Premise and Premises

We may have found the perfect piece of property for our H/S.

A full-day co-op would look like this : X-hour to X-hour. 30-40% of time per week is allocated for formal instruction. (Paid teachers). 30% for peer-to-peer  / parent-led / student-led learning (Paid parent). – (Project based learning, etc) 30-40%  - outdoor activities, living skills, outings, free and easy.   Parents coming in for part-time pay [...]

Let’s get it started

What’s your idea of homeschooling? I think different people are going to come up with different answers so I’m just going to throw a ball out and see what comes back. Here’s what I’m thinking and it’s not an exhaustive list and it’s very open to discussion (when we meet face to face before August [...]

Celebrating every little step.

All these individuals, including those of you reading this, have contributed in one way or another in attaching the idea of a homeschool co-op in Penang in the minds of a dozen people. If this was conception then all of you are the nucleotides of a DNA as well as all the parts that make up a cell. There’s no conception yet – just ovulation! So let’s appreciate this fact – that the co-op is in ovulation and let’s celebrate the fact that everyday we’re moving closer to that possibility.

It will grow as it grows.

Lastly, just a bit of trivia : A co-op center need not be something grand like a 5-star international school. It can grow as it grows. If it’s not going to be a commercial / for-profit outfit there is absolutely no necessity to advertise even when we do start one because the size and scope will grow organically from the number of parents participating and the needs their children have. I envision the co-op being made up of highly dedicated parents and their well-loved, highly functioning children. It’s going to be made up of parents like you and me who are willing to do what it takes to make it happen. Right?

More people need to get on board.

The meeting was attended by less than a dozen parents. Each of us paid some money to contribute to the cost of the meeting. I forget how much. At the end of the meeting I told KV, “Look, you need to do these kinds of meetings frequently and all over Malaysia. We’ll email each other. You’re coming to Penang next and yes, bring your books. It’s hard to find them in bookstores here. More people need to get on board.”

Bringing our dish to the table.

What I can share with all of you is that there is no model, at the moment, that Penang can adopt wholesale. I particularly liked the moral of story that I heard at a seminar a couple of weeks back. In the story it says each of us has to bring our own dish to the party at the Global Pot-Luck Party of Life. I think that’s the same for us here in Penang. Each of us has to bring our talents, gifts, abilities in all forms and shapes and the first step is to talk to each other about what we want out of it, what others are looking for, what we can do about that.

Today on the Malaysian Homeschooling Network Group on Facebook.

I would love to hear what you guys think about this, + or – . How would it sit with you guys, if we were to rent a villa and make it into a hang out place for our kids? Open 5-6 days a week, may be with an employee to take care of the basic chores, may be not. A place with a nice yard, 3-4 rooms, a kitchen, broadband connection, some furniture… etc, what ever comes to mind. A place where the kids can socialize and learn from each other. we could all pay something towards the rent and other expenses. The left over could be used for buying stuff,

Preparing for the first meeting.

Hi, The focus of 21PLC is not to teach you how to homeschool but to become a collective effort on setting up a co-op of international standards, staffed with competent teachers with actual strategies for exit exams into formal tertiary education if that be the choice of a family. However, 21PLC can serve as a [...]

Penang Homeschooling Meeting : 21PLC

Penang Homeschool meeting : Part 1 : Tuesday, 11am to 3pm. Part 2 : Thursday, 11am – 3pm. Part 3 : Friday  : time pending. Venue : Tanjung Bungah / Gelugor. Venue : please email penangcommunity@gmail.comBy invitation only. All Malaysian Homeschool Network, 21PLC members and their friends welcome. Children and maid allowed at venue. Please [...]