(Shanghai Daily news)

A local expatriate group is organizing another class for "homeschool." It will be for children under 10 and comes after the success of the city's first homeschool the group had launched for teenagers.

Homeschooling, an increasingly popular education format in the United States, allows children to be educated at home by parents without attending public schools.

Sixteen students, aged between 8 and 18, from the United States, Canada, New Zealand and China are "enrolled" in the first homeschool, founded last September.

"With more children joining, we are considering to build another community for the little ones," said American Chen Lixin, one of the organizers.

Parents design the curriculum according to their personal interest and teach their own child or children from Tuesday to Thursday.

These kids, regardless of age and nationality, gather every Monday and Friday to have two-day collective lessons such as Chinese literature, maths, arts and sports.

The venue for group classes shifts between the homes of the families.

Parents work as teachers and alternate different subjects. No fixed list of textbooks is used, and there are no tuitions.

"Homeschooling is a more flexible and more personalized education method, which aims to dig out kids' shining points rather than submerging them in dull public school classes," said Chen.

Normal school education tends to be too exam-oriented and unified. This can destroy the creative thinking ability of children and their desire for knowledge in the long term.

Chen took her 11-year-old son out of a local primary school for homeschooling last year.

She started the idea of building a homeschool community after comparing notes with other expatriate parents also teaching their children at home.

"Kids would get lonely if they study at home all day," said Catherine Lamb, another American parent who teaches art classes. "They need to communicate with their peers."

Lamb's four children attend the homeschool classes.

"The group is exciting," said Trina Lamb, 16, Catherine's daughter. "Learning is easier for me, and I can also make many friends."

Parents committed to homeschool believe it is safer and that children are exposed to less peer pressure, bullying and violence.

For more information, contact Catherine Lamb at ewema@aol.com.