- Having measurable conditions (including a timeline) for re-evaluation
Image credit: Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash
Making decisions at this stage may require a level of clarity in thoughts and intentions that is unprecedented in your homeschooling journey thus far – especially if this is your first or only child. While we hope that our article on Homeschooling Pathways would help you in mapping the big picture for your child/ren’s academic preparations, we also wish that you will have ample moral and social support within your respective homeschooling communities as you weigh your options.
To commemorate this milestone with you, we are publishing two stories that we hope will remind you of the exciting journey that awaits your homeschooler!
The first is an interview piece on Ethan Lim, a former homeschooler who enrolled in a polytechnic after attaining his IGCSE certification. He shared with us about his experiences in making the transition to school and juggling his studies with his gymnastic pursuits. The former National gymnast also detailed how his involvement in gymnastics led him to the course of his choice: Early Childhood Development and Education. Read the article to uncover this reason, get a glimpse into his life at the polytechnic, and find out his plans for the future!
The second story is written by our intern, Maryam Kiyani. Maryam enrolled in a private school after taking her IGCSE. She penned down her considerations for her choice of concentration and how making a turnaround on those decisions taught her valuable lessons about herself, her family and her possibilities. Read about Maryam’s reflections (coming soon) on her homeschool journey and revel in the knowledge that our youth are more capable to make and own up to their choices than we often give them the credit for.
With these stories, we wish to inspire you to follow through with your plans for higher education with confidence in the seeds of passion for learning that you planted throughout your homeschool years.
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Feature image credit: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash