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Back to School, Forward with Wisdom: Why I Chose to Homeschool Through Indigenous Knowledge

Back to School, Forward with Wisdom: Why I Chose to Homeschool Through Indigenous Knowledge

As the back-to-school season rolls in, most families are getting backpacks ready, planning school lunches, and mentally preparing for another year of schedules, homework, and extracurriculars. But this year, our family is walking a different path. We’ve chosen to homeschool. And not just homeschool in the traditional sense—but to embrace a way of learning rooted in Indigenous wisdom.

This post is dedicated to the mothers in many communities across the Philippines who have inspired me to make this decision. To the Indigenous parents who have taken their children to the forests, the farms, and the looms to learn. Who have taught their kids to dance, to play gongs, to fish, to weave—who have shown that learning doesn't have to happen behind a desk or within four walls. To those who’ve raised knowledge keepers and community artists through everyday life. Maraming salamat. This journey is in honor of you.

And this is also for the mothers who are still figuring it out. For those who’ve had no choice but to send their kids to school—who place their trust in a system we inherited, one that hasn’t always served us well but is, for now, what’s available. This is also for the mamas who are already homeschooling but are still finding their “why”—who may have chosen this path out of practicality but are slowly uncovering deeper reasons that feel aligned with their values. I see you. I’m walking beside you.

Growing up, school was both a blessing and a burden. I loved seeing my friends—my barkada, who became like family. But I also remember the feeling of confinement, of being told to sit still, of being measured and compared. My spirit wanted to roam. I know now that my creativity, my sense of play, my inner knowing—all of it was yearning for something else. Something freer. Something more connected to who I am and where I come from.

Understanding how the school system came to be was a turning point for me. Schools, as we know them, weren’t just about learning—they were part of a larger system designed to fuel economies, enforce conformity, and, let’s be real, separate children from their families at a young age to make room for labor and production. For mothers, this often meant being pushed away from our children and into overwork—our power as nurturers, teachers, and cultural bearers, diluted.

But I am privileged. I run a business built around cultural work, creative expression, and community. My livelihood allows me to reclaim my time—and I want to spend it with my children. Homeschooling for us is not just an alternative education model. It’s a chance to create a world for our kids where they can also learn to build the world of their own choosing. It’s a space for them to discover who they are, what excites them, what challenges them. And they get to do it without the heavy pressure of grades, comparison, or competition.

My eldest daughter is only five, and already, I’ve seen her confidence shine. She talks with ease to adults and children alike. She ran my sewing machine on her own the other day, making lines on scrap fabric—not because I taught her, but because she watched and wanted to try. That’s how learning begins.

In Indigenous communities, apprenticeship and oral traditions are everything. Children learn by watching, by trying, by being included—not sidelined. They learn how to count seeds while planting rice. They learn architecture by helping build a home. They learn philosophy through storytelling under trees. And they grow into adults who are masterful, rooted, and full of purpose. I want that for my children.

I know not everyone can or will homeschool. But mindful parenting—being present, intentional, and open to learning with your children—is accessible to all of us. It takes late nights, honest reflection, and sometimes radical trust in ourselves. But it’s worth it. It’s ancestral. It’s powerful.

I’ve met other Filipino families who homeschool, and their children radiate brilliance. They are strong in their identity, expressive, and unafraid. I’m still a beginner in this journey, learning as I go, but I’m also embracing all the wisdom that comes with walking this path.

So here’s to all the mamas—whether you’re sending your kids to school, choosing homeschool, unschooling, or simply doing your best with what you have. May we all remember that we carry within us generations of teachers, culture bearers, and wisdom keepers.

Happy Back to School season—however that looks for you. May it be grounded in love, intention, and the kind of learning that liberates.

With love and in community,
Lydia Querian
Founder, Elle Karayan
Mama. Cultural Bearer. Homeschooling Explorer.

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