Should "home schooling" be permitted?

Question

Why or Why not. Support your answer please.

Answer 1

Yes.

This is a great option for people who find their public school system to be of poor quality. As a person who has gone to public school, and is now home-schooled I feel that I have great insight on this topic. Sitting in a school for 8 hours, and a classroom of 30+ doesn't give you great social skills. A majority of public schooled children are not well behaved, and screw it up for the kids that actually want to learn. I find working at my own pace, and helping pick my own lesson plan is a wonderful experience. I'm sure there are uninformed people who think home-schooled kids are "socially retarded". Then again they're not doing their research properly. I suggest that people research home-school options. Not everyone is taught by their parents. There have been so many updates and improvements to home-schooling over the years.

(Home-schooling is already permitted in the U.S, and in many other countries. J.S.Y.K)

Answer 2

First of all, the ones that say homeschoolers are not social are dead wrong. There are some bad examples, but most of us are so social, it's ridiculous.
Also, are some of you aware that some of the United State's top leaders were homeschooled. Most celebrities are homeschooled. There were many famous people who were homeschooled, and they turned out perfectly normal.
Homeschooling should be permitted. It's ridiculous that some countries do not allow it. Columbia University conducted a study that found that homeschoolers scored higher on college entrance exams than other students.
Also, in the past there was a problem with socialization. Society has done everything they can to overcome that. Most communities have groups for homeschoolers that provide support for the parents and children, field trips, homework help, extracurriculars, dances, etc. Socialization is NOT a problem anymore.
There are so many government approved homeschooling programs.
Many people know homeschoolers, but they don't even know it. Many homeschoolers are generally well adjusted children. Many can have intelligent conversations with children and adults alike.
I was in public schools for 11 years. I finished in 9 months what would have taken 2 years in public school. I became much more social. Anyone who worked with me knew that I was homeschooled and had no problem with it because they could see that I was perfectly normal. (I completely destroyed the assumption that homeschoolers are anti-social). I had always gotten good grades, but they got even better.
Of course, there are bad examples. Homeschooling is not for everyone as Playa showed. Some people just do not like homeschooling. However, I would greatly appreciate it if those of you who have never experienced homeschooling would wait to form you opinions on it until you have experienced it. You simply do not know what you are talking about, and therefore, your opinion means nothing. I never had to deal with people in the real world acting the way you do. They saw me, and they knew that I was perfectly normal, so they accepted it without protest. They never complained about homeschooling. In fact, many of them liked the fact that I was homeschooled. Again, please don't comment on it if you have never experienced it. Thank you in advanced.

Answer 3

Permitted? That is an interesting way to put it. When I think about the decision of how I want to care for or educate my child, I don't think about asking someone's permission. I think about wisely using my resources, which includes my time, my personal experts and my own ability to learn and do anything I set my mind to.

I think it is interesting that we as a society have decided to school our kids in institutions with summers off (so they can help with the heavy family farm work, as it turns out when you research it), but even in that there are so many approaches and kinds of schools - but ultimately we are responsible for the health and education of our children, period.

Certainly the high percentage of kids suffering from behavioral and neurological problems has the number of homeschooled kids on the rise, and many people get behind that - but people look a bit funny at those who don't want their kids in school because it teaches the world in a way that is contrary to their community beliefs, or think that a child won't develop emotionally if they are not around a lot of ill mannered brats and uninspired teachers for 80% of their school years. And for what? So that we can breed another generation of sitters and paper pushers?

The leaders of tomorrow will have not be the folks pushed through the cookie cutter education system of 35 kids per teacher. The leaders of tomorrow will be taught how to teach themselves, so they can learn anything and everything about what excites them - that's what will solve the worlds problems and move us onto a brighter and better future.

I don't think it's anyone else's business if a parent home schools their child - I think they should be happy to have some relief to an already over crowded and questionable system. Even so, there are many checks and balances - as varied as each state can imagine - to ensure a child is learning.

I guess the question really is, who's child is it? Is it my child or is it my community's child? Who has the right to make these decisions? Who will be responsible for the outcome? When you answer those you find (I hope!) that we permit our children to participate in societal structures or we don't, not the other way around.

Peace!

Answer 4

Yes it should be permitted. I live in a country that guarantees some basic freedoms to all people. While not explicitly spelled out, one of these freedoms is to have children and raise them. Home schooling is one way of raising children. Choosing the type of schooling is also another freedom. The government does not force me to send my child to one and only school.

If the government is going to require that all children go to school, how is freedom being respected? Is it not somewhat dictatorial to say, "You can have children but you are not allowed to have them with you most of the time"?

The majority of parents who decide to homeschool do so because they believe in their hearts it's the best thing for their kids and they do what they can to make sure it's a good situation. People can fuss and say, "But how are you going to make sure they have a good education? That they learn how to 'socialize'?" How can the schools guarantee that? Why would you trust the schools over parents? Furthermore, what's more important: good parenting or a good education? Are we going to start forbidding people to raise children because they don't have certain "credentials"? What kind of a society would we be? Do we really want to turn out like the society in "Brave New World"???

Answer 5

Yes because many children do not thrive or learn in traditional classrooms. This is especially true when a teacher has anywhere up to 30 students to deal with. Many kids will be overlooked or simply fall between the cracks simply because the teacher can't be in every place and work individually with each kid. Also, public schools have gotten away from a true liberal arts based education. While it is true our schools have some of the lowest math and science scores in the world, there is far more to an education that those two subjects. As No Child Left Behind has take effect, more and more of the limited class time is being directed towards just two subjects...math and reading. Kids are not getting (especially in the lower grades) the exsposure to geopgraphy, social studies, art and music they once did. Many schools hve gotten rid of music and art altogether. PT is down to once a week, often for only part of the year and recess has all but vanished as the demands to teach to test have increased. Add in the fact that many schools have been forced into situations that make it difficult for them to discipline kids who bully or act out towards other kids, and you have students who even in first or second grade are afraid to go to school.

I have homeschooled for the past three years. My daughter has a learning disability that became harder and harder to work with as she progressed in school. Her school refused to asknowledge the impact her disabilities were having. Still, as an experienced parent who had gone toe to toe with the school over issues for our autistic son, I was prepared to keep advocating for my daughter if she had been happy otherwise, However, my daughter was on the recieving end (and this was in 2nd and 3rd grade) of some of the cruelest bullying and racial perdjudice I have ever seen. She was ostracized from social groups and activities because of her skin color (she was the only caucasian child in her class). Girls constantly told her she was ugly and because of the learning issues, that she was stupid as well. Boys in the sixth grade constantly targeted my daughter for racial and sexual harassment, even going so far as to pin her to a wall and threaten her if she told what they had said. I reported every episode to the school. Parents were called in, meetings held but nothing of any serious nature could be done. The district did not allow for expulsion at these grade levels. Complaints to the district also fell on deaf ears. I went to the ACLU as my daughter's right to a free and appropriate education was being compromised, but after serious research and consideration, I realized that what she would have to go through to fight this in a legal forum would be more than she could handle. My bright, funny, school loving daughter was now crying every day, having panic attacks, headaches and was on the verge of developing ulcers...in THIRD GRADE. Homeschooling was the best choice. It has not been the easiest...it takes a lot of work and dedication to homeschool a child and it is not for everyone...but it is certainly an option that should continue to be legal.

Answer 6

Well, as having attended private, public, charter, AND homeschool, I think I'm qualified to give my opinion.

Yes.

My public high school was a nice drug-free, alcohol-free, strict environment, but a mess. 45+ kids in the English classroom. Yes, I met good friends in the public highschool, that I kept in touch with. But overall, it wasn't for me. Over 1,000 students crowding the campus, 3 minutes to run between class to class. Students in the 11th grade who couldn't read a simple course objective paper, because the public schools failed to hold them back a year when they didn't learn how to read.

Private school was great for me, but it was where I grew up, from grades PreK-9th. I wore the girls' uniform- white collered shirt, and uniformed skirt, and sat in my seat every morning at 8:00 A.M. Some days, I had finished my daily work by 10:00 A.M. This is because in most private schools, you work at your own pace. If you can finish the work, you take out your next book, and start on that subject.

In private, you score your own work, you have all the normal quizzes and tests (teacher scores those). Teacher monitors your progress by evaluating your work/scoring from time to time, to make sure you're not cheating.

Private school, you set your own daily goals, what pages you'll do in each subject. Whatever you don't finish by 3:00, you take home as homework.

One thing I can't say for private school, is their vocabulary. They have a GREAT core course just for Spelling (called Word Building), aside from English, but neither course teaches a lot of vocabulary.

Charter schools weren't for me. The teachers were strict with the log-keeping/record keeping. They only came to your home to evaluate progress once a week, and it wasn't for long (an hour at most).

Homeschooling is a great option, but I prefer to have the support of a correspondence school, such as Abeka Academy, behind me. Pay them to do all the recordkeeping, save myself the time. Plus, you don't have the hassle of having to file an affidavit with the local Superintendent, so you can have THEIR permission to teach YOUR child in YOUR home.

For everyone that thinks homeschooled children don't socialize, that is something the individual parent needs to think about. The child should be involved in social activities (sports, volunteer work, 4-H, ETC). In most charter schools, they do offer field trips, after-school clubs, and other activites, which is nice. But, it's still something the parent needs to be responsible for.

One advantage to private (and sometimes Homeschooling) school is, you learn how to set goals for yourself, and reach them. That's not something that any public school teaches. The teacher sets the goals, the student does the work. When you get to college, or beyond, goal setting is something you do. I've read that private schooled kids tend to actually do better, because of this, because they are already used to setting goals or themselves, and pacing themselves.

I agree that, if anything, the question should be, Should public school be permitted? Because, I know a lot of people who have been failed by public education.

Answer 7

I am only responding to this because of the way you worded it. Permitted. Permitted. There is no one that is going to govern over me as to how I am going to raise MY child in regards to education. If I chose to "unschool" him, that is MY choice and not any governing body! I think your question should be, Should public schooling be permitted? My husband was home schooled and he is a much more well rounded person than all the other guys I had to chose from that were socially stupid and were "public schooled." I am also planning on homeschooling my son. I know he won't come home on dope, speaking improper English and overall just ill prepared for the real world! Be permitted............please.

Answer 8

Parenting is a constitutionally protected right in our country. A part of parenting is the right to see to the education of your children. As a result, homeschooling your own kids is not "permitted", it is a right.
Not only is it a right, homeschooling is the preferred way to educate your kids. The public school system is failing miserably. Test scores keep failing despite the fact that they keep dumbing down the tests and the teachers now teach to the test. Homeschoolers outperform both public and private schoolers in standardized testing in ALL subjects. The US ranks near the bottom of the industrialized world in standardized testing.
As for what is normal, Sitting in a class with 30 other kids your own age is not normal and will never be repeated in your whole lifetime. We work with people of varied ages and backgrounds. Homeschoolers are typically involved in a variety of activities including co-operatives, field trips, sports, music, church and community activities. They are typically very well socialized and rounded, unlike public school kids who only socialize with kids their own age. They scorn younger kids and are scorned by older kids. They learn to be like sheep and follow the "cool kids". They must dress like them, talk like them, listen to the right music, get the right tattoos, have the right attitudes and hang with the right people. This is not socialization, it's called peer dependence. Homeschooling done right is more real world and produces better students and people. Homeschooling should be promoted as the preferred form of education for our nation.

Answer 9

It is difficult to convince our deep inner self that it has no separate existence than the physical body it carries and is apparently bonded with. As a result, it is only natural for us to believe that this earth is not our home..... we have just come here for sometime and then we must move out (like it happens in a commercial hotel)...... I also believe that we are bound by time and space (the 4 Dimensions) here on earth because we are bound by our physical body, which implies that when we die, we get liberated from this physical body and that should concurrently mean that we also move into Dimensions higher than and beyond these 4 Dimensions that enclose us here on earth.

Answer 10

I agree with "Go Pats!". Every single one of her points should be recognized, but my added point is this:

Education is not needed to have success.

You read that right. We are having high-school drop-outs becoming self-made millionaires since they could see and invest their opportunity. The public schools deter from those opportunities. I should shut up about the subject now, or it would take weeks to read my answer.

Homeschooling should be the national standard of education. It gives us the best knowledge, the best experience, and yes, WE DO HAVE SOCIAL LIVES!!!! I am 15 and homeschooled, but I am so **** sick of hearing that homeschoolers can't be social. That is the biggest load of BS I have ever heard, next to us wearing pajamas to school.

Homeschooling is one of the best educations, if not the best education, out there, but then again, there's no need for eduaction to become successful.

Email me, I'd be glad to answer questions.