Why do people think so low of homeschoolers?

Question

From my experience, people tend to think that homeschoolers are not smart, and are social outcasts. However, this is not true. For example, I was homeschooled from birth through kindergarten. I had been reading since age 3 and was very interested in learning. Through homeschool my parents were able to keep up and teach me more than I could learn by going to school. But by the time I finished kindergarten, I decided that I wanted to go to school. When I took a test for the 1st grade they found that I already knew everything that would be taught and they sent me to 2nd grade. Second of all, being a social outcast does not happen if you approach it the right way. As long as you are involved with extracurricular activities, it's almost impossible to make friends. My homeschooled friends have many friends, sometimes more than me, and I attend a private school (I'm going into 8th grade) Also, homeschoolers are very accepting of others. It's quite hard NOT to have friends. What do you think?

Answer 1

I have friends who were home schooled.. I think mostly.. it's just different.. to us that haven't been.. I am just more curious.. about it.. and what it all entails.. I have heard some neat stuff.. and my home schooled friends.. are smart people... and have all gone off to college.. and are doing there own thing and doing it well... My friends did say there circle of friends growing up was very small.. and when actually going to school.. the excelled at everything.. I think some people are just prone to pick on other for there differences.. I wouldn't sweat it.

Answer 2

I think that the majority of home school kids are well educated. The problem is the only time the majority of people hear about homeschooling is when something goes horribly wrong. The media only reports the negatives of homeschooling and rarely the positive. Since most people don't have any interest in homeschooling they don't look any further into the subject and they end up with a negative opinion of homeschool.

The other problem is that homeschooling parents and children are so tired of being ridiculed on the subject that they seem extremely defensive. They can't make dramatic, general statements like "public schools are a disaster" and expect the majority of people(that went to public schools) to listen to anything else they have to say. People also don't like hearing about how much smarter their kids are. They're parents, everyone expects them to be biased. Don't say things to other parents like "My little Timmy is six and reads at a third grade level" and expect a warm reception. Even if its true. It makes people want to prove them wrong or knock them down a notch. Not noticing that people find it condescending makes me think there might actually be "socialization" issue.

Edit: I agree with the post below.

Answer 3

I think there's alot of bias against homeschool because the general public wants to believe that public school is always best for a child's development all around - but they simply haven't talked to enough homeschool people to know the facts. I know some homeschooled kids where honestly - neither parent has the time to run a proper homeschool and the kids spend an awful lot of time watching movies and are very undisciplined. They are behind on grade level and don't have alot of socialization - these are kids where the parents are ending up putting them in public school because - well - they haven't done well with it. In that case - yeah - those kids might have been better off in the public school from day one. But, other homeschool parents do make sure that their kids have socialization - are getting physical education and their kids are excelling - if a parent can use homeschool to help their child excell in all areas - I'm all for it - but if a parent can't even do as well as the public school can in keeping them up to grade level - then that's just not good - most people think of it in a negative way because they don't know alot of kids who are homeschooled - I've know a gazillion families and the grand majority of them have kids with self confidence, esteem, healthy friendships - don't do dugs, curse or any of the other negative things I hear are going on in MY public grammar school!!! Alot of the public school kids behave like sewer rats and my kids are not school age yet - and I'm very scared of putting them in the public school system -but I'll do that if I don't think I can do a better job.

Answer 4

That's an interesting perspective. I've never really 'looked down' upon people who were homeschooled. And in my experience, homeschool students are prospectively more intelligent.
However, I can sympathize with views of exclusion.
Kids who have been in the school system since pre-K have also been in a constant social setting. From a very young age, these kids have learned the ropes of socializing. They've been with their peers their entire lives and can thus realize what is popular opinion.
People tend to think, however, that homeschoolers can only be social outcasts simply because they haven't had as many years of socialization.

Answer 5

I began homeschooling my son this past November, and my experience with people has been mostly positive. I live in a neighborhood that is about 60% Latino and 40% African American, and my neighbors, for the most part, know that the neighborhood school is failing their children. When I am asked which school my son attends, and I respond that I homeschool him, many people say, "That's great. I wish I could do that." I use their response as an opportunity to inform and educate them about homeschooling.

However, I do know that many homeschoolers receive negative responses. I believe these responses are based on ignorance and fear of the unknown. The few negative responses I received were from people who had concerns about "socialization." Once I explained that there are numerous opportunities for one'e child to be with other children and that school is not a place for "socialization," people understand a lot better.

Continue to be an advocate for homeschooling based on your own experience. I venture to say that you could have learned a lot more by continuing to be a homeschooled student, but often children want to try "going to school," as they see others doing it.

Answer 6

Most people who reject homeschooling are the Liberal National Teachers Associations Lapdogs.

They are scared that ordinary Americans will find out that they are Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! Also, they are scared that we will figure out that they are trying to brainwash the children into believing that moral values do not count. Additionally they are afraid that when the public wises up that they will lose all that money they have rolling in.

As you can tell, whenever a there is a national spelling bee, the top 10 contestants will have a high number of homeschoolers. The winner will most likely be a homeschooler.

Answer 7

People who have a low opinion of homeschoolers usually have little real experience with the homeschooling community at large, and usually no experience in homeschooling (either as parent or as child).

People who think socialization has to be a problem for homeschoolers, in my opinion, lack imagination. Maybe they rely too much on schools for socialization. While they are fretting over what homeschoolers will do when they enter "the real world" they are missing the fact that it is the homeschoolers who are out in the real world every day.

People also have these pre-concieved notions about what education should be or how it should take place. The schools have over-complicated it, IMO. Learning is a natural phenomenon. It needs fostering, not a bunch of arbitrary standards, IMO.

Answer 8

To give you the simple answer, there are two main contributors to the negative image. One is the powerful Teacher's Union which fears the competition from what is arguably a superior system. This is placing an increasing number of children outside of their control and proving that our education system is substandard, at best.
The other point is the perceived stigma of being "Christian" since so many of the families who home school do so for moral and religious reasons. The liberal media and NEA hate and fear the morality and religion taught by families.
In fact, many ordinary people oppose homeschooling simply out of ignorance which leads to fear.
Time and again Home schooled kids surpass their traditionally schooled counterparts and are the only ones who can compete with foreign children in academic challenges. Given their performance across the board, the NEA must either improve their performance or shut down the competition. Guess which option they chose?

Answer 9

Homeschool is largely viewed as wrong because of a variety of factors

Ignorant people

Dullards with a diploma that think they know nothing and have nothing to offer and think your parents are just like them

School systems and Teacher Unions who are losing money because of homeschoolers

I'm 55 and today I homeschooled for 4 hours

I watched videos from a HARVARD PH D on Organic Chemistry

I'll probably watch more, he was very interesting and I learned something.

I never TOOK organic Chemistry in school

Since I failed Alegra twice they wouldn't let me

I also program computers, that's ALL Algebra, some geometry and some trig

I had to learn all that on my own (unschooling and homeschooling) because the system wouldn't teach it to me because, you see, I'm a dullard!

Answer 10

Many people have a hard time accepting anything that is different. They want to be told how to think and society is telling them homeschooling is different therefore it must be bad. Sadly, people like this miss out on meeting truly amazing individuals and many other opportunities as well just so they can fit in and be like everybody else.