Public School versus Home School Essay

“Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource” John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA.

When kids reach the age where learning begins parents now and days have a concern of whether to home school their kids or send them to a public school. Both are good methods in developing a good education for a child. But also have differences in techniques of teaching and environmental differences. Parents have to think about the cost, the way the child learns being in a social environment, and also be aware of what their child is learning in the street. We will see how home schooling and or public schooling have different effect on a child’s education. The choice of public schooling and or home schooling is a personal serious decision for many parents.

Thesis Statement: Many parents question what is best for their child’s education, home schooling or public school. Home schooling can sometimes provide a more direct and focused education than public schools, Public School is better in many ways including the child’s social development.

Before the development of the United States education system it was necessary for children to homeschool, but that time has passed. Today students have the option to attend the school that best fits them due to the process of open enrollment. The United States educational system now offers students options such as religious schools, charter schools, private schools, and public schools. Therefore, no reason exists that they can not find a decent school that meets their academic expectations. Families that homeschooled have a distinct disadvantage to families that attend public or private schools.

In 1980, homeschooling was illegal in 30 states. Later on, it was recognized as a parent's right across the country in the year 1993 (Martin, 2014). A survey was made to the respondents. They were asked if homeschooling was an acceptable means of education. As the results of Phi Delta Kappan Gallup survey, Americans have become more receptive to the idea of homeschooling. They think that homeschooling has become an alternative option to public schools because it is more socially acceptable (Moreau, 2012). In the previous related study, it was mentioned that the increase of homeschooled students had been consistent. It only shows that the acceptance of homeschooling has been broad as the years passed

Since the 1600’s, politics in the United States has affected education in many ways. When the pilgrims arrived in 1620, their values and ideas shaped society. Families were expected to teach their children literacy, and churches shifted from teaching religious values to teaching education. The Spanish tried to acculturate the Native Americans through schooling. In the 1700’s, people were concerned that families could not successfully teach their children so mass education became the solution. The national crisis of attacks and foreign conspiracies also turned to education so America could stand united. In 1785, a land ordinance was passed to sell land in the Old Northwest Territory to raise money for the maintenance of public schools. Jefferson proposed an educational bill in 1779 to sort out leaders for the nation. Rush proposed a uniform educational system that would teach the same values and be available to all children. Webster’s proposal in 1790 called for universal education with grammatical reform. Because of the revolution, women were able to act politically and keep their role as a housewife. In the 1780’s and 1790’s, grammar schools started to allow girls to attend, and with the help of female seminaries, female teachers were hired and teacher training was introduced.

Formal schooling was not systematic in America in the mid-1800s, despite the regional efforts of strong advocates for public education. There were wide regional and cultural differences in attitudes toward the idea of tax-supported, systematic formal schooling based upon a common curriculum. Various religious groups had established schools for the perpetuation of their theology and culture, especially in the mid-Atlantic and Northern states. These groups were fearful of relinquishing responsibility to political authority. In the Southern states, slavery and a strong caste system were impediments to the development of public schools (p. 97).

Before presenting both the positive and the negative aspects of homeschooling it is worth mentioning that the deciding factor for parents choosing to homeschool as opposed to public schooling generally falls into a biased opinion of public schooling. As mentioned in an NPR radio interview, “the number one reason parents give is the desire to provide religious or moral instruction and that the second most popular reason, closely followed behind, was a concern about the school environment” Martin, M. (2013). These type of reasoning for home schooling presents some valid question, such as, who determines what the best approach or the best form of education? Is the quality of education

Nowadays homeschooling is an activity that have become more popular in United States. In homeschooling parents teach many subjects at home, instead of taking their children to the traditional classrooms with more children. In my point of view I have two reasons to be against homeschool children; these two reasons are the next:

In 1972, Wisconsin vs. Yoder fought over whether public schools were violating students’ religious beliefs. The main controversy of this case was whether an Amish parent could teach their children they way they wanted to based on their religion. The court decided to rule in favor of religious freedom instead of favoring the states who wanted to require public education for everyone. The ruling that the Supreme Court made did not allow the homeschooled parents to teach their children however they wanted. The government was still allowed to intervene to check the child's mental and physical health (Homeschooling, 2017). The main reason the homeschooling began was because of religious reasons. Parents didn’t want public education to be forced onto their child, since it may of went against their religion. There are even more reasons now to be homeschooled. It would be for religious reasons, or it could be for health reasons. Many parents believe that when their child is being homeschooled they are getting a better, more personalized education. Although homeschooling is seen as not being a viable alternative to public school, it should be. Students who are homeschooled have had more academic skills, and they receive a better education in primary schools. This will help them greatly once they graduate high school, go on to college, and even in the workforce. Homeschooling should be a more prominent option for all students. Although proponents say that homeschooling doesn’t

is being abused, students at home with abusive parents have no one to look after

You may be asking yourself, how did home schooling begin? What was it like? Well, in the 1970’s and the 1980’s home schooling began to spark. A few parents question whether public or private school was right for their child. They were thinking they could do a better job. Well, what do you know; parents learned they could do a better job. However, some states, prohibited home schooling. If parents or guardians were home schooling, they could face jail time as well as losing their children to the courts. Some parents were being arrested and some were taken to jail (Homeschooling: Getting Started). Even today we have people who are against home schooling. Our President of the United Stated, Obama, he doesn’t believe home schooling is a good idea. He believes public school should start as soon as age 3. He also said that students in middle and high school should complete 50 hours of community service before they are able to go to the next grade level (Will Obama Use UN Policy to End Homeschooling in America?).

There are different types of education that a student may receive in today’s society. The choices are narrowed down into two main categories, public and private school. Many people in today’s society believe it’s better to send their children to private schools rather than public schools. To most parents deciding which school system will be better is based on curriculum, class size, and most of all cost. It’s not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many parents feel their child is worth receiving the best education offered.

Most parents hear the word “home-school” and conjure up many assumptions that are either false or overlooked at. The technology provided, as well as the teaching quality spent on home-schooled children requires a lot of time and effort from the parents; it is an act of dedication and total commitment. According to the Robinson Curriculum, the parents have “little personal time or time alone. If care is not taken to set aside time for yourself, it is easy to never have time alone. They are basically with their [children] 24/7” (The Robinson Curriculum). There are many positives as well as the negatives outlooks pertaining to “sheltering” kids from attending private or public schools. Many adults are

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