Unhealthy Homeschooling Fear Born from Societal Misunderstanding in Hong Kong

 When I began choosing a home‑based learning path for my daughter, Paris, eight years ago in Hong Kong, the societal pressure was overwhelming. Misunderstanding surrounded us like fog, thick enough to choke even the most confident parent. Among all the misconceptions, one stood out as the most fatal: the belief that homeschooling was illegal, that the Hong Kong Police would arrest parents for choosing a different educational path for their children. What mother would willingly risk jail simply because she wanted her child to have a joyful, balanced learning journey? What kind of society makes a parent feel criminal for loving her child differently?

The second misconception was equally damaging: the idea that children must learn and socialise only in a school environment. If a child wasn’t attending school, people assumed they must have learning or social problems. Homeschoolers were labelled as truants, as if they were doing nothing at home. But is learning defined by a building, or by the curiosity and growth of a child? Is socialisation measured by class size, or by the quality of human connection?

I chose to mute all that noise. I chose to trust our inner voice rather than the loud, fearful voices around us. And that quiet conviction led Paris to a local university at the age of 15. Not because we followed society, but because we dared not to.

Today, I spoke with another homeschool mother. The first fatal misconception—“homeschooling is illegal”—has finally faded. But the second one, the belief that homeschoolers are unsocialised truants, still lingers stubbornly. She shared how stressed and fearful she feels when questioned by close family and friends. How can a mother thrive when she must defend her child’s education at every family dinner? How can a child grow confidently when they must hide the simple truth of how they learn?

This misunderstanding is unhealthy for both homeschool parents and students. It silences them. It shames them. It forces them into the shadows in their own home city.

源於社會誤解的不健康恐懼

八年前，當我在香港為女兒 Paris 選擇一條在家自學的道路時，社會壓力之大，幾乎令人窒息。誤解像濃霧般包圍著我們，甚至足以讓最堅定的家長感到動搖。在所有的誤解之中，有一項最致命：許多人相信在家教育是非法的，甚至以為香港警察會因為家長選擇不同的教育方式而將他們拘捕。哪一位母親願意因為希望孩子擁有快樂而均衡的學習旅程，就冒著坐牢的風險？一個怎樣的社會，會讓父母因為以不同方式愛孩子而感到自己像罪犯？

第二個誤解同樣傷害深遠：孩子必須在學校環境中學習和社交。如果孩子沒有上學，人們便假設他們有學習或社交問題。在家教育的孩子被貼上「逃學」的標籤，彷彿他們在家裡什麼都不做。但學習的定義真的是一座建築物嗎？還是孩子的好奇心與成長？社交能力是由班級人數決定，還是由人與人之間真實的連結決定？

我選擇把所有噪音靜音。我選擇相信我們內心的聲音，而不是外界恐懼的聲音。正是這份安靜而堅定的信念，讓 Paris 在十五歲時進入本地大學。不是因為我們順從社會，而是因為我們敢於不順從。

今天，我與另一位在家教育的母親交談。第一個致命的誤解——「在家教育是非法的」——已經逐漸消失。但第二個誤解，即「在家教育的孩子沒有社交、像逃學者」，仍然頑固地存在。她告訴我，每當面對親友的質疑時，她感到多麼壓力與恐懼。一位母親在每一次家庭聚餐都要為孩子的教育辯護，又怎能真正安心？一個孩子若必須隱藏自己的學習方式，又怎能自信成長？

這些誤解對在家教育的家長與孩子都極不健康。它讓他們沉默，讓他們羞愧，讓他們在自己的城市裡被迫活在陰影之中。