Should Thomas Edison have gone to school?

Question

Thomas Edison spent 3 months in school. His mother went in to discuss some of the problems. She disliked the teacher so much, she pulled Thomas from school.

She taught him to read, write and do math then left him to study what he wanted on his own, with some guidance. While some may say, "But she had been a school teacher!", please remember that there was no training for teachers back then. They simply taught they way they were taught, for the most part, and could become teachers often as young as 15 or 16. Also, she only did the early teaching and he learned independently after that on a wide variety of subjects.

Guided gently by his parents but still left to choose what he studied, he ended up studying lots of literature, history and science. When he discovered scientific works no school would ever have taught from, he became hooked.

As many homeschooling parents do when their children hit a level where they need help the parents can't provide, they sought outside mentors and hired a tutor to help him with Newton's "Principia".

It is unlikely that Thomas would ever have read and studied what he had if he'd been in school. The school books would have been used. There would have been no encouragement on his parents' part to read classics and study what he wanted because school would have been taking care of his education.

Given it all, he likely never would have become involved in science the way he did, would not have become the inventor he did, had his mother not pulled him.

So, should he have gone to school instead because his parents did not have higher knowledge or any other reason people have against homeschooling? If you think he should have gone to school, please give your reasons.

Please understand that I'm not saying NOBODY should go to school. But there are a lot of people saying that NOBODY should homeschool. Thomas Edison is one of many cases of home-educated people who had a successful life. And do consider that his hearing loss at the age of 12 would have affected his relationships with others. He was also a child who constantly asked questions and that was why he was such a thorn in his school teacher's side.

And yes, I am a homeschooler, but I'm also a former public school teacher. I know kids who are in public school and rightfully should be there because homeschooling would be a horrible choice for their family. But I know many, many homeschooling families who are doing a wonderful job with their kids. Many people make comments that nobody in their right might should ever homeschool their children and I wonder if they think the same given Thomas Edison's education.

Sorry, that should have been 'nobody in their right mind'.

Answer 1

Should a really successful man or woman in history have gone to school instead of being homeschooled?? You know that is one of the biggest WHAT IF questions of homeschooling. What if Alexander Graham Bell had gone to school instead of home?? Would we have the telephone today?? How about the Wright Brothers? Mozart? Stonewall Jackson? Brigham Young? Booker T. Washington? Pierre Curie?? WIlliam Penn?? Agatha Christie?? C.S. Lewis?? Mark Twain? Sally Ride?? Clara Barton?? Andrew Carnegie?? Albert Schweitzer??
You realize that I could go on... Right???
What would have happened in our history if some of these people went to the public school of their time?? Who knows.. What I do know is that there are many successful homeschooled people in history and that I am not going to judge their parents for making that decision!

Answer 2

I am guessing from your tone that you are a proponent of home schooling.

Thomas Edisons are very rare. He wasn't a success because he did not go to school. He would have succeeded had he gone to school.

Before you start bashing organized schools, remember that they not only have to serve the Thomas Edisons of the world, but they have to serve the children with lower academic abilities and lower intrinsic motivation to succeed (politically correct way of saying the less intelligent & misbehaving ones).

As a school teacher, I would love to have a classroom full of Thomas Edisons. Unfortunately, that is not what the public sends me.

If, as a parent, you think your child will do better being homeschooled rather than going to school, go for it. Remember, it is easier to teach a child their ABC's and simple mathematics than it is to teach them some of the material they would get in high school courses.

I hope you have a Thomas Edison. I am guessing if you do, you will keep him/her at home.On the other hand, if you have a less motivated child, I am guessing you will be sending him/her to people like me (teachers) to deal with before too long.

Answer 3

No.

Thomas Edison was a teacher's nightmare! Rumor has it that he troubled more than one teacher including private tutors. That's why there were problems and that's why his mother took him home.

Not every child is like him. And no, he could not make it in a group school situation -- he tried and it didn't work. Home School was perfect for him and it gave him the opportunity to study in a way that he could not have otherwise done.

(((Home Schooling is not our way of slamming public school. It is our way of educating our own children.

Parenting involves Teaching. Teaching involves Parenting. Just because I choose to Parent and Teach my own child should not be regarded as an insult to public group school teachers))))

(((Parents can now choose how and where to have their children educated -- at home school, private school, public school, charter school, etc.... It doesn't need to be a contentious choice --- granted, there is becoming a competition and teachers are needed to make themselves indispensable ---- so, I can understand the professional envy ---- but, still --- home schooling does work. )))))

Answer 4

The schools of Thomas Edison's day are not like the one's today. The real thing was Edison was a socially ackward child for much of his life and school may have been to his benefit. What worked for Edison was that he belonged to a large family which is not the case with most children today - but social awkwaedness is definately a downside to home schooling.

Answer 5

Einstien was homeschooled, pretty much the same story.

Answer 6

no