The rise of home-schooling in the black community
- Afia Bayayi
- Dec 1, 2024
- 3 min read
That time we were featured in an article in the Voice Newspaper...
Everything happened very quickly. A family member told me that The Voice was seeking homeschooling families for a new article. A few days later, he checked if I had responded yet, and I hadn't. So, as soon as he messaged me, I immediately wrote my email. The following day, I got a response.
"I remember explaining that I got to a point of frustration in my career"
Sinai, the journalist, responded that we seemed like a great match for their needs and asked to speak with me the next day. We had a phone conversation that lasted about half an hour. She mentioned that, despite receiving a large number of responses, my email stood out because of my background as a teacher.
During our conversation, I shared that I had reached a point of frustration in my teaching career. I recalled having a particularly bright student who had completed all five parts of her GCSE Health and Social Care coursework ahead of time. When she asked for additional work, I had nothing more to offer her. I needed to focus on the other students who were still struggling with the coursework. I had to tell her to use the remaining lessons of the term to work on other subjects or to read quietly. It was disheartening that I couldn't provide more opportunities to challenge and engage her.
"Black boys do not have the luxury of being average in Britain"
On the other hand, I had a new Year 10 class with a student who could not write legibly at all. She had no diagnosed special needs, so I received no classroom support for her. How was I supposed to help her pass her GCSE? More importantly, how did she get through the entire education system without this issue being noticed and addressed? Sadly, many students like her are falling through the cracks.
Experiences like this made me question the quality of the education system. I decided that I did not want my children to go through the same system I had lost faith in. Fortunately, when I discussed this with my husband, he was completely open to the idea of homeschooling because of a sermon he had listened to, which I may share another time.
As parents raising black boys in South East London, we felt we had no choice but to homeschool. Black boys in Britain cannot afford to be average; they need to be excellent to have average opportunities.
"The landscape of homeschooling is evolving".
When I first entered the world of homeschooling, I quickly noticed that it was mainly affluent white families who had the opportunity to homeschool. I understand why this is the case. Homeschooling often requires one parent to stay home in a two-parent household, or for at least one parent to be self-employed and able to work flexibly around their children. However, the landscape of homeschooling is evolving.
Increasingly, more Black families are choosing homeschooling and finding ways to make it financially viable. I've seen single parents homeschooling while managing a side hustle for income. Some parents work part-time, others work night shifts, and some families have one parent at home while the other works. Families from different backgrounds are finding creative ways to make homeschooling work for them, and they're achieving impressive results.
To add, the rise of Black families achieving middle-class status, both through professional success and entrepreneurship, has indeed expanded options for educational choices, including homeschooling. Economic stability enables families to invest in alternative education, including private tutors, online resources, and the flexibility to homeschool without the financial pressure of dual-income households.
Home Educating offers tailored learning environments, especially for families concerned about the quality of education or cultural representation in educational content in traditional schools. It also allows parents to incorporate culturally relevant curriculum, fostering a deeper connection to history and identity. This empowerment, especially in communities historically marginalised, reflects how financial independence can lead to more control over children's educational experiences, leveling the playing field and broadening opportunities for success.
Our family was featured in this article alongside others. You can read it here, and we would love to hear your thoughts:
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