To Home School or Not to Home School

"You were home schooled? Shouldn't you be completely socially awkward?", the response one hears quite often when they share that they were home schooled. With a world that is full of violence, hostility, and belittlement why is it that when we look at the parents and children that are or have been home schooled as so strange and abnormal? In the year 2007, when we look at the recurring dangers of public education that include school shootings, constant bullying, and the poor education that is being taught, the question that remains is, "Is home school better than public school?"

In the 1960s, approximately 10,000 to 15,000 children were home schooled (Lanphier, p.1), yet in the year 2001 over one million children were home schooled, with an annual increase of 11% (Lanphier, p.1). If home schooling is so abnormal, why is it growing at such a fast pace?

One of the first questions many people ask or assume when they meet someone who was home schooled is the risk of not being socially adapt. People assume that since children are "home all day", they are going without social contact thus making them socially awkward. Not only is this completely untrue on any level, it is quite the opposite. Home school children on average partake in 5.2 social activities outside the home(Mattox, p.1), more than those who are in public school. These activities which include but are not limited to may be sports teams, church groups, girl or boy scouts, neighborhood play groups, and so forth. Each of these groups are filled with children of all ages and walks of life, thus allowing for a diverse fellowship of social play.

As well, home school children are not limited to one specific age group all day, as are those children who attend public school are. Home schooled children are around adults, adolescents, etc. which makes there interactions more of that of a "real world setting" (Mattox, p.1). Home Schooled children are taught to be members of an intergenerational community, rather than the typical "Tribe Apart"(Mattox,p.1) When you are an adult, and in your chosen career path, do you interact with people only in your own age cohort? Of course not, you are constantly dealing with people older and younger, thus home school is the perfect key to learning to adapt and be prepared for those types of situations.

In addition to the social preparedness home schooled children have for the reality of a real world setting, home schooled children are presented with an option of allowance and acceptance. Instead of being in an environment where bully's exist and seeing these types of behaviors, home schooled children are taught in home, usually which consists of a loving parental basis, that mimics the parents morals and values. Being taught at home, allows parents to teach their children the strengths and morality that they wish to share, as well as attitudes from all points of the spectrum. Though many assume that it is only the radical Christian extremists and left winged hippies who are home schooling these days, in quite actuality this is completely false. As Steve Moitozo explains in his article, "The 4 Advantages of Home School," home schooling is not necessarily based on fundamentals of religion or philosophy, but rather the parents passion of life.

Another reason that home school is more appropriate for children than public education is because home school allows the lessons that are taught to be individualized to the student, where as in public school a classroom of around twenty some students is being taught the same criteria by one teacher. When a child in a public setting isn't quite up to pace with the rest of the class they are immediately identified as "slow" or a "late bloomer", however it could possibly be that they just need extra time in that subject rather than another. As well, if a child excels at math, why should he or she have to stay at a specific level, because that is where the rest of the class is. Home school allows for children to move ahead, and not be restricted (Laurie, p.1). Speaking of smarts, did you know that the 1997 National Spelling Bee champion was a home schooled student? Oh, and that every year since 1997, the winner has been a home schooled student?(Lanphier, p.1)As well, home schooled students on average score 81 points higher on their SATs then those students who are educated in public schools (Cloud, Morse, p.3) . Eugene Hickok, President George W. Bush's under secretary for education told Time magazine himself that "we cannot blame people for exercising their choices and home schooling until we have some real changes out there."(Cloud, Morse p.1)The extra individualized attention that children are receiving in home school settings has proven to go a long way when it comes to the battle at hand.

When 'Columbine' and the many repeat incidents that followed there after happened, where you worried that this may happen to your own child? When we drop our child off at school, or see them onto the school bus, our only hopes and wishes are that they will be in a safe environment with protection from incidents such as Columbine. However, this is simply not true of the public school environment any longer. Public education has become a constant battle ground through the past several decades, as more and more violence has approached the children that enter.

As well as protection from violence, poor education, better adaptation to social involvements, etc. home schooled children are proven to excel later when they are implemented to the public school setting. (Cloud, Morse, p.8) It has been proven that home schooled children that attend public education settings for extracurricular activities such as physical education or an art class are more alert, more concentrated, and easier to teach than those who have been in public education solely (Cloud, Morse, p.6).

Taking into account all of the positive notions that come from being home schooled, and the other options parents have (public school, costly private school tuition, etc.) it is obvious why parents are choosing to home school more and more every year. Whether you have an A+ student with an IQ of 130, or if you have a child whom may be mentally challenged, placing them into a home schooled setting will not only benefit them as children, but as they continue through their lives, and you yourselves as the parents who taught them.

Lanphier, Mary. "Home Schooling vs. Public Schooling" The American Chronicle. 27 August 2006. .

Cloud, John, and Morse,Jodie."Home Sweet School." Time Magazine.29 June 2006. 27 August 2001. .

Moitozo, Steve. "The 4 Advantages of Home Schooling." At Home in America. 3 March 2003. .

Mattox, Jr.William R. "Homeschooling Has Social Advantage." The Ledger. 10 March 1999. .

Laurie. "Meaning of "Should You Home School?" Associated Content. 15 July 2005. .