By Theresia Titus
The Coronavirus pandemic has not only impacted Western Australian students attending formal educational institutions.
Malachi Maynard, who has never attended a formal educational institution, feels Coronavirus has significantly affected his learning experience, because of the need to postpone several educational activities.
Speaking to The eRecord, the 11 year old, who has a great interest in sports, said he missed doing his activities and meeting with friends.
“Malachi plays sports, [and] he had classes with the other home-school children, but it was all shut down. Fortunately, the classes are most likely to resume next term, so we are still waiting,” said Malachi’s mother, Miriam.
The family are parishioners at Yangebup Parish.
“No art classes, no excursion, no meeting with anybody; all the things that he does to be social were suddenly gone.
“I mean everybody was going through the same thing, but for us, it did not feel like home-schooling anymore. We were calling it isolation schooling because it was horrible.”
Speaking about his general education experiences, Malachi says home-schooling has given him the freedom and flexibility he otherwise is unable to live if he were to attend a formal institution.
“In the morning, I would do the chores I was assigned to do before working on my school homework until 10 am. I would have morning tea until 10.30am which I usually spent outside of the house but not at the moment as there is no one to play with,” Malachi said.
“I then continued with school work, lunchtime and meeting my friends at the home-school classes which are in the afternoon.
Because of the global pandemic, Malachi had to forgo his social activities in the afternoon with his friends and went for bike rides with his father, watching educational videos and working on projects.
“Other than [biking with my dad], it has all been a bit boring,” Malachi said.
Coming from a family of five, Malachi follows the footsteps of his sister and brother, who were also home-schooled from a young age and are now students at Curtin University.
His sister is majoring in architecture, while his brother is studying mathematics.
“I like what my sister is doing and I think I will follow her footsteps when I grow up,” Malachi said.
Malachi, whose favourite subjects are maths and history, said he wanted to go back to altar-serving as soon as the last coronavirus-led restrictions are lifted.
“I miss it so much and I wish would go back to normal.” Malachi said.