Education is amongst the essential things to pursue in life. It is the most powerful tool to particularly have in this day of age. For hundreds of years, parents have been accustomed to specifically send their children to schools substantially controlled by the government or privately. However, some parents mainly choose to homeschool their children for various of reasons, which raises the question is homeschooling reliable? Homeschooling is an educational alternative that enables guardians to educate their kids at home as opposed to sending them to school. However, homeschooling wasn’t always legal. In fact, it was not until 1993 that homeschooling was legal in all 50 states. Since then the number of parents truly choosing to homeschool their children have significantly increased fairly contrary to popular belief. Homeschooling laws differ from state to state which has brought numerous of controversies in the past two decades. Some view it as a reliable way of learning, others view as a waste of time. The topic of homeschooling as an alternative route to education is a social issue that impacts America because of the advantages and the disadvantages that evolves around it.
Parents choose to homeschool their kids for various of reasons. One reason parents choose to homeschools their children because it has a safer environment. Religious association and cultures and traditions are mainly tied with these reasons. According to a study on adolescents use of drugs, homeschooled students were more likely to disapprove of alcohol and marijuana use and were less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis (Vaughn). Homeschooled students are less likely to participate in unsafe actions. Homeschooled students are notably taught in their safety of their home. The parents are the people who are mostly supervising their children, which allows the students to grow and learn in a safe environment. Therefore, many religious parents choose to homeschool their kids.
In addition to that, not all public school across the nation are good. On the contrary, private schools can be expensive. Thus making homeschooling the cheapest reliable option. According to an article by Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), it suggests
Public schooling in the United States fails in providing a quality education for student in K-12. In 2015 the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures reading ability and math and science literacy among 15-year-olds in dozens of developed and developing countries, found that the United States is ranked 35th in math and 27th in science Desilver, D. (2016). The number one thing every parent wants for their children is for them to have access to the best possible education available. As a result of a low quality public education, parents are progressively looking for alternative ways of schooling. In particular, some parents have decided that homeschooling would better prepare their children in life. This paper will analyze both the pros and cons of homeschooling.
While the American public school system educates the majority of students today, a fast growing population is beginning to accept homeschooling as an adequate alternative. Anyone with kids desires only the best education and experiences for them. Those who face this decision have to take in the plentiful list of differences and decide which will suit their family best. For years, most people saw homeschooling as an ineffiecent replacement to the government-provided schools already in existence. However, in the last ten years, studies have proved that homeschooling well equipps a student for college and beyond, changing the minds of many(http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/06/01/home-schooled-teens-ripe-for-college?page=2). In order to make this crutial decision between public or home school, one must account for the social and extracurricular opportunites, the educational aspect, and what role the family plays in education.
An article from 2015 about homeschooling and public school stated that “it’s estimated that as many as 2 million American students are being educated at home.” There are several families that would prefer homeschooling over public school for several reasons, which will be discussed in this essay. The two topics that will be discussed are homeschooling and public school. There will be multiple topics discussed in this essay, such as pros and cons of homeschooling and public schooling, and which option would be the best option for certain types of families and students. These two topics will be contrasted by explaining which topic would be the better option for specific groups of people, and certain families. The purpose of this essay is to describe the advantages and disadvantages of home and public schooling. Also, the purpose of this essay to show statistics about which system of education would be best for certain families, specifically those who are low-income families, and want the best option for their children. Whereas public schooling is inexpensive and gives children a chance to make friends, homeschooling is the best option because it gives children a safe, and more compatible learning environment.
Homeschooling is on the rise in America. According to a 2007 NHES study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education there are an estimated 1.5 million students actively being homeschooled up from the 850,000 estimated in previous study conducted in 1999 (NCES, 1). Once seen as a fringe activity usually associated with the religious right, homeschooling now encompasses many mainstream families looking for educational alternatives in the face of such issues as violence, peer pressure, and poor academic quality in many public schools. Detractors on the other hand claim that homeschooling is a less effective method of educating America’s youth citing academic and social issues. Despite critics’ claims to the contrary, homeschooling is an effective and viable method of education as its participants not only do well academically; they are well socialized and are successful in college and later life.
Despite home-schooling’s controversy because of the lack of teaching credentials for parents and socialization, homeschooling has big benefits for children. The first benefit is that while homeschooled, students receive individualized education. Parents spend all their time and attention to their children. Parents can devote all their time and attention to their children. Martin points out that parents understand their children best (Martin). Therefore, they can choose the best method to motivate their children to learn. “Parents are also able to evaluate their children on a daily basis and provide further instruction if needed” (Martin). Individualized education also provide necessary help as needed. As a result, homeschooled students achieve
In the ten-year period from 2003 to 2012, the number of American children 5 through 17 years old who were being home schooled by their parents climbed by 61.8 percent. There has been drastic increases in home education over the last several years. It is estimated that a total of 2 million students (2.3%) are home schooled in the U.S today. This begs the question, why home school?
Homeschooling is probably one of the least known and least understood issues in education. Many people tend to think that most homeschoolers are religious conservatives or extremists. However, the truth is that people from all walks of life are joining the homeschooling bandwagon (Ray, 2004). The main misconception is that homeschooled children don’t get the same academic and social education as traditionally schooled children. Contrary to popular perception, homeschooled children have the same, if not better academic opportunities, social opportunities and college admissions prospects than traditionally schooled students have.
Parents choose to homeschool their children for many years for many different reasons. To name a few reasons, the location (rural or suburbs), income, the belief that they can teach better, or the parent’s religious belief. Is homeschooling a better option than sending a child to a public or private school? Homeschooling is not all that bad or a traditional school is more superior, it comes down to the parent’s preference of what they think is best for themselves and their child. There is a misconception that homeschooling will not allow students to be successful due to students are not well enforced by the parents to do their work. Even in a traditional school, students may be
When one thinks of education, almost automatically public education comes to mind. Through the years, preferences for educating children have slowly been changing. Home schooling was primarily restricted to religious groups, but in the past several years, it has rapidly been moving into mainstream society (Ray). Parents today are deciding to home school their children, although there are those who still believe public education is better. Home schooling is legal in every state and involves as many as 1.5 million children (Wingert & Katrowitz). Critics of home schooling raise questions about academic and social issues. Parents of the home schooled maintain they are not valid. Home schooling is overall more beneficial than public schools in the education of children.
Home schooling is a type of education that takes place in the home; it can be defined as parents or a small group of students from a community studying an academic curriculum at home or any confined place either for personal reasons or any other purpose. It has been a controversial choice for education and has been opposed by many in the past since the early twentieth century as it was illegal in most states. Home schooling topic which was not even considered earlier is now being regarded salient as we can observe the drastic change from 19th century to now, Ray’s studies shows that, “ A dramatic change began around the late 1970s, one that resulted in slightly more than 2 million home schooled students in grades K to 12 in the United States during the spring of 2010 (324)” also, “Between 1999 and 2007, homes schoolers in the United States increased by an estimated 74 percent — twelve times the rate of public school growth — and now likely number more than two million altogether” (Kunzman 76) but Johnson has given the statistics in another perspective as “Early home schoolers joined together to win favourable legislative and judicial outcomes that resulted in the legalization of home schooling in all 50 states by the early 1990s” (298). Compared to any other countries “More African Americans, Native Americans, Muslims, wealthy urbanites, actors, musicians, and athletes have joined the ranks of the home schooling” (Johnson 304). Even though there are positive effects of home
Homeschooling is a major decision taken by parents and it can help students turn a new phase in their learning through its advantages. Parents may prefer homeschooling due to various reasons like peer pressure, ill exposure to subjects and lack of attention from the part of teachers owing to large sized classroom atmosphere.
Homeschooling, not very well known, presents a new and affordable way to educate children. “Home school is a term used to refer to the education of children by their parents or guardians in a setting other than a public or private school” (Anderman & Anderman, p. 467). It has never been a new thing; it just has not been as popular as it used to be (Lines, p. 76). With this topic meaning so much to groups for and against the right for homeschooling and what should be legalized or not, the debate still rages on from local to even national government entities. Both sides of the argument have valid points, but ultimately it is the choice of the parents. There are many types of ways to educate children and that decision is difficult for both
An ever growing and popular way of educating young minds is home education or home schooling. An estimated 2.3 million students are home schooled in the United States, which is an increased amount from 2010 when the home school estimate number was 2 million(Ray) It’s an interesting and effective choice that’s been popularized for a reason. Home schooling positively affects a child’s development by allowing them the chance to discover themselves instead of falling into the conformity that is instilled in schools. In the process, statistically, they receive a better education with higher test scores than students in the public school system.
Many people think that homeschooling is a better way to educate their children, but they never stop and think about the negative outcomes it can bring. Homeschooling has a more negative outcome than public or private schooling. This is because in many cases parents do not have enough knowledge about a certain subject or have enough time to home school their children. Another reason why homeschooling is not the best choice is because children would not grow up as social as other kids who attend a public or private school. Last but not least, one more reason is the high cost of homeschooling. These are only some reasons why homeschooling is not a healthy choice for all the children.
“Homeschooling is an approach to the education of children and youth in which parents commit to personally taking decisive and significant role in raising , educating , socializing and training their children”( “THE MODERN” 405 ). Parent who choose to home educated their children have always been confronted with controversy. However, historically homeschooling was common placed in colonial time until 1918 when compulsory school law was enacted in all states (Cohen and Drenovsky 19). As a result, home based education almost became extinct by 1975 in the United States. However, the practice of homeschooling made a comeback in America and other countries during the 1980s. For instance, in 1978 there was an estimated 12,500 children that were schooled at home in the United States, subsequently by 1983 there an estimated 93, 00; in 1995 1.1million and by 2000 1.5 to 1.9 million ( “THE MODERN” 406).