Over 100 home schooling parents and students met at Dart Park’s outdoor amphitheater on Friday June 9 to celebrate the end of another academic year. Home schooling has increased in popularity during recent years for a few reasons. Resources for home schoolers are more readily available to enable a good home school environment. Since COVID 19 forced so many children to learn at home, many new curriculum providers have entered the marketplace, and new online schools have popped up. Both public and private schools in Grand Cayman have reached capacity and have wait lists and many parents are choosing to home school while they wait for an opening for their child. This year the Department of Education has approved 120 applications for students to be educated at home.
Parents choose to educate their children at home for a variety of reasons. For some it is a personal choice they embrace. For others, home schooling is a way to fill the time while they await a spot to open up for their child in one of the schools. Others choose home schooling as a solution to give their child greater support than what they would get in a typical school. One of the benefits is that the curriculum can be tailored to the child, providing either a faster or slower pace to cover the yearly material.
With the growth of the home schooling community in Grand Cayman and the lessening of Covid restrictions more opportunities have become available to home schooled students this year. Ms. Kathleen Spencer began the ceremony by listing the many field trips and learning experiences that the home schoolers have engaged in. Among the accomplishments, a team of home schoolers came 2nd in the mixed relay at the Inter-Secondary Sports Competition and “home school” as a team placed 11th out of the 15 participating schools. Other notable accomplishments by home schoolers include an NCFA finalist for Butterfield Musician of the Year, first place at the Rotary Club Science Fair, one of the the top 10 finalists in Rubis Top Student, holding main roles in community musicals, representing Cayman Islands nationally in their sport, and taking college level courses while still in middle school. In short, home schooling provides many students the opportunity to pursue their passions while still keeping up with their school work.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, homeschoolers participated in field trips to a number of locations. These included the Blue Iguana Conservation Centre, learning about mangroves from the Mangrove Rangers, a trip to the Water Authority, visiting the Landfill and Recycling plant, a beach BBQ, and group swim lessons at both the CBAC pool and the Lions pool.
As the home school group has become more cohesive, the number of opportunities for students has opened up. This year for the first time, home schoolers were offered to participate in the Junior Achievement: Economics for Success program, which is taught in schools. The Chamber of Commerce reached out and coordinated with MUFG to host and facilitate the program for 12 highschool-age home schoolers. It was a great success.
At times parents will need to be creative with how they meet the needs of their children. Earlier this year several families expressed their desire to have a group Physical Education class. With no gymnasium to hold the class and no PE teacher, the group made their own PE class by renting space at Kings Sports Centre and running a parent-led class for up to 20 students each week.
As parents and students gathered at Dart Park’s outdoor amphitheater June 9 there was a festive atmosphere and students were recognized for their accomplishments and applauded for their hard work. The event was organized by parents in the home school community.
This year is the first year home schoolers have had a ‘graduating class’ of students moving on to post-secondary pursuits. Graduates include Jacob Allen, Tamia McLean, Aiden Powery, Ethan Spencer, and Nickcoy Stewart.
DES Director Mark Ray was in attendance and offered his congratulations to students. Ray spoke briefly about the rise of artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT, and its positive and negative impacts on education. He spoke about embracing and learning about AI, but also applying it carefully. He also reaffirmed the many ways the Department of Education can work together with home schoolers to provide access to resources.
The 57 home schooled students in attendance were presented with certificates and gifts donated by Next Chapter, Black Pearl Skate Park, Cayman Turtle Centre and Hurleys. Ice Dream’s truck was on hand to provide each student with an ice cream treat, and a bouncy castle and finger foods added to the celebratory atmosphere.
To learn more about home schooling process in the Cayman Islands please visit the DES website at www.schools.edu.ky or www.homeschoolcayman.ky. If you are a home schooler and looking to connect with others in the community, visit www.homeschoolcayman.ky and subscribe to the mailing list. Alternatively join the Facebook group Cayman Homeschoolers or Homeschooling in Cayman 2022-2023.
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