Every child's existence includes education as a vital component. Parents must decide whether to homeschool their kids or enroll them in public schools because it is recommended that they start educating them at a young age. Homeschooling has drawn debate and criticism from parents all over the globe, with some in favor and others against it. The term "homeschooling" describes instructional activities that are carried out at home, frequently under the supervision of a parent or tutor. The technique of education is prevalent in many nations and has given rise to both positive and negative arguments, mostly regarding its efficacy and effect on a child's overall development.There are concerns about homeschooling not producing children who are well socialized. Those supporting homeschooling and opposing it have their valid reasons as to why they take their positions because it has both advantages and disadvantages. The kind of schooling is growing, and its influence is increasing day by day with several parents opting for their children to study at home. However, despite homeschooling being popular, parents should weigh the pros and cons before deciding on a long-term decision that has lasting impacts on a child.
Pros and Cons of Homeschooling
Research indicates that the number of homeschoolers is on the rise in the United States. In the year 1999, the number of homeschooled children had an estimation of 850,000 which is a representation of a 1.7 percent of school-going children. The number significantly increased in 2003 and 2007 respectively, where homeschooling children represented 2.3 and 2.7 percent of the total school-age population (NHES, 2008). Additionally, according to the N.H.E.S Survey report of 2007, over 1.5 million students were homeschooled. It had seen a significant increase from the spring of 2003 where home-schooled student accounted an estimate of 1.1 million (Princiotta, Bielick, & Chapman 2004). Even though the annual reports may vary, it is clear that homeschooling is on the rise. Most parents argue that homeschooling was preferable because it enabled them to provide moral guidance to their kids. Other parents claimed that the school environment was not conducive to their kids while others chose the homeschooling setup because their children had special needs. The increase comes amid concerns about the efficiency of parents as teachers and the use of limited resources in this schooling system.
One of the pros of homeschooling is that it protects children. Parents argue that it is easier to protect children when they are near them as opposed when they spend the whole day in public schools. Fedele R. (2010) notes that parents choose the homeschooling option because they feel that their children face exposure to more risks and dangers in schools. Additionally, the teachers in charge may not know the cause of a child’s injury even when it happens on the school premises. They, therefore, homeschool their kids because the system is safe for their kids.
Secondly, parents supporting homeschool argue that when their children homeschool, chances of bullying significantly reduce. Today, bullying has become a problem in our schools. Many children are bullied to the extent that they drop out of school and experience psychological and mental torture which at times leads to suicidal thoughts. However, with homeschooling, parents/guardians give their children a 100 percent attention and care that enables them to uncover problematic issues. Therefore, there are no chances of bullying in this system (Martin, 2013). With homeschooling, parents rarely worry about the safety and well-being of their kids because they can observe them all the time.
Homeschooling is also useful for children because it caters to every child's learning style. Different children have varied learning styles which influence their performance in school. Public schools are not in a position to provide for the needs of each education styles that suits every child. However, with homeschooling, it is easier to identify a child's learning style and later on focus on equipping him/her with the best education (Haskins, 2010). Moreover, after getting to know a child's learning style and abilities, it is easier to find the best curriculum for homeschooling that is in line with their learning styles and skills. That way, the learning style, and the schedule can be designed to suit a child's interests and ultimately make the learning process more comfortable and exciting.
Homeschooled children exhibit better performance and participation in class work as opposed to those attending school away from home. In fact, they are said to perform better on standardized tests because they can accomplish a lot in less time (Cogan, 2010). With homeschooling, children start learning how to read and write at a very tender age something that cannot be done in schools because children have to attain a certain age before attending class. Moreover, they learn the various subjects and topics quickly due to the individualized attention they get. However, in public schools, the performance of a child depends on the teacher’s ability to explain a subject matter correctly (Fidele, 2010). Homeschooling gives children an opportunity to have an immediate access to the tutor/teacher and ask any questions at any time without worrying about intimidation from the tutor and the other students.
Home educated children have educational freedom because they are at liberty to pursue their unique interests. They also have a chance to choose what to study because there are no rules of a school to limit them. The freedom of choice does not ignore primary subjects required for learning. However, homeschooling does not involve the study of topics and content that is outside the set curriculum. Therefore, children learn specific areas that are within the curriculum boundaries. Fedele also notes that, with homeschooling, children are not compelled to repeat classes. Additionally, it provides a secure and conducive environment for learners with disabilities. Such children can learn without experiencing intimidation and harsh comments from other kids. With homeschooling, these children do not learn in overcrowded classes, ill-prepared teachers, and several academic curriculums that stress them out.
The best thing about homeschooling is that it offers children subjects not provided in public schools. Also, tutors undertaking the personalized learning do not limit themselves to the curriculum used in public schools. They choose a learning system that accommodates the learners’ abilities. The system tailoring is in such a way that it achieves the best interests of the child. Additionally, some students are interested in learning different languages not offered in public schools. Homeschooling provides for these extra areas, thus increasing the child’s skills and abilities even in the future job market (Shaw, 2011). Homeschooling is flexible to both the parents and their children because homeschoolers do not have to confine themselves to the strict curriculum and rules of public schools.
Despite the advantages, homeschooling has its disadvantages. One prominent argument opponent’s use while arguing against homeschooling is that it lacks exposure. When a child learns from home, he/she will not be prepared to face the world. Those in support of homeschooling claim that it will protect the child and the question it begs is,” from what and for how long?” It is not possible to limit the child’s movements to the home environment alone; they will have to socialize with other people in the job market and experience the dangers and challenges in the real world.
These proponents argue that there is need to prepare a child for interaction with children and people from different backgrounds from an early age. Parents will always do their best to shield their children from the outside through homeschooling, but this does not help especially when the child has to attend college far from home. Such a child exhibits serious socialization issues because they do not learn how to maintain relationships with other people (Kochenderfer & Kanna, 2002). Public schools have high socialization levels that homeschooling can never offer to any child.
When children attend homeschooling, they lack an opportunity to make more friends and establish stable social relationships. They feel lonely and isolated from the outside world because they are not allowed to communicate and interact with other children who go to school in the neighborhood. When a child is homeschooling, he/she will always spend time with parents/guardians and family members. Most people make friends when young or during their teenage years as opposed to when they are adult. However, a child who is homeschooling will never experience such a kind of intimacy because their parents deny them the chance of building a friendship by constraining them at home (Ice & Hoover-Dempsey, 2011). Therefore, homeschooling might not be the best option for children because it denies them the opportunity to interact and make friends.
Also, homeschooling may not provide quality education to children because not all parents, guardians, and caregivers are qualified teachers. Children need trained teachers for them to receive better and quality education. Teaching entails the ability to understand a child’s skills and application of relevant teaching methods. With homeschooling, it is not possible to meet the children’s needs because only a trained teacher can give specific learning and education to these children. According to Duffey (2002), some children require specialized training which homeschooling cannot offer this privilege. Therefore, as much as homeschooling is right for some children, it can be unfavorable for children with special needs. Similarly, some subjects require specific qualifications which parents who homeschool their children might not be having. Therefore, homeschooled learners might miss on essential details in their learning.
Also, most children who are homeschooling take a very long time to learn how to communicate effectively. When children are exposed to the outside world for instance in school, they meet other children, and they acquire communication skills through interaction (Zhao & Badzis, 2014). Moreover, while in an education institution, they learn to interact with the people around them because different people surround them, and they learn a lot of things from each other.
Home educated children do not take regular exams like children who attend ordinary schools. The examination tests they sit for are not of the same standards as the exams taken by other children; their educational level will not be same as that of the other children who have school exposure. In public schools, children undertake standard tests, and this improves their grades and overall performance. At home, this is not possible; thus, children who homeschool cannot compete with those in a school setting. The aspect is disadvantageous to them because they cannot even compete with the other children for college slots.
Homeschooling seems to be the perfect option for parents seeking to reduce their education costs majorly because there are no mandatory fees or school uniform requirements. However, it is best to take children to public schools where they can learn and interact with children from other cultures and backgrounds. The first-hand interaction with diverse backgrounds enables them to appreciate other people without any form of discrimination.
Even though homeschooling provides a safe environment for kids, it is not possible to protect them for their entire lives. It is important to have children attend schools where they can recognize the challenges of the real world and devise ways of handling them. If the parent is always available to protect the child, the child rarely makes independent decisions even on a critical aspect of their lives. Additionally, learning in public schools does not eliminate the parent’s role in the child’s life. The parent spends a significant amount of time in the evenings and during school holidays; they, therefore, have enough time to educate their children on their culture and moral values.
Learning in public schools also provides a child with a competitive learning environment. It becomes easy to assess their learning abilities and identify the areas for improvement. Since there is no competition in the homeschooling option, it is difficult to determine the weak points of a child. Therefore, a child may believe that their performance is excellent only for them to be disappointed later in life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, homeschooling is a controversial subject that has raised some debates among parents and educators around the globe. Those backing it up and those opposing it have their reasons as to why they take their stances. The choice of homeschool or a public learning setup purely depends on the child and the parent. It is essential to select a learning system that exploits all the potentials of a child leaving them better socialized and vital members of the society.
References
Cogan, M. F. (2010). ‘’Exploring Academic Outcomes of Homeschooled Students.’’ Journal of College Admission, 208, 18-25.
Duffey, J. (2002). Home Schooling Children with Special Needs. Journal of Special Education Leadership, 15(1), 25-32.
Fedele, R. (2010). When it comes to Schooling, there’s no Place like Home. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/when-it-comes-to-schooling-there’s-no place-like-home-20100513-v1cw
Haskins, S. (2010). Homeschooling for the Rest of Us: How Your One-of-a-kind Family Can Make Homeschooling and Real Life Work. Bethany House.
Ice, C. L., & Hoover-Dempsey, K. V. (2011). Linking Parental Motivations for Involvement and Student Proximal Achievement Outcomes in Homeschooling and Public Schooling Settings. Education and Urban Society, 43(3), 339-369.
Kochenderfer, R., & Kanna, E. (2002). Homeschooling for success. Grand Central Publishing
Martin, M. (2013). Parents on the Pros and Cons of Homeschooling. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2013/08/06/209512313/parents-on-the-pros-and-cons-of-homeschooling.
National Centre for Education Statistics. (2008). 1.5 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2007. Nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 20 December 2017, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009030.pdf
Shaw, I. (2011). The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling-FamilyEducation.com. School Resources & Educational Help by Grade & Subject for Parents-FamilyEducation.com. Web, 3.
Princiotta, D., Bielick, S., and Chapman, C. (2004). 1.1 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2003 (NCES 2004-115). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, D.C.
Zhao, J., & Badzis, M. (2014). Parents' Perspectives on Homeschooling in Chinese Mainland. International Proceedings of Economics Development and Research, 78, 17.
