Why I Would Never Home School My Children
The Viewpoint of a Public School Parent
Certainly there are some situations where home schooling may be best for a child; perhaps with a child who has special needs or other considerations that make public or private schools an unattractive option.
There are many reasons I would never home school my children, the most glaring of these being the fact that I am not a teacher. Teachers are college educated and trained to work with children and assist them with learning. I am not. I am not unintelligent, nor am I uneducated, but I have not been trained as a teacher. People will argue that many teachers are not fit to teach in a classroom. I agree, but I also know how to approach my school administrators and ask for a teacher I feel would be a better fit for my child.
If you have been trained as a teacher and want to home school your child then that is great. If you are intelligent and educated and feel you can do a better job than a school, then by all means, give it a try. My concern is with the parents who are uneducated and ill suited to be teaching their children at home. Is it fair to let those children slip through the educational cracks?
Socialization is a huge buzzword in the home schooling debate. I think you can take your children to all the gymnastics and dance classes, music lessons, and sporting events in the world and they are still not going to be as well socialized as the child who attends a school. Here is my reasoning for that. The children who are taken to such classes and lessons are very likely to be on exactly the same socioeconomic level as your own child simply because those are the parents who can afford the lessons.
Where is your child going to learn about those who are not just like them? Where will they meet the child of a different race or the child who has less privilege than they do or more privilege for that matter? They will never know the teacher who has a physical disability, but has made it their life's work to teach children because they love to teach and do an amazing job at it, or the disabled child who has been mainstreamed into public school and is a friend to everyone. Because they will not meet a diverse group of people, they are very unlikely to know how to interact with them. Home schooled children are missing out on an education in diversity by being boxed into a world of people who are just like they are.
As I mentioned in a comment on a post about home schooling, many of the home schoolers I have known were doing it for religious reasons. Unfortunately, they were fairly radical and extreme in their beliefs and were raising a generation of children to be narrow minded and bigoted, just as their parents are. Someone please tell me how that is a healthy experience in today's society. Are we not just breeding a group of
children who will be intolerant and have no respect for the thoughts and opinions of others? And for those who might wonder, we are a Christian family. My children attend Sunday school and church, as well as a Bible study during the school year in addition to the spiritual teaching I share with them at home.
A home schooled child is the center of their parent's world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What happens when they go out in the real world to find out that no one else cares that much? I have seen a home schooled child get, shall we say in a snit, at an athletic event when they were not allowed to be first up to bat. At home that child was first up for everything and had no concept that there were other children at that game who deserved equal consideration.
While the public school system in America may have some serious flaws, it is still, in my opinion, the best way for children to get a well-rounded education that will serve them throughout their lifetime. Educators should be given the chance to do the job they are trained to do and educate our children. If there is a problem with a class, or a teacher, you have every right, as a parent to speak up on your child's behalf and you should. That is the way to ensure your child has a good education.
Published by Becky Smith
I served as the Senior Editor of a local parenting publication for 2 years and am now the Layout Editor for OKIE magazine, a local arts, news and entertainment publication.Writing was always my dream job. I... View profile
Why Homeschooling is a Valid Choice for Many ParentsRecently an AC Content Producer named Becky Gallops wrote an article about why she would never homeschool her children. While I respect Becky's writing, I disagreed with her sta...
Public School Versus Homeschooling: Which is Better?The reality is most Americans feel they have no choice when they send their children to public school. Homeschooling is simply not doable to many parents. The consequences of th...- THE DSA PROJECT INSPECTOR'S ROLE in PUBLIC SCHOOL CONSTRUCTIONThis article discusses some of the mysteries associated with the use of a DSA project inspector, which is required by law on public school construction projects however seldom is any information disclosed regarding th...
Lego Toy, Horse, Science Project Get Public School Students in TroubleRecent overreactions by public school officials include treating two-inch Lego toy as weapon, refusing to release a child to her mom due to the mom's chosen transport, and calli...- Home Schoolers Grade Our Public School SystemWhy do people home school? Is public school really THAT bad where parents feel they have no alternative except to home school?
- Preparing for the Parent-Teacher Conference
- Can a Parent Really Be Heard by a Teacher in Fifteen Minutes?
- How Smart Does a Homeschooling Parent Need to Be?
- 10 Tips for Preparing for a Parent Teacher Conference
- Home School: Why One Mother Won't Put Her Kids in Public Schools
- Unemployment's Silver Lining: An Opportunity to Home School Your Children for the...
- Socialization: A Primary Reason to Home School
81 Comments
Post a CommentI have run into a situation in which I am in a relationship and his ex homeschools. My children have always attended public schools. Socially his kids are doing well, but his daughter appears to be missing some very basic foundational writing skills and she is of high school age. He would have preferred to start his kids in public school by middle school, but she is unwilling to do that. He's asked for her to have them tested by the school district and she has refused. I am shocked by the lack of accountability in the state to make sure that these kids are getting a good education and are equipped with basic skills. How can that be? I'm sure that some people do an excellent job and go above and beyond what they need to do, but what about the ones who do the minimum (and what is that even when there are so few state requirements)? It's hard to understand.
@reignflowers- When I wrote this article I was 39 years old and I have known many, many homeschoolers, but thanks for assuming I have no idea what I am talking about. It's an opinion piece and it is simply my opinion. While I have seen some very well adjusted homeschooled children, I have still met more who were not.
The author of this article is obviously very young and probably has never met anyone who has homeschooled their children nor anyone who has been homeschooled. Homeschooling has become more popular within the recent decade but it has existed for many years. Parents are the best decision makers for their children and if they feel that they are not equipped to home school thier own children, they probably wouldn't do it. Parents usually want the best for thier children. Also, you would be surprised at how well rounded, confident and socialized homeschooled children really are. Remember, they get opportunities to travel abroad while learning too. It's not hard to get them socialized. There are plenty of places to become soicalized and cultured ouside of school. If the child has a talent that their parents are investing in like preparing the child to participate in the olympics or getting them involved in professional training in dance and theater for example, homeschooling may be a
Excellent article! Short of one or two exceptions, each homeschooling parent I've met has either had major control issues, low self-esteem & insecurity or has been a raging narcissist. It is pure selfishness, fear & ego that keep these parents homeschooling under the guises of 'ideology' 'purity' 'caring' 'superior education' or religious belief. Regardless of how you look at it, it boils down to child abuse. It is cruel and selfish!
My husband's grandchildren are all 3 homeschooled. I cannot believe how behind they are. The mother actually says she has school once a week and does 5 lessons. She says she sometimes does not have school for 3-4 weeks at a time-like when they moved. Her children also are not allowed to participate in team sports. They do not go to church because they do not agree with any church in their area (Chicago). The 12 year old can barely write. The 8 year old has a severe speach impediment-which they say is ok since they can understand him. I could go on and on. If children are to be homeschooled they should also be tested in a public school at least once a year to make sure they are actually being taught.
Just like Kate, I am 18 and have been in public school my whole life. While I can understand that public school can be harmful, why wouldn't a parent let their child at least try it? If they have a hard time you could always change your mind and have them homeschooled. I have never done drugs, drank, or even had sex and I'm an 18 year old in a public high school. So while you are saying that this article is full of stereotypes, so are many articles that are for homeschooling. I have learned so much about others and have learned how to stand up for myself.
Amen! For many of the same reasons, I also would not have put my children in private school. My children are now out of the nest, but one of the best gifts I gave them was encouragement to be part of the real world in public school. They learned how to learn because no one was holding their hands through every assignment. They learned how to get along with people from a wide variety of home situations which included different family make-up and different socio-economic backgrounds. They also learned that home was not the only place they could be comfortable and "at home". They are bright, happy young adults who have learned how to make a place in the world for themselves. I am also delighted that they enjoy sharing their world with me!
I too am a Christian AND a public school teacher. I know many homeschooled children who can communicate well with adults but aren't able to have a basic conversation with children their own age.
You said it yourself. Children will fall through the cracks, but not in a good quality home learning environment. That is the very reason we are homeschooling. Think about it - 20 children with one teacher and perhaps a helper or two in a state-run government public school vs. two children in our personal household with one loving parent teaching them. Where is the propensity for a child falling through the cracks and from where do you obtain your blinkered notion that the child will fall through the cracks at home? My guess is from public school propaganda, because their system is failing our Nation's most treasured resources - our children! Our children came from orphanages where neglect pushed them so far back in their maturity, social prowess and trust that they could barely function. Then they came to us to live in America and have sailed around the world, so to speak, with loving parents, who have our children's best interests at heart - not a punch-the-clock mentality. Public sc
(cont)Do you think that home schoolers live in a flipping bubble? That they are completely shut out from the world at large? WHen my children see a homeless man on the corner, rather than sitting on the seat of the school bus with other 12 year-olds who would point, tease and snicker at the man's misfortune with their infinite maturity (nice social lesson, yes?) they will learn why the man is homeless, what lead to that situation and how he can be helped or help himself out of it. The socialization argument is tired and regurgitated. Really.