Though I am a teacher in a public school, who believes in education through certified teachers, I find myself willing to come to the defence of those families who choose to educate their children in the home. Home schooling has long had the stigma associated with many misconceptions. The idea that homeschoolers lack socialization skills has never been proven and the motivations for this type of education are more complex than just a desire to protect (or over-protect) one’s children. Home schoolers are not denied social interaction, as 98% of those studying at home are involved in two or more activities outside the home and no study has successfully proven that they lack socialization skills or perform inadequately on standardized tests.
Most people who home school argue that it isn’t for everyone and advise that families weigh the pros and cons of both public and home school before making a final decision. Home schooling can be demanding, as parents are in charge of their child/children’s education, which is a full-time job.
One advantage of home schooling is the elimination of bullying. No matter how diligent public school teachers are, they cannot catch all forms of verbal, social, or physical bullying, nor can they prevent it. Parents who educate at home do not have to deal with large classrooms and dozens of learning abilities. Home schooling can be tailored towards the needs of each child, paying attention to learning styles and giving individualized attention.
But home schooling has many disadvantages as well. The quality of the education depends on the quality of the teacher, and some parents may find they struggle with the subject matter or the preparation. Also, too much family time (all day every day!) may prove too much of a burden to some family units. Though home schoolers are not 100% isolated, they do have less exposure to other people, cultures, and faiths. As well, the social stigma attached to those who home school still exists.
Public school has the advantage of more opportunities for athletics and the arts. (A Chicago study stated that children who participated in the arts have higher test scores than those who did not). Students at a public school gain access to lab equipment, gymnasium facilities, and computer technology that can help them to write best custom paper. They learn from a variety of certified teachers and learn to work with other students of various social classes and cultures.
But just like home school, public school is far from perfect. Students who attend public school can be exposed to negative trends such as bullying, foul language, drugs, and peer pressure. There are disruptions in public school that do not regularly occur in home school environments, such as announcements and attendance calls. Students can sometimes be ‘lost’ in crowded classrooms and invariably receive less attention. And, of course, not all public school teachers are perfect.
As a final thought, it is interesting to note that home education grows 5-12% each year. Still, public school is the most popular method to educate children in North America.
Article provided by Bestessays.com.
2 Responses
In our country, I’d prefer to have my children home schooled, at least then, I’d be sure of the quality of education they’d be getting. I have nothing against public schools, but it’s sad to say that our public schools will not be able to equip our children with the necessary values and education for them to be able to compete with other races, and after all, isn’t our point to give them a better future the reason why we send them to good schools anyway? 😛
I agree with you, Phoebe. A few years ago I wanted to home school my daughter because of the same reasons but later on decided that I couldn’t do it, sa dami ng negative forces sa bahay. I realized then that it was best for her to be a in a real school, yun lang. I make it a point to bring and fetch her from school just to make sure that she is okay.