Is home schooling that much better than traditional education? Is it really?
I believe the answer depends on your personal motivation.
Many people home school for religious reasons. Others home-school because they believe that the education system is faulty. Yet, there are those who are accused of home schooling for racial reasons.
Some of us picture the typical home-schooled as white upper class. These Moms don't have to work because Dad is making a six-figure income. In middle and lower socioeconomic class families both parents must work which leaves the option of home schooling not feasible. Nor, can these lower income parents afford the six to ten thousand dollar a year price tag of a private religious school education.
Home schooled children are more likely to be non-Hispanic White, they are likely to live in households headed by a married couple with moderate to high levels of education and income, and are likely to live in a household with an adult not in the labor force. -- Kurt J Bauman 2001
(http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0053.html#char)
Yet, there is always an exception to the rule. There are families on the low-end of the economic scale who home school. These parents strongly believe open society is counter-productive to the religious teaching of their children. Their mind-set is to give up luxuries for the sake of their children's religious and moral education.
Parents who are pro home schooling believe that children are more free to experiment with creativity and are more likely to find the meaning of self-worth as appose to being stuck in a class room six to seven hours a day with thirty other children. These parents don't want their children exposed to other children who aren't being raised with moral, ethical or social graces, I might add.
One parent stated: "Factory educations" -- traditional schools -- are said to be ruining our children's minds.
A forced curricula, the stress of constant testing (therefore labeling) and imposing our interests over a child's personal interests are killing our children's natural curiosity about the world and it's workings."
-- Laura Childs (http://www.goodbyecitylife.com/homeschool/whatswrong.htm)
I believe that home schooling is not all that it is cracked up to be. In my opinion home schooling isolates children from the world they will have to enter sooner or later. Many believe that teaching children at home will emotionally and socially hold the children back.
Home school advocates have their statistics as to why home schooling is the way to go and anti-home school advocates have their statistics as to why and how home schooling is hurting children and the educational system.
There is no sound proof way to protect children from the evils of the world. However, if parents take a full and active role in their children's day-to-day lives, unacceptable behavior and ideals can be warded off to some extent.
Economics plays a huge role in educating the children of this country. The scales aren't balanced. There are those parents who can afford to have one stay home and teach. On the other hand there are circumstances where both parents must work. Let's not forget the segment of society where there's only one parent in the home, which makes their choice of whether to home school or not quite obvious.
We, as a country, know that the scales of justice are unbalanced. Now we can add the scales of education to the measure.
6 Thoughts:
So, let me get this right. You are saying that your personal opinion is that homeschooling retards a child's social and emotional skills. But that it isn't fair that poor people aren't offered the same opportunity to maim their own children psychologically through homeschool, simply because they don't have the funds?
Either you agree that homeschooling offers children a higher level of education, or else economic status in concern to homeschooling is not relative.
I'm just getting solid and sound information if homeschooling is worthwhile and the best in education option i can give to my daughter than traditional school. She had attended public school and private as well. And the least to say I'm not happy and paying way to much.
MomofFour,
How can children isolated from the world, the real world, know how to deal with and/or avoid the mannerisms and habits of those who weren't taught the same? There is a life outside of Mom and Dad and it tends not to be pretty, fair or logical at times.
New Beginning,
It's very difficult to educate children these days. I'm so very glad those days are over and I don't have to worry about it.
You're going to have to decide what's best for you and your child. It truly is shameful that there are those who want the best education for their children and can't afford to send them to private school or stay home to home school them. These days both parents plus have to work in order to make it.
Deborah,
While we don't homeschool our school-aged child, we are thinking about it. Based on our real-world and online research, I feel your view that homeschooled children are isolated is uninformed.
There are many homeschool associations which promote interaction between students with study groups, field trips, and shared teaching sessions. Also, it is a parents responsibility, not the school systems, to promote a well-rounded lifestyle. Just because a child isn't in a traditional school does not mean he or she cannot still be involved in local sports or interest groups through organizations such as the YMCA or city or county programs. Baseball, soccer, karate, ballet, etc., are all available outside of the school system. They promote interaction with other kids, team building, sportsmanship, and problem-solving.
I know not all families get their children involved. However, it is not a fair assumption to assume that homeschooled kids are isolated.
Not sure what goes on at your home as far as schooling goes, but you obviously aren't getting good grades in English/Lit. I can't believe you eat with that filthy mouth! Don't post anything at all if you can't use proper grammar. You ruin the site and not many will want to come back to it.
Post a Comment