Is Home Schooling an Option for You?

More and more many parents are choosing to home school their children. Not every option is suitable for all. since the decision is a hard one, careful consideration should be given to the pros and cons of homeschooling. I will try to illustrate the factors that influence the decision.

The Pros:

1. The cost involved: It is basically free, unless you want to be proactive in collecting additional study material at your own cost. Most states offer free textbooks, laptop, printer and scanner for the students enrolled in the program.

2. Registration process: Most states allow on-line registration.

3. Convenience: Students can access the courses / classes at any time of the day. They can take the tests on-line as well.

4. Choosing the syllabus: Parents and students can contact the respective state education board to collect the introductory CD. Appointments can be made with an IS (Instructor Supervisor) with the previous year's transcript. Based on that evaluation, along with tests taken as needed, a comprehensive academic plan can be chalked out for each individual.

5. Assessment of progress: Parents can also access the children's information on-line on a 24/7 basis to check their test performance and also see if they are keeping up with their assignments. The same service allows the parents to monitor if their children are attending classes as scheduled.

6. Other resources available: Each student has an account with password. This ensures privacy. The on-line service also comes with 24-hour email tutoring service. The students can email the teachers for assistance throughout the day. The average response by the teachers is usually very quick.

7. Virtual classroom setting: each participating student can see and hear other students and teachers. Real time classroom participation is possible. Students can ask questions and even take bathroom breaks!

8. Not confined within the small classroom: An on-line class can have students participating from different states. Thus, students learn and grow as a community. Though the curriculum and the language barrier does not allow for international class settings, it can always be a possibility.

9. Does not mean there is no human interaction: The home schooled students can also go on trips, camping, and hiking. They can also join the school teams for different sports.

10. Safety: With the rise in violence in schools and neighborhoods, who does not want to ensure safety for their kids? The element of bullying can also be taken out of the setting.

11. Time saving: If the student is motivated enough, more coursework can be completed within a stipulate time frame and 2 academic years can be condensed. However, that can be possible only after the progress / performance has been satisfactory.

12. Availability: Homeschooling can be done in high school, and college. Some states are passing legislations to include the grade levels into such settings as well.

13. Good for the society: In this day and age where people are getting more computer literate, there is a scope that opening up the door for homeschooling will increase the literacy rate. It may not seem significant in a developed country like the United States, but the developing and underdeveloped countries can definitely reap the benefit.

The Cons:

1. Responsibility: The students must possess the inherent quality to work in this setting. Sense of responsibility is a must.

2. Work load: Homeschooling demands a lot of work by the parents.

3. Less social interaction: It is very easy to focus on the classes only and the usual social interactions that take place in traditional schools between classes get eliminated. It is true that there is that on-line community, but it can have an adverse affect where the students will not know how to interact with a real person if they switch back to traditional schooling later in life.

4. Less satisfaction: One of my colleague's son did not enjoy the year that he was home schooled, because he could not deal with life the normal way. There was no recess, no lunch period. Also, he felt that he could not act the normal way. For example, to ask questions he had to press the button. He could not raise his hand or add a spontaneous comment to a conversation.

5. Decreased physical activity: If emphasis is place on attending classes only sitting in front of the computer, that will gradually affect vision and physical fitness. Attention has to be given to compensate for that.

6. Standard: It is true that while homeschooling holds the promise for communal development and increased literacy rate, individual excellence cannot be the goal. Traditional schooling has the potential for competition among the peers, but the setting provided in homeschooling does not promote competition. Therefore, there is an inherent risk of compromising the standard of education. In fact, some states are trying to pass laws which will require the parents to be certified teachers if they want to home school their children.

Based on all of the factors discussed above, the parents and the students should decide for themselves which type of setting will serve them the best. As I mentioned before, not all setting suits everybody. On the other hand, not every setting will affect everybody in the same adverse way. The final decision is entirely yours.