Home-schooling for DAJ kids
Story and photos by GEETHA KRISHNAN
PORING over his home-schooling books, M. Suresh James’ eyes light up.
He has discovered something new and is keen to share the information with his classmates. But class at the Desa Amal Jireh (Desa Charity Village or DAJ) in Broga near Semenyih is still in session, so Suresh, 17, waits patiently for the bell to ring.
The soft-spoken teenager, who aspires to be a Christian missionary, now has a chance at gaining quality education through a path less trodden. When he came to the home for underprivileged children a few years ago, he could barely read.

The home’s co-founder, Kamala Sinnadurai, said Suresh was never given a chance to educate himself because his mother neglected him and his siblings.
“His father had abandoned the family and Suresh was forced to look after an older sister’s children while she went out to work. He was already a teenager by then and had minimal schooling,” she shared.
“The home-schooling syllabus here is based on the Alpha and Omega system from the United States. It encourages students to study at their own pace. Every one is supplied with books and learning materials while self-assessments, year-end tests and field trips are part of the curriculum,” she added.
Currently, Suresh is in Grade 5, more or less equivalent to Standard Six. However, he is diligent and hopes to complete double grades in order to catch up with the rest.
Kamala said she toyed with the idea of home-schooling when she realised that many kids at the home were unable to read and write. Most had not attended school or were dropouts with a slim chance of being accepted into national schools.

From: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/12/12/central/5272549&sec=central
Thank you YL for showing me this. Although tardily late, Malaysia has finally got some perspective — the Star has shed some light to the benefits of homeschooling.
So Alpha Omega has got some publicity eh? Like the kiddos above, I went through Alpha Omega but one difference, I went through the Academy and I have been a proud alumnae for nearly two years.
So what has homeschooling got that normal schooling doesn’t? LOTS….WELL AT LEAST OVER THE CURRENT MALAYSIAN SYLLABUS.
I learned to be self-disciplined and independent. I don’t need anyone to tell me to study. GOOD for university as there’s a lot of independent study.
I honed my writing skills from the Academy and got an appreciation for poetry through Alpha Omega Academy. Where there is lackluster grammar, I excel. The standards in the Malaysian system are too simplistic where English is concerned. Remember that English is the global medium of communication.
I got to learn some other language besides Malay. ¡ESPANOL, LA LENGUA HERMOSO! Although, I’ve forgotten most of it due to lack of practice, learning about other cultures broadened my horizons!
I do not plagiarize..as is the case of most Malaysian-produced students, God help them when they reach university, it’s a literary crime! I remember in grade 9, when I first joined the Academy, I nearly got kicked off the program for plagiarizing my physics project! I didn’t know any better at that time though, going through the Malaysian system for six years. It’s viewed as a major crime in America folks.
I got to excel at my own pace. Though I went through surgeries, I was able to catch up because of flexibility.
I’m used to high standards. AOA’s passing grade was 75 %. 80 is a C for cryin’ out loud! If you fail, you have to redo it to ensure mastery of every topic!
NO WAKING UP AT 6 A.M. Seriously, I can’t wake before the sun rises!