As much as I wanted my own sons to do more science, I’m afraid they chose otherwise. They do study science and all the necessary concepts, but minus hands-on highschool apparatus. For all you know – and like our own sons – your child may not be keen on the sciences at all. If at all you remain keen to include science practical in your homeschool, you will need to be as resourceful as most parents I know have been – make private arrangements, look out for community resources, get videos (for instance, youtube is fantastic!) or form small homeschool co-ops to do stuff together. This is homeschool after all, so we do not pretend to have everything done for us or structured like conventional schools. Also the above article suggests, lack of practical did not deter these homeschoolers; they found ways to adapt.

Again, whether to register as a private candidate with a private centre or with the British Council is a decision you must make yourself. Go online and do some research. Call on the British Council or talk to a private institution offering O Level. I’m sure they will be more than happy to help you. I have a previous post on O Level and College titled Off to College here. And do scroll through the archives of past articles and look at the Resources page (Homeschool & Further Education)

I don’t know how old your own child/children is/are. If this child is still young (say below 7) you still have a long way to go; circumstances (also politics, as we have seen!) and your child’s personal interests may yet conspire against your best intentions. Besides, everyday more and more educational resources are becoming available in our cities towns, and communities. These are fantastic resources that once upon a time few of us could even imagine would be available to us in Malaysia (for instance, who could imagine the impact of the Internet when we were growing up?). Look out for them and tap on these resources.

All the best to you and your family!