This article is written from my perspective as both a participant and observer within Singapore’s homeschooling landscape. My reflections are shaped by over a decade of lived experience, as well as brief encounters with homeschooling communities in the United States, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. The accounts shared here draw from my roles as the editor of the homeschooling website, a community organiser, and fellow sojourner walking this alternative educational path. The views expressed are my own and do not reflect the official position of Homeschool Singapore or its affiliates.
This July 2025 marks my tenth year homeschooling in Singapore. My firstborn, whom I recently registered for National Service, has never been enrolled in the National schools. His induction into a mainstream institution will be through his conscription. All the while, we navigated our journey as Singaporeans and global citizens, along an alternative pathway commonly referred to as “homeschooling”—a notion that is both unifying and fragmenting.
Homeschooling can be a unifying identity for those seeking alternatives to public or mainstream schooling. Through a shared commitment to child-centered education, families that desire greater agency over their children’s education, whether for academic or developmental reasons, tend to come together from diverse backgrounds—often under the banner of “educational choice.” This common commitment can foster a sense of solidarity, primarily manifested through co-ops, online communities, and, to a lesser extent, in Singapore, the emergence of advocacy networks.
At the same time, homeschooling is characterized by diverse—and sometimes divergent—motivations and methods. At the outset, varying degrees of state oversight, as seen in Singapore, for expatriate and local homeschoolers, as well as for local homeschoolers of different ages, result in fragmented homeschooling experiences. Expatriate homeschoolers and Singaporean children beyond the compulsory education age have greater latitude in determining their learning outcomes compared to younger Singaporean homeschoolers, who are subject to a different accountability structure before completing their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Homeschoolers also enter and exit the above categories at varying points, creating a dynamic environment for most and a destabilizing one for some, especially during seasons of high turnover. These differences and situations impact how various families interact with the state, society, and one another as educational actors.
At the familial level, the respective parental ideological premises for homeschooling—from religious conservatism to progressive unschooling to cultural decolonization, among others—pave the way for differences in values, curriculum, and the purpose of education. Then, there is a question of method. Differing preferences over learning methods also tend to disperse homeschoolers into multiple interest groups, which, in itself, is not a bad thing, but hampers initiatives for broader-based co-operation. Additionally, disparate narratives about the ideal workings of any collaboration, including issues of representation, the extent of engagement in issues regarded as “political,” whether community members should seek any form of compensation for their contributions, and other matters, have further challenged the unity of the homeschool movement.
In short, the idea of homeschooling is unifying in that it reflects a shared impulse toward educational autonomy and parental agency. Yet it is fragmenting because it is not monolithic; it is shaped by divergent values, varied interpretations of what education ought to achieve, and methodical preferences for learning and community formation. Through the numerous unifying moments when shared purpose and vision seemed insurmountable, my family experienced some of our most gratifying days in a homeschooling community. We felt assured of support and company. Conversely, we have experienced seasons overwhelmed by the pangs of isolation, by choice or circumstances, perceived or otherwise.
After a decade of homeschooling, my family has found its footing and grown in confidence, knowing that we will figure things out. Having an extensive personal network with homeschooling parents has been particularly helpful. Yet, I am aware of the unequal access to resources and help within the community. As the editor of homeschoolsingapore.sg, I have strived to fill information gaps and share stories to uplift the fraternity. Nonetheless, many homeschooling parents communicate their need for more avenues of interaction, and in particular, a stronger form of “community.”
The Elusive Singapore Homeschooling Community
Singapore’s homeschooling community has deep and extensive historical roots. Families, influenced by different approaches to schooling, connect independently and simultaneously, online and offline. Over time, the nature of interactions between homeschooling families has evolved in step with changing personal circumstances and the rapid changes in communication technology.
Earlier platforms for socialization began more commonly as religious circles that used the same curricula in the late 1990s, followed by Yahoo Groups in the early 2000s, which then transitioned to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in the late 2010s. Homeschool Singapore emerged within these dynamics in 2013. Riding on the digital wave, the Homeschool Singapore Facebook page and HomeschoolSingapore.sg were launched, giving public access to the local homeschooling scene. In recent years, Homeschool Singapore has gained recognition for its website and its associated social media platforms.
HomeschoolSingapore.sg has evolved from a one-person blog to an established forum, collectively managed by a team that intentionally reaches out to the community to capture the diverse experiences and opinions around homeschooling and education. It ranks 9th on the list of Best Singapore Education Blogs and Websites in 2025.
As we enter the 2020s, social media and mobile applications remain the primary channels of connection and exchange for homeschoolers. With almost every iteration of these applications, groups morph themselves, proliferating the space with more functional and interest-based units that have varying — but often low — barriers to entry. Homeschoolers join multiple groups for designated purposes and interests. Individuals, whom I refer to as the “super organisers,” emerged from within these groups, initiating and administering activities and group buys. At the same time, niche communities catering to faith groups or curriculum-based circles, such as those centered on Classical Conversations or the Charlotte Mason method, continue to flourish.
Whichever mode homeschoolers choose, they self-organise however and whenever they want to. Technology allows people to connect with new acquaintances virtually. Others who prefer regular face-to-face meetings form their network around their needs.
The homeschool vista reveals no shortage of opportunities for socialization. Yet, despite the vibrant homeschooling landscape that we have, the emphasis on the “community” persists, with calls for more community-based programmes whenever I speak to fellow homeschoolers. The reasons for this eluded me for a long while.
Community Still Matters
Upon reflecting on the unifying and fragmenting features that homeschooling can take, it became apparent how a diversity of approaches, cyclical turnovers, and decentralization characterize the local homeschooling landscape. In turn, these conditions hinder the formation of deep connections, access to expert guidance, and the development of sustainability. These factors are especially important for homeschoolers – parents and children alike – because they help counterbalance the vulnerabilities and isolation that may accompany non-traditional education paths.
Because homeschooling often occurs outside conventional social settings, strong personal relationships create space for mutual encouragement, co-teaching, or problem-solving. These relationships help reduce burnout, prevent isolation, and create safe spaces that foster social-emotional development.
Homeschooling families wear many hats—teacher, planner, evaluator—but may lack the experience or perspective to navigate curriculum, learning differences, or academic pathways confidently. Being able to tap into the wisdom from the lived experiences of seasoned homeschoolers helps families avoid reinventing the wheel, fill gaps in their learning, and receive vital insights in dealing with special educational needs, preparing for national exams, or transitioning to tertiary education.
Homeschooling is a long-term commitment that can strain a family’s time, energy, finances, and emotional resilience. Sustainable homeschooling requires systems for self-care, resource-sharing, and flexibility—so families don’t burn out or give up. Sustainability is supported by community engagement and access to resources to lighten the load and maintain enthusiasm.
The conditions for success in alternative education are not just academic—it’s relational, communal, and adaptive. Deep connections, expert guidance, and sustainability efforts form a supportive ecosystem that allows families to thrive outside mainstream institutional frameworks. Without these, homeschooling can become isolating, overwhelming, and untenable—especially over the long term.
The challenge that remained was how to build a robust community support system that ensures connection, accessibility, and sustainability. Diving deep into past initiatives within the community, one can glean that for any undertaking to have a chance at success, it has to fully embrace the diversified and decentralized nature of our homeschooling landscape, shaped by the ebbs and flows of its membership.
Writing a New Chapter
My search for a democratic model of community engagement led me to the Human Library® movement. The Human Library Organisation is a registered international not-for-profit platform. Its concept lies in the creation of safe spaces for open dialogues to take place between designated “human books” and their “readers”. Anyone who considers themselves an “open book” and has “valuable experiences that ‘Readers’ could benefit from learning about” can sign up to be a “human book.” With the platform’s focus on challenging stigma and stereotypes through dialogue and personal conversations, it offers promise as a fitting starting point that we can emulate and draw inspiration from.
True enough, as I discussed these ideas and principles with close counterparts, a new programme started writing itself. Living Chapters: A Homeschool Singapore Community Programme is an ambitious attempt to amalgamate the diverse needs of the community within a single framework. The program aims to promote resilience and empowerment within the homeschooling environment.
Follow this link to read more about the programme.
Reflecting on my decade of homeschooling, I am reminded that through our diversity, our shared desire to raise grounded, mindful, and resilient children binds us together. In the shared lamentations between lessons, the late-night texts for advice, the gentle reproach for another’s shortcomings, and the quiet courage of showing up for one another, we are a community. My hope is that by nurturing deeper connections, uplifting one another through shared wisdom, and reimagining sustainable ways to journey together, we can write living chapters of education that are as diverse as they are deeply human.
Featured image credit: Nathalie Chikhi on Unsplash, Composition: Kalsum Harun and Grace Tan