Homeschooling VS public/private schooling

PSacramento

I was wondering on the views about homeschooling VS public/private scholling.

Thoughts?

james_woods

I guess homeschooling is sort of like the gun debate - you either love it or you hate it.

I am against it for several reasons:

1) - I think that very few parents have the training or natural ability to actually do this well.

2)- I think that most people who do this are doing it out of some agenda they wish to teach the kids - religion, creationism, etc. rather than purely unbiased educational values.

3) - I think that it offers zero opportunity for kids to grow up socially and learn to interact with friends, teachers, and society in general.

4) - I would want to be able to put an accredited public or private school on my resume if I were a kid growing up - for getting into university or just to get a job.

5) - In today's economy, the parents would be better off having gainful employment instead of doing this full time.

PSacramento

I am against it for several reasons:

1) - I think that very few parents have the training or natural ability to actually do this well.

Indeed, that is a big one IMO too, even with all the info and curriculam studies books out there.

2)- I think that most people who do this are doing it out of some agenda they wish to teach the kids - religion, creationism, etc. rather than purely unbiased educational values.

Good point.

3) - I think that it offers zero opportunity for kids to grow up socially and learn to interact with friends, teachers, and society in general.

That is a concern as well.

4) - I would want to be able to put an accredited public or private school on my resume if I were a kid growing up - for getting into university or just to get a job.

Even "Ivy league" universities accept homeschooled kids as long as they past the typical tests.

5) - In today's economy, the parents would be better off having gainful employment instead of doing this full time.

The cost issue is a huge one, yes.

LostGeneration

What James said....

Plus, who are you gonna send your son to prom with? His sister?

jws

Agree with James Woods.

Also, when it comes to extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, cheerleading, etc.), I think some school districts are allowing homeschoolers to participate, but I'm not sure it's widespread.

I don't know about your home, but my kids are too comfortable at home and distractions would occur. I think you have to take kids away from home.

There is a social view of the home schooled. That their parents are religious nuts trying to avoid real science, critical thinking, and bad influences. People automatically make assumptions about the kids.

Even though there are countless examples of less than exemplary learning environments in schools, to me, they're still the pros compared to me.

james_woods

Plus, who are you gonna send your son to prom with? His sister?

Ha! - but, WHAT PROM? WHAT DEBATE TEAM? WHAT SCHOOL BAND? WHAT SPORTS ACTIVITY?

There is a social view of the home schooled. That their parents are religious nuts trying to avoid real science, critical thinking, and bad influences. People automatically make assumptions about the kids.

That is a primary reason I made the point I did about not wanting "home schooled" on my resume to get into college or get a job. Yes, you can do both from a home schooled background - but why handicap your kids in this manner when it is totally unnecessary?

jgnat

I'll offer an alternative view. I suffered in public school because I am not average. Mass education serves the masses best; not the outliers. I enrolled my children in a private elementary school. It had it's good points and it's excesses. My daughter attended private schools until High School and she found herself leaps and bounds above her peers. She came home disgusted one day because a student raised their hand in English class, "What does comprehend mean?".

Here the local native community started their own school, as they found their concerns were sidelined by the public system. To this day the lone native liaison is kept busy with truancy and not much else to improve the situation for native students. The private school depends on a fair number corporate sponsors to keep the school going. The school has improved the self-esteem and school performance of the enrolled children, and their graduation rate is now higher than the general population of the local public school.

...

On the other hand, groups like the preppers and their enthusiasm for homeschooling just creeps me out.

http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewforum.php?f=117

I regret that my daughter's private education did not teach her to think flexibly.

JeffT

Split the difference. Our granddaughter is enrolled in a home school support program. She goes to classes three days a week on we work on projects the other two days. She gets the needed attention and social skills and an education that is considerably better than the public schools. We did something similar with our youngest son. He ended up with his GED and was enrolled in college at age sixteen. It helps that my wife is an educator.

The important part with these kinds of programs is that it requires a very high level of commitment from the parents. You can't just say "well we're home schooling" and leave it at that. Miya is getting a good education because we're working hard to make it happen.

ruderedhead

james_woods made some excellent points, as did others. For some kids, tho, school is a miserable experience. If they are socially awkward, a bit slower to learn than others, school might be rough for them. And there are many homeschooling families that form groups that share some teaching and go on field trips together. There was an article in the paper about it some years ago. If done properly, it can be a good experience.

The only people that I knew that home schooled were witnesses, and most did it VERY POORLY. The kids were primarily teaching themselves, after they could read, through the materials that the parents purchased. They were behind their peers in their academic skills, and I truly believe from conversations I had with the parents that the primary reason the witness parents did it was to avoid dealing with holidays and other issues that would come up in a normal academic environment, and they were lazy as teachers. There was one, tho, that actually did a diligent job of teaching their kids, and the Dad was educated and worked in a hospital lab, so he had the knowledge to teach his kids and help them.

PSacramento

A friend of mine said that homeschooling works because it caters to the student learning in an ideal environment (1 on 1) BUT the issue is that nothing is ideal in the "real world", and when you get into university and are exposed to the huge classes and lecture, unless you have developed the skills of "learning on your own" as opposed to being taught, you will suffer.

IN short, I wonder how homeschooled kids do WHEN they have to dela with the class environment.

Homeschooling VS public/private schooling

Share this