homeschooling is a brainwashing cult.?

Question

Opinions please
My opinion: Homeschooling is a brainwashing cult.

I am not being homeschooled. My cousin was homeschooled and she is very close minded. Also, if you think public school isn't that great then dont be cheap and send your kid to a private school. Bottom line I think any one over 8 needs to be in school.

Answer 1

Nope. I was homeschooled for a while, and honestly, it did me good. I learned a LOT about responsibility - and I was involved in sports, music, and art...so I had plenty of interaction with..."normal"...kids who weren't homeschooled.

I'm pretty sure that I'm not brainwashed...as far as I know, I approve of and highly endorse going to a public or private school.

But homeschooling is a neat thing - it allows the parent/guardian to get to know the student/child better, and allows more time for learning things, such as responsibility, and being able to stay on-task.

Answer 2

I sense that you're angry. I feel sorry for what ever it is that you are going through but you must realize that homeschooling alone is not a "brainwashing cult". It is used as a replacement of public/private schools for many different reasons. We that homeschool did not all get our morals and values from the same place. If your cousin is small minded and lacks the social behaviors that you think he should have then I think you should look at his "teacher", not homeschooling in general. There are all different types of people in this world. And that includes persons who homeschool there children. I have 3 daughters that attend public school and are doing GREAT. I however have a 13 year old nephew that the public system has failed and I homeschool him now. Your definition of homeschooling does not fit his or our lifestyle. Again, I sense you are angry about something more on a personal level and I'm sorry for that. Just please try not to be so judgemental and prejudice of others in the future. You're smarter than that. Have a pleasant day and God bless!

Answer 3

As you can tell from the responses already posted, homeschoolers are a diverse lot. My husband and I for example, are a Democrat and a Republican, and we do try to present different sides of the story (there always seems to be more than one version) to our children which is not always done in the history texts you find in the schools.

You know what's interesting about you bringing up the whole "brainwashing cult" is the whole history behind the public school system. During the Industrial Revolution, they designed our school system to train and basically "brainwash" children, especially immigrant children, to be obedient factory workers. The lined up school desks, ringing of bells, use of blackboards, children were taught to conform and follow directions and instructions, etc. Your statement would be closer to factual if you replaced it with "Public schooling is a brainwashing cult." BTW, if you think these are some bizarre books or something, I actually read about this in some of my grad school textbooks at FSU in a History of Education class.

Answer 4

Wow...and I am thinking that public school is a brainwashing cult. It starts in kindergarten, where you are taught certain 'manners' and 'rules'. You are taught that your own feelings and opinions don't matter, only those of your teachers and principal. You are taught to ignore your own hunger needs to eat on their schedule, and taught to ignore your basic body cues and pee on schedule. You are told when you can learn, when you can talk, when you can come and when you can go. THat's the basic definition of a cult.

Most people in western cultures have been brainwashed into believing that public school is the only way you can learn, that you can only learn things if taught by the leader of the cult. You are also brainwashed into believing that living nine hours a day with 30 age peers (or even more once you get into high school) is appropriate socialization. Reminds me a lot of Stranger in a Strange Land, where all the kids are raised in 'lots' by age and ability.

What do you think about that? You should probably ask your school for a basic class in probability and logic. Unless you know a certain percentage of homeschoolers, it is illogical to categorize them all as religious or political cults. On the other hand, public schools are the government mandated brainwashers.

Answer 5

Ummm....wrong. You have no idea what goes into homeschooling.

Definition of cult...NOUN: 1a. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. b. The followers of such a religion or sect. cultic, cultish, cultism, cultist.

Now, we are not religious, and most homeschoolers I know are NOT religious.

There is no "charismatic leader" over all homeschoolers. The only leader that I know of is the child's parents. And I would hope any public schooled child would have a good leader in their own parent.

We are not brainwashing our children, quite the contrary. Public schools only teach the PC version of any given story. ( I was public schooled, I know this is a fact) Parochial schools cut anything "unsavory" out of the text books, hence not learning most of history. My children are learning every side to any given story.

I am not closed minded at all, my husband isn't close minded. I hope that means our children will be open minded as well.

And if we could afford private school we may consider it, but it's not being cheap. We just can't afford it.

Answer 6

Homeschooling is definitely NOT a cult and it isn't brainwashing. Both of my nephews were homeschooled from kindergarten through high school graduation. Both went on to college where they did very well and they have both graduated.

I used to teach high school science and I was totally opposed when my sister and brother-in-law decided to home school. However, I decided to research it. I knew that in order to be fair I would need to keep an open mind. By the time I was done, I was very much for homeschooling.

I could probably write a book about the positives of homeschooling and about how many who were homeschooled have gone on to do very well in college and in their careers....but I won't.

Answer 7

Uhm. No. I was homeschooled I'm I'm definately not closed minded. My parents sorta' are hence the homeschool thing. But ultimately it's up to the kids to figfure out where they stand in life. I graduated at 16 and at 17 I've been accepted into a paramedics program at my local comunity college. My brother at 15 was in the top ten percentile in the nation with his SAT scores, so it's really not a cult. But sometimes parents use it as a way for sheltering there kids. Mine used it more for education and the sheltering's kinda' inevitable. Your cousin just has to be able to find herself in the world, eventually reality will hit.

Answer 8

Homeschooling is not a cult. I know you stated
"My cousin was homeschooled and she is very close minded". Many of us who homeschool, do instill Christian beliefs into our children. The bible is our guide book. So if by "close minded" you mean she disagrees with the apparent sins of the world such as homosexuality, fornication, adultery, not wanting to be involved in worldliness, then she's not close minded she's simply serving our Lord.

I homeschool because I don't want my children caught up in worldliness at this young age. I want them to have a strong Christian foundation laid for them so they'll be prepared when they are thrown into this world without parental guidance.

I attended public school and I have more bad memories from it than good. Being picked on, needing to wear this brand or that to fit in, having to be like this person or that. Not being taught any morals. That is what I don't want for my daughters.

My children are loving and kind to all they meet, out going, and have wonderful friends from church. I get to supervise who they are hanging out with and the sort of attitude I want them to exhibit.

How many times have you witness others in school being picked on, often times making it hard to learn in school and making school a miserable experience overall.

Right now my 1st grader is doing 2nd and 3rd grade work. She has cousins who were homeschooled and they're in med school doing extremely well.

Don't be fooled into believing there is something wrong with others if they are not living as the world lives.

Answer 9

There are lots of close minded people out here and its not cuz the homeschooled, there all the public schoolies.
As for you opinion of homeschoolers being brainwashed, well i think its public school that does that to you.
I also think that your being close minded and not seeing all the positive sides to homeschooling and the negative sides to public!

Answer 10

Well I can then only assume you went to pubic school? I suppose that is where you were taught to have such a close minded attitude about things in which you obviously don't understand, and are to lazy to actually research enough before you begin spewing you wayward attitude on others. Homeschooling can only work for open-mined individuals who are willing to broaden there horizions, and accept a "different method of teaching and learning. If for example you never attended public schools and were soley home taught, I'm sure that you would have a more expanded opinion and be able to express yourself a bit more than "My opinion: Homeschooling is a brainwashing cult". I'd really like to know what if any experience you have with homeschool or anybody who is currently, or has been home taught. Homeschoolers may not be taught by your standards of "conventinal methods" but on average home schoolers standardized testing scores are much higher than public schools.

# The growing number of children in the United States that get their education at home is about 1.2 million - - about the same as the total number of students in the New Jersey public school system. Most choose home-schooling out of academic frustration with poor public school quality and discipline problems, religious convictions, or safety concerns. (source - The Economist, 11 December 1999, pg. 30)
# March 2001. We know home schooled students score higher than the average of any state's schools. They scored 22.8 in ACT Composite, which is higher than the highest state, Oregon, at 22.7, and 5 points higher than Washington, DC, at 17.8. And the best thing of all-- they cost we the taxpayers absolutely nothing, nada, zero. John Knight, 3/20/01 - [e-mail]

So now maybe I can't sway your opinion, but atleast you are alittle more educated and informed.