What do you think is better for today's teenagers, home school or public school?

Question

With all the sex, drugs, and cliques in public schools, should we home school our children?

Answer 1

Depends on how you define school. If you define it as a place to become educated, homeschool is generally better. If it's a place to learn playground politics (which aren't used in the 'real world') and how to deal with guns, violence, and drugs (which also aren't part of most people's 'real world'), then generally public school is better.

We do not send kids to school to learn social skills - the purpose of public education is ... education! While I agree that a certain amount of social education is necessary, I disagree that the public school is the best place to learn it. One of my favorite quotes is: "Where did we ever get the idea that the best place to socialize a 13 year old is with 1000 other 13 year olds?"

Answer 2

Public school is by far the better choice. There are more opportunities in public school for socialization, athletics, academics, clubs, etc.

Even if they are exposed to sex, drugs, cliques, etc. that is the real world. These are the same people they are going to have to deal with all of their lives outside of the home. It is better to expose them as teenagers when the parents still have some control and can help guide their children in the right path. If they graduate from home schooling and go out into the real world, it would be a complete shock. They might not know how to relate or they might be easily tempted by the bad influences.

Answer 3

While home schooling may shield your children from many dangers in the world, it will limit there ability to deal and adapt to the real world when they are adults.
Are there dangers yes, but the dangers don't stop once they are out of school. If you want to protect your children be up front with them, tell them the truth about things. And also understand that the best thing you can do for them is let them make the choices themselves.
I grew up in a poor neighborhood. Most my friends did drugs and things like that. My parents told me honestly what they expected from me. They let me know of the dangers in a positive way and I am happy to say I never got in trouble, nor did drugs. Today i am successful cause I was given the opportunity to grow-up and not pushed to live my parents life for me.

Answer 4

There are pros and cons to both sides in this situation. When a teenager goes to public school, they learn inside and outside the classroom. Becuase they are always around other people, they develope their social skills. When someone is home schooled, they are not able to have the benefit of learning much necessary social skills that they will need later on in life.

Yes, there are many bad things that go on in public schools, but in order to prevent your child from doing any of these, talk to your child about them so they know what there is out there and what it does to your body.

All in all, I think that public schools are more beneficial for a child's future. Home school is nice, for you to protect your child now, but after a while, you will have to let them go into the world and they won't have mother's wing to protect them anymore.

Answer 5

Definitely home-schooling. I went to public school since elementary, and I entered 9th grade and to be quite frank it was pretty disgusting. The majority of my friends were already non-virgins, most were drinking and smoking. These are white, black, mexican, asians that I am speaking about.

Some people here said that you need to prepare them for the cruel world, but this is not the way you prepare someone for the realities of this life. That shows the ignorance of many when speaking about such issues.

You teach a child/teenager the realities of life by teaching them what is good for them and what is bad for them. By instilling in them such principles, you are making sure that when they do face those situations, they will remember this is good and this is bad.

We don't destroy our children by sending them to their doom. Many can disagree with me but I faced this myself. Would you want to be around such things yourself? That is a question every parent needs to ask themselves. If you wouldn't, then why would you want it for your precious child?

Our children are the hope of the future and the truth is that public school is a place of pure evils, where they may spend 2-3 hrs at most (as statistics show) listening to a teacher. If you hear your children curse at you, ask yourself why could this be happening?

Another thing people give as an excuse to put their children in doom is socializing. But homeschooled children spend more time socializing in other places outside of school. They see life for the reality that it is. Their parents teach them while showing them what parenting is like, being a spouse, bring relatives over, responsibilities - not a school which will eventually end and will not be part of their reality anymore.

Be smart with your children. Don't let this mentality take over your mind. Public schools don't allow any type of religion orientation in classes, or give credit for such things. They teach history from a view the government wants them to have.

I think some of you need to read this,

http://www.gordonneufeld.com/HOTYK_ChapterOne.pdf

Answer 6

There are of course pros and cons to both issues. There is also no correct answer for any one child. They are individuals and you should base your decission upon that as well. Also don't forget private schools.

However, I will point out one thing. In your teenage years you are developing a great deal of social skills, problem solving skills. They are going to make mistakes, and you can be ther to guide them no matter what. But if they are home schooled do you think they will be as prepeared to adapt to society and it's harse realities. Protectionism is not the answer here. Guidence is. Also if you don't like the public school your child attends, get involved and make some changes for the better.

Answer 7

It depends on the parents and what homeschooling resources are in their area, but i would have to say homeschooling. A lot of people think that homeschoolers have no social life, and are socially inept. While that is true with some, it certainly is not true for me. I've been homeschooled all my life, and i certainly have a social life. Most people think homeschooling means doing all school work at home and not being involved in any kind of system, but that's not true. I have a school (it's called my covering) where i can take classes like biology, chemestry, literature, math, drama, and much more. My school also has a lot of sports to get involved with, and the baseball and basketball teams are actually very good and travel a lot. While not all homeschools are as structered as mine, if parents want to homeschool their children but are worried about them being socially inept, it's not hard to find a good, involved homeschooling system like mine.

The thing i'm most thankful for in being homeschooled, is that it has tought me to think critically. A lot of critics of homeschooling who have no experience with it might think the opposite, that our parents teach us what they think we should know and that we're sheltered, closeminded and can't think for ourselves. I for one have a very open mind, am into current events, i even disagree with my parents about a lot of things (now that should prove that i'm a normal teenager!). Critics also say we won't be prepared for college and the "real world". I have yet to experience college myself, but i have older siblings who have done just fine, and think that homeschooling actually prepared them better for college than public school would have. My sister (homeschooled her whole life) is currently in the middle east interning with a newspaper.

I also think i get a much better education by being homeschooled. I don't consider myself a genious, but i got in the 94th percentile on the SAT in 9th grade. A guy from my school got a perfect 36 on the ACT, a lot of finalists and even some winners of the Spelling Bee are homeschooled, and as the first wave of the homeschooled generation is going out into the world, getting jobs in the government and sciences, they will hopefully help to open the eyes of the world and and show everyone what homeschoolers can do.

Answer 8

I was in public school though K-9th grades. When I got into high school I didn't like all the sex, drugs, fights, and drama that was going on. So now I'm being home-schooled. I take classes online from my state's Virtual School.

Answer 9

For one thing, if they have already been in public school up until this point, they are not going to be social outcasts. I started homeschooling my 8th grader in the middle of the 8th grade. He is in highschool now. Actually I chose an accredited correspondence for him at this point to that he can get a diplomna.~I had two daughters graduate public highschool. One did great socially (Big into sports)and the other had so many emotional problems from not fitting in, because she was not into sports and she was not into drugs.~I get sick and tired of people saying they are blocked from the outside world with homeschool. Have they ever heard of 4-H, church, society in general outside of the school. How much positive communication are many of them getting in public school?~I agree that it depends on the situation they are in.~ For us.....with the one we homeschool, he could not take anymore of the social scene at public school. We ended up talking to the local pediatrician about feelings he was having and the school had "set" rules and would not really work with us in any way to help him deal. He gets great grades and was never in any serious trouble, it just was not working for him.~The only regrets that we have are that in this district, if they are not in public school, they cannot participate in sports and he missed basketball. Our community is small and not a lot to choose from in nonpublic sports.~ Go with what works for you and ignore "opinions". There are a lot of homeschoolers out there. I think it is fine if you are dedicated and get them schooled.

Answer 10

Well, Public School teaches you that the world is cruel, and gets you ready for the real world, but homeschooling is a good way to keep your children from doing wrong things, but being babied in homeschool can also lead to rebellion, which means WRONG THINGS.