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Welcome
to Our Homeschool Stories Section
Here, we share real-life accounts of homeschooling experiences in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Through these stories, you’ll gain insight into our motivations, methodologies, challenges, and impacts of homeschool education in these regions. This section offers a vivid and compelling glimpse into the world of homeschooling, bringing these educational journeys to life.
我們分享香港和中國內地在家教育真實故事。通過這些故事，您可以深入了解在家教育的動機、方法、挑戰和影響。本節生動且引人入勝地展現了在家教育的世界，讓這些教育旅程活靈活現地呈現在你的眼前。
Dr. Lai's homeschooling research paper, titled "A Qualitative Study of the Motivations, Challenges, Methodologies, and Impacts of Homeschooling Undertaken by A Homeschool Educator in Hong Kong," offers both practical and academic insights into the realm of homeschooling in Hong Kong.
Lisa Gagarina
Lisa Gagarina is a 17yo homeschooler who speaks 6 languages. She was born in Russia, raised in Switzerland and Hong Kong, and now spends a lot of time in Mexico learning Spanish. She is a tutor and a very supporting sister to her younger homeschooled siblings.
This is her journey from her point of view.
My road to homeschooling was pretty bumpy and adventurous. Initially my parents didn’t plan it at all, they were both working and we moved places and countries every 3-5 years due to their work.
I was born in Russia, but pretty soon we moved to Switzerland, where I started Geneva International School, fully in French. At first it was very challenging, but later I fell in love with the language and it was a pleasure to speak it and live in French part of Switzerland.
When we moved to Hong Kong I struggled at first to learn English, I had a lot of resistance. It helped that for the first year I was a French school in Hong Kong. In my journey, I became fascinated by the structure and beauty of my new language and went as far as learning Middle and Old English.
Of course, I studied also Mandarin and after a while I became interested in Japanese which I learned for 4 years. While I was in love with reading and learning languages my school time became not a happy one: there was too much pressure to excel in all subjects, even those I had no interest in, some bullying and the teachers were not always supportive.
So, at the age of 9 my parents decided to homeschool me and it was the best decision: I started to enjoy learning again, I could choose my program, all my tutors and teachers were lovely and I still had time for art, miniature sculptures, yoga and ballet. As before I was an avid reader and enjoyed choosing books I was interested in (so different from the mandatory list in the school).
Soon my younger sister joined me on the homeschooling journey and I could share my experience with her. Often, we watch together with her and our mum a video about history, geography or a movie based on classical novels which I read, then we discussed it and were writing a review or a continuation of the story. That was fun and I enjoyed writing more and more and ended by taking classes with a journalist, a friend of our family.
Around 2 years ago my family started to spend a big part of the year in Mexico, where we joined an educational center primary serving homeschoolers. After 10 months there I passed exams in a national educational office in Spanish and received a local school certificate. I still need to complete 1 more level of those exams to be able to enter a university if I decide so.
During my study in the educational center my writing skills came useful to create podcasts, articles in their newspaper and posts for social media. I’ve got several rewards for my articles and help with the book they were writing.
Because of my proficiency in several languages, I was asked in the educational center to teach my peers English, French and Russian. It was an interesting experience which I decided to continue and has been doing so about a year.
At the moment I’m tutoring privately 10 students from 8 to 17yo, online and in person. I prepared 5 students to enter international schools of their choice or pass one of language tests required for their education. Recently, I created my own writing course of 6 sessions to help my students express their thoughts in a beautiful manner, create coherent and concise essays or posts.
I’m still an avid reader and love historical novels and autobiographies. At the moment I’m comfortable with my work, I already earn an equivalent of an average salary here while teaching 3-4 hours a day. That leaves me time for my own studies and hobbies.
I’m very grateful for my homeschooling journey and I hope to support others who follow the same path.
Annie & Jenny
Hong Kong Homeschool Story
在家學習心路歷程
為孩子開創自己的天空
我是土生土長的香港人
父母都來自草根階層
我在學習路上也很自覺
從小成績優異得到學校及老師讚賞
並且在音樂路程上得到很好的成績
亦因為這樣
我的工作都是在音樂及幼兒教育的基礎上開始建立
從幼稚園教學、團體、中學學校、到自己開立教育中心
這三十多年的教學旅程中
我看到香港教育制度的不足
十多年前，大兒子在小學的時候，
曾經做過很多次的有趣試驗
我同大兒子每次考試的時候都不重溫習
只是跟他玩遊戲、聽音樂的情況下輕鬆渡過
發現比較下
跟之前跟他死背書的方法更為有效
自此之後大兒子跟小女兒每一次考試
我也不須要他們溫習
並且實行Experience more than Explanation
到心心中一
她就讀Band2學校的精英班
成續中上
老師對她的表現評價很高
但我反而不為此而開心
因為發覺心心好收埋自己
每日放學的模式
沖涼、做功課、晚飯、溫習
Jenny的自律性令我非常擔心
在她進行下學期開始時
開始同心心商量在家學習
並解釋好處壞處
例如：
可以有足夠休息時間
做自己想做的事優先，
學習方面可以選自己喜愛的科目，
並且學習技能上的科目，
放空的時間增加，
但現在的同學會少見面。
係在各種平衡下
我倆一齊決定開始Homeschool 的路
第一年我沒有特別安排學術科目
但我花好多時間陪心心
我們一齊種植，照顧貓貓
行街市、探朋友
期間心心在西貢進行了一個計劃
叫做西貢水上人
心心要負責去訪問並紀錄西貢水上人的事蹟
然後有試過學縫紉，手碟等特別項目
到上年年中
心心開始在我社區中心服務社區
讓心心可以有很高社區參與度
接觸平時好少有互動到的長者
過程中
心心能夠發揮如何表達
如何跟工作伙伴配搭
如何安排工作次序
如何照顧小朋友及長者
這都是能夠完全體現到在家學習的核心-共融學習
並且能夠回饋社會
服務社群
在家學習實在為我提供一個非常個人化及更大自由度的學習教學模式
強化並建立自我認同感及自信心
這是我意想不到的
沒有踏出第一步就沒有今天的成果
我相信自己的決定
Homeschool Story from
Mainland China
By Teacher Ng ( Beijing University)
我是北京大学力学系毕业的，在高中时我是学霸。如果让孩子上学，不管是公立学校还是私立学校，很难碰到学术水平比我高的。而教育教学的质量跟老师的学术水平关系最大。为了孩子的学术，我决定不让孩子上学，我来亲自教他们各科。
我的大儿子和二儿子都在学龄，一天学都没上，三儿子2024年出生，将来也不会上学。
今年是2025年。
我的大儿子小五快12岁，数学语文英语三科进展并不如意，因为在家上学过于放松。虽然我给他快速讲完了小学数学课本，但是习题没有跟上，现在正做三年级的习题。英语长期不学了，语文正在练汉字。他学习也不那么投入，可能是玩儿习惯了。
我的二儿子小溪快要八岁了，正在做二年级下的数学习题。英语也很长时间不学了，语文正在写汉字。小溪比小五好学，认真实在，肯下功夫，不像小五经常偷懒耍滑。
我并不着急他们的学习，看到他们有一个无忧无虑的快乐的童年，我很开心。这才是主要的。
不要在大学前的12年里把他们累坏，让他们一直保持对学习的兴趣。他们将来可以终身学习。
Homeschool Story From Mainland China
Daniel's Home-school Journey Since K5
by Chance Jiang,
to@chancejiang.com, Feb 2025
As Daniel's parents, we're happy to share our homeschooling journey with fellow members of the Hong Kong Homeschool Association. Initially, we were prompted by difficulties in traditional school, our out-dated perception on dropping out of schooling, and Daniel's dislike of his past school life before k5.
Despite initial worries since his drop-out, we decided to homeschool him. The COVID- 19 pandemic presented additional hurdles, but we were determined to make it work.
Here are some key takeaways from our homeschooling experience:
Embracing Flexibility: Homeschooling allowed us to create a flexible learning environment tailored to Daniel's interests in Legos, civil aviation, and RC modeling. Over time, we shifted our focus to fully supporting Daniel's passions and talents, particularly his strong interest in mountain biking.
Nurturing Passions: We evolved our parenting style from traditional mainland Chinese parents' compulsive and anxious 'our kid MUST go through formal schooling' framework, to one of encouragement and unconditional support for his pursuits and style of self-education. We invested time and resources into his mountain biking hobby, recognizing the importance of nurturing his passions.
Balancing Support and Structure: While embracing Daniel's interests, we also recognized the need for structure and direction in his intellectual growth. We implemented weekly tutoring in math and English and started encouraging him to use AI to support his learning. This balance between support and structure was crucial for Daniel's overall development.
Close Parent-Child Relationships: Homeschooling fostered a close-knit family dynamic with strong parent-child relationships. This close connection allowed us to better understand his needs and provide personalized support.
Acknowledging Challenges: Daniel's journey was not without its challenges. He initially displayed emotional and behavioral issues. We also had our own expectations and worries. Recognizing and addressing these challenges is an important part of the homeschooling process.
So far, Daniel's homeschooling experience has been a success, leading to a close-knit and happy family. We've become strong advocates for homeschooling, demonstrating the potential benefits of this educational approach. Homeschooling has proven successful with close parent-child relationships, with a balance of academics and outdoor activities.
As a new AI-assisted learning coach myself, Daniel's father, I started building AI- native education startups, such as inkkey.com, with my Singaporean partner, Prof. Patrick, a seasoned IT tech educator and share-holders of a few universities / schools in Singapore and SEA countries.
I'm happy to be a contributor to HSA.hk with my professional training top engineering university, tech startup (as founder) , and my own insights into the future of AI- human learning/coaching.
2019:
Our son was struggling in traditional school, partly due to his Guangzhou ex school teachers' occasional abusive language towards the class and un-professional conduct in treating the classes.
Daniel has a long-standing interest in Legos, civil aviation, and RC modeling. We decided to homeschool him since K5, initially feeling worried and uncertain about the decision.
2020:
The pandemic created additional challenges, but we were determined to make homeschooling work. We began to see the benefits of a more flexible learning environment for our son.
2022:
Our son developed a strong interest in mountain biking.
We shifted our focus to supporting his passions and talents. Our confidence in homeschooling grew.
2023:
Our son became deeply involved in mountain biking.
We invested time and resources into his biking hobby, and grow his other skills around 'projects of his own'.
Our parenting style evolved into one of encouragement and support.
2024 - 2025:
Our son keeps being a passionate mountain biker.
Homeschooling is successful, with a balance of academics and outdoor activities. Our family has been close-knit and happy with the homeschooling journey.
We've become strong advocates for homeschooling, and even discovering the future of 'self-eduction' with support from AI agent tech, and all the possibilities presented by the upcoming tech cycles around the world.
We're happy to keep sharing what we've learned and built (around AI agent tech) to help other HS kids and parents.
Homeschool Story from Mainland China
蓝蓝
让生命自由成长
蓝蓝爸爸关于在家上学的几点体会
一、为什么选择在家上学？
蓝蓝的爸爸和妈妈都是大学本科毕业，完整经历了中国的教育制度，在了解其优劣之后，选择在家上学。
一个最简单的常识：如果你在一个饭馆吃了不好的饭菜，拉肚子，感觉不满意，你是不会再带自己的孩子进去的。
中国的公立教育系统就是这个饭馆，从概率上讲，绝大部分父母都是普通人，过着普通的人生，并没有得到太优质的教育成果。而当拥有孩子以后，又按部就班地让孩子再一次进入这个教育系统。
所以，现在遇到孩子的教育问题是一个“遗传累积的问题”——在一个环境中成长的一代，出现了某些特性。在环境不变的情况下，产生的后代，这些特性将会更加突出。
很不幸，这个特征是带来人生不幸福，学习力下降，思维贫乏的根源。
大部分人把学校作为一个神圣权威的机构，不敢去质疑和反对。但蓝蓝爸爸出生在教师家庭，从小就在学校里长大，学校就是他的家。
这种人为的神圣权威光环褪色之后，更能够发现一个机构，整个教育系统运行的本质，以及其中的优缺点。
所以，早在蓝蓝出生之前，我们就已经做好了在家上学的打算。
二、在家上学主要遇到的难题？
蓝蓝在4岁的时候上了一个学期的幼儿园，就没有再上了。我们也曾想看她对学校的适应情况，不要太过主观武断。
那其实上，她的感情丰富，思维活跃，在幼儿园的群体学习和生活行动上，反而是受约束的。老师的目的是维护课堂纪律，而纪律是群体需要，并非个体需要。学校管理的大部分行为，都是与个人成长关系不大的无效行为，消耗性的行为。
选择在家上学以后，我们也没有放弃她在其他群体环境中的学习，报了一些培训班。6~8人的小班制才是更能让老师和学生互动的模式，蓝蓝在这种环境中比较适应。
这是一个人均资源的问题，同一个老师，面对50个学生和面对5个学生，他能分配给每个学生的时间精力以及教学重点，肯定是巨大差异的。
在家上学的时候，主要由妈妈在教导写字、学英语、读绘本、听故事，各种知识的初级课程，都能找到并且学习。
我们遇到的主要难题是蓝蓝比较容易发脾气，每天各种小事，学习过程中的各种小摩擦，都会成为导火线。她的大部分的时间都是在闹情绪。
在她很小的时候，我们陪他读绘本，就发现她的感情特别的丰富，容易感动流泪。而且她的表达能力比较好，可以滔滔不绝，口若悬河地讲个不停。
这两个都是优点，同时也是闹脾气原因。随着她逐渐成长，发脾气的情况已经有大大的进步改善。而两个优点继续保留。
我们常想，如果是在学校里为了遵守纪律而压抑情感和表达，那么不出几年，就会被磨灭成一个木讷呆板的橡皮人。
三、在家上学经历的收获
每一个孩子的出生都是父母的重生，是一面时光倒流的镜子，可以回望父母自己的成长经历，发现问题，解决问题。
在家上学，让我们有更多的时间陪伴孩子，既观察孩子的成长，也反思自己的观念是否正确，这是一个双方共同成长的过程。
孩子的成长是有顺序的，而父母的成长则是反思和重新修改的过程。我们在这个过程中都有很大的收获，对自己，对他人，对世界，有更多的角度去理解。
不过也有一些遗憾，就是目前处于“妈妈耐心已用完，需要爸爸顶着上”的阶段。
我们一直在培养蓝蓝独立学习、自律自驱的能力，这是逐步走向成熟所必备的能力。这个过程中的抓紧和放松，确实非常考验人。
由于蓝蓝爸爸的工作较为繁忙，妈妈承担了大部分的教学和陪伴的任务，所以比较辛苦劳累。并且作为全职妈妈，放弃了很多工作的机会，这是比较大的牺牲。
四、让生命自由成长
自由，是极其罕见的。因为约束，已经让被约束的人感觉不到自己受约束。
中国的教育制度，大部分工作都是在塑造一个遵守纪律的人，而不是塑造一个有灵魂的人。并且教育作为一个产业，包含着太多的商业模式在其中，会消耗掉家庭的极大资源和两代人的心血时间。
即使学习到了大学毕业，就业和学历的关联度并不高。而在社会中，赚钱的多少和学历的关联也不高。当然，按照线性思维，学习越多的知识，学历越高，更有机会去接触更上层的社会和更专业的环境。
但这个概率并不大，还充满了幸存者效应。
那么在开启孩子人生的时候，我们就要考虑一个大概率能够成功跟幸福的方向，而不是被各种社会定义的成功概念裹挟。
在感受内心情感的时候，其实和外界并无太大关系，从这里才能看到真正的生命。从这里出发，才是孩子一生发展的原动力。
我们在保护着孩子的情感和人格，也在培养她面对社会的生存发展能力。这个过程中有很多坎坷的经历，但我们逐步看到了渐渐明亮的曙光。
父母都会担心孩子如何面对未来的世界，但其实连父母自己都不知道怎么面对未来的世界。不如回归内心，塑造好一个完整的人格，让其既有积极向上的动力，也有坚韧抗挫折的能力。
未来其实是由所有人共同去谱写的，现在就是在创造未来。
Jeffrey Colonel, a former homeschool student from the USA who now resides in Hong Kong with his wife, shares his journey to inspire and inform others. By reflecting on his homeschooling experience, Jeffrey offers valuable insights into how this educational methodology fosters personal growth, independence, and success. His story empowers the people of Hong Kong to explore homeschooling as a viable approach to education—one that nurtures a student’s potential and equips them to thrive in a dynamic world.
My name is Jeffrey Colonel. I grew up as a homeschooler in upstate New York, from Kingergarten until 8th grade, using the Calvert Academy curriculum. As a child, I took full advantage of the flexibility that a homeschooling education can give you. I taught myself to play music by ear. I taught myself to make stop-motion animation. I did extensive research on topics of my interest, particularly history. I travelled and read widely. I never woke up to an alarm.
I entered public high school at the age of 13 and excelled in an Advanced Placement curriculum. I developed a profound fascination with learning, education, and teaching. I felt that teaching is distinct from some other professions in that to do it well you must learn to be a deeply good and compassionate person.
I went on to receive a bachelor’s in History and Political Science, and then a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Teaching in the Philadelphia inner city was the beginning of an amazing adventure of a life as a teacher, which took me out of my origins in America into Korea, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, and Hong Kong. I had the good fortune of having incredible relationships with thousands of student, and learned the ins and outs of a wide range of educational environments, ranging from universities, to public and private international schools, tutor centers, and public schools of all age groups. I gave my whole heart to every student who had crossed my path.
My life changed when my son was born, and for his sake I stopped full time classroom teaching. I understood that his development required my presence at home, and conventional full time work would make that impossible. I have pivoted to independent work as a tutor and musician. The time since I’ve done so has been some of the best of my life, because we have the chance to be together as a family, and also because I have the freedom and flexibility to teach my own way. I am intimately familiar with the challenges both of homeschooling and conventional schooling, and I’ve seen the best and worst practices used by educators and parents in both. I am grateful to my son for giving me the world’s best crash course in early childhood education. Both as a parent and teacher I strive to orient everything I do around the child’s fundamental best interests.
Education is very simple: it is about human well-being. The essence of teaching is not the transmission of information, but the safeguarding of well-being. The best lesson to teach anyone is how to thrive in life, and this can only be understood holistically. Education which has become alienated from this principle can function like cruel machinery, which can grind up a person’s heart and soul in its gears. It is possible for people to become so used to machinery that they forget the importance of human well-being.
The value of homeschooling is that one may have the autonomy to let go of any activities which are harmful, and to intentionally develop only activities which are beneficial. Usually, in the world, one does not have that authority. A teacher in an organisation has no choice but to act under the influence of organisational interests, even when those interests steer activities directly away from the true best interests of the students. If one is truly independent, then one has the freedom to follow only the best interests of themselves, their family, and their community as the driving principle of their life.