Homeschooling – Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines & Malaysia: With over 50,000 learners homeschooled in Southeast Asia, we look into the reasons why and if this is certainly an option for your child.
Since the COVID pandemic, numbers of home schoolers within Southeast Asia has rocketed. You could say the same for the rest of the world too. Parents are having less faith in their country’s education system or finding cheaper and better options for their children.
Whilst home education isn’t recognised in some countries such as Vietnam, parents are still able to home school their children. Other countries such as Indonesia, Philippines & Malaysia have come to allow home schooling as options for children.
But why do parents want to go down this route when most countries have a free education policy?
Free education in South East Asia can be costly for parents
Additional costs can make it hard for parents to send their children to mainstream school. These can involve:
- Uniform
- Textbooks
- Consumables
- Transport
- Additional activities
Some parents are using up most their wages to cover the additional costs for their children to be in school. Therefore, why would you not consider home schooling as an option? The countries where parents are really feeling the pinch include Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Compare School Systems: Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia & Thailand
We have already covered the Malaysian education pathway in another article but for most countries within South East Asia, they have a system where education is funded from Primary right through to Higher Education.
Thailand Education System
Let’s look at Thailand for example. Pre-primary to upper-secondary levels are covered by the Basic Education Commission. Primary and lower secondary education is compulsory in Thailand but upper secondary education is not mandatory but still free.
The core content includes subjects such as:
- Arts
- Foreign Languages
- Health and Physical Education
- Mathematics
- Occupations and Technology
- Religion and Culture
- Science
- Social Studies
- Thai Language
This is in relation to government schooling and therefore learners would not have much flexibility on the subjects they wish to take. Learners would take the O-NET exam and receive a Certificate of Secondary Education.
When applying to University, learners would need to complete 12 years of education and have obtained their Certificate of Secondary Education (Maw 6).
In recent years, international schools have really taken off in Thailand. There are over 150 international schools in Thailand which include British, American and IB schools.
International Schools Thailand
International schools are open to both local and international learners, catering to nationalities such as Australian, American, French and Chinese. Many learners come from Japan, China, India and South Korea for a different type of teaching to what they are used to in their own country.
Many international schools in Thailand offer IGCSEs and A Levels or the International Baccalaureate. It is also compulsory for Thai students to learn Thai language.
Applying to University – Thailand
Whether you have completed your education within a government, private or international school, most Universities will accept applicants provided they meet the entry requirements. Universities accept local and international learners and whilst Thai is the approved language of instruction, many programmes are also taught in English.
Some universities may want entrance examinations such as Thai University Central Admission System (TCAS).
Homeschooling options
Whether you are a national in South East Asia or an international learner, home schoolers are accepted into Universities in the area and worldwide. You will need to choose a programme to follow. This could be IGCSEs/A Levels or the International Baccalaureate.
Alternatively, there are many private schools within Southeast Asia if you would prefer your child to attend an actual setting.
Online Home School Programmes South East Asia
At International Home Study we have hundreds of learners each year enrol onto courses from Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia & Thailand. We also work with many schools in these countries to provide international courses to their learners.
We can offer International GCSEs and International A Levels in a large range of subjects. We also have access to exam centres all over South East Asia.
The awarding bodies used for these courses are Cambridge International Education (CIE) and Pearson Edexcel.
For more information on the IGCSE or the GCE Advanced Level, please see our individual articles on these.