One of the many benefits of home education is that it enables children to progress academically, emotionally and in many other ways, at their own unique rates.
Many parents have children who start mastering the skills required for formal learning later than they would have if they had been forced to attend school. Others, learn to read and write as early as age 4 and then progress in their own way from there. Children like these would often struggle in a traditional age-grade-segregated classroom scenario, yet home education allows them to learn on their own time-table and flourish without the time and grade constraints of the one-size-fits all school system.
While there are homeschoolers who have obtained a matric equivalent at age 16, this one is the youngest we know of and his achievement, Cambridge A Levels, is no mean feat for anyone, at any age!
Hjalmar Rall wrote four of the Cambridge IGCSE examinations in June 2015 at age 12 and achieved the following results:
Chemistry A*
Maths A*
Physics A*
English A
In 2016, he wrote his Physics, Chemistry and Maths As and A levels in one sitting, finishing his last exam on 4 November, at age 13, just a week before his 14th birthday.
In 2017, he will start university at age 14 years and 2 months. He wants to study astrophysics and wants to continue with theoretical physics with specific reference to extra dimensions, parallel universes, and the warping of space time.
Hjalmar has been accepted to study towards a B.Sc in Physics at the University of Pretoria in 2017. Apparently, Mars is somewhere in the future planning!
When his father was asked by a homeschooling parent on a social media platform if he thinks his son is mature enough and ready for university, Heinrich replied as follows:
“Hjalmar grew up in a small town and had to rely on older people for his intellectual and social stimulation. He is a very well balanced self-confident youngster. He outgrew his peer group long ago and needs the intellectual stimulation of an academic world. He cannot wait to go to university so that he can discuss things that he finds interesting.”
Hjalmar is literally reaching for the stars and at this rate, he stands a good chance of getting there.
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