Home Schooling Versus Traditional Education

Home Schooling Versus Traditional Education

Ourania Levissianos

COM/155

September 30, 2012

Katherine Mussachio

Home Schooling Versus Traditional Education

Over 2,000,000 students will not see the inside of a classroom this year, according

to Kunzman, R. (2012). They will not experience riding the school bus to school with

their neighborhood friends, nor will they play on the jungle gym, in the school yard at

recess. They will get their education at home. Today’s parents have valid reasons for

choosing to teach their children at home, instead of sending them to traditional public

schools. Home schooling is fast becoming the educational alternative of choice for

many families, even though children may be missing out on the traditional school

experience.

Some parents feel their children will benefit from the social skills they will naturally

learn in a traditional school setting. These life skills may be difficult to incorporate into

home schooling. A child’s first real social experiences on their own, outside the home,

happen when school begins. Children learn far more in a classroom, than reading,

writing, and arithmetic. They learn how to build relationships with others, and they learn

how to interact with authority figures, outside the home. With this new found freedom

comes a sense of independence, and the opportunity to make their own decisions for

the very first time, without their parents assistance. These are valuable life skills they

will need as independent, self-sufficient adults. Children can also benefit from school

sponsored activities like sports participation, fields trips, and exposure to music

and other arts. Not all children are afforded these same opportunities at home. Families

opposed to home schooling, may feel they are not equipped, or do not have the

means to give their children the same quality of education and opportunities they would

get in a structured classroom environment taught by licensed, experienced instructors. On the other hand, home schooling may be an excellent choice for parents who

have the time, education, and skills required to teach their children at home. Though it

it is a huge responsibility, these parents feel they can give students everything they

would learn in a traditional school situation, and more. These parents feel

educating their children is as much their responsibility, as is providing for them. Many

parents do not approve of public education for religious reasons, and personal values.

They may not agree with some of the curriculum, so home schooling allows these

parents more control over what their children learn, or not. They believe children will

fare better under their own watchful eyes, with more one- on- one attention and

personalized lessons. According to the 2003 and 2007 National Household Education

Surveys (2011), (“U.S. Department of Education,” 2011) the most popular reasons

parents choose to teach their children at home are dissatisfaction with the quality of

instruction, lack of religious and moral training, and concern about safety in the public

school system. School districts do offer support for these families in the form of

materials, lessons, and regular testing to ensure students are exactly where they should

be in terms of progress. With this kind of support from school boards, parents can feel

confident about giving children the same level and quality of education, or better than

they would receive in a traditional school.

Parents today have very good reasons for choosing home schooling over public

schools, aside from their own personal values and religious beliefs. Schools simply are

not the safe havens they once were. Most inner city schools are now patrolled by

security guards and many even have metal detectors at their entrances. Visitors and

students are required to go through metal detectors when coming into the schools.

Students today are faced with issues like serious bullying and rampant drug availability

in public schools, to degrees we have not seen in previous generations. In recent years,

it has become commonplace to hear of violence resulting in serious injury, and even

death of students, in some schools. Parents simply do not feel comfortable sending their

children to school, with the dangers now so prevalent in public and private schools,

alike. While it is commendable that these parents are willing to take on the responsibility

of educating their children, not all parents are capable, or have the time and resources

to dedicate to their children’s education. Public schools and teachers in those schools

still play a vital role in the lives and care of the children in their communities. Not all

parents have the education required for home schooling, but those who do have the

skills often choose to keep their children at home because schools can no longer

ensure the safety of students. Other parents have no choice but to continue to depend

on public schools, regardless of the safety risk in public schools.

Ultimately, home schooling is a personal decision that more families are

choosing. I have had the opportunity to discuss home schooling with parents who have

made the decision to take responsibility for educating their children at home. Some of

those I spoke with did not have a very positive experience, and have decided to

send their children back into public schools. Other home schooled students and their

families have done quite well, and have no regrets. Those 2,000,000 children may

be missing out on some childhood experiences that other generations took for granted

in the past, but they are not missing out on their educations. Just as the world around

us is changing, the traditional childhood school is changing, as well. Children can get a

proper education in the home, and they do not necessarily have to miss out on those

extra-curricular activities. Community centers and Parks and Recreation Departments

all over the country offer team sports and other activities in which home schooled

children can, and do participate. Homeschooled students have the opportunity to

participate in school sanctioned activities, also. No child has to miss out on any social

benefits a traditional school situation offers, if they do not attend school. It is possible

that the current home schooling trend could be the beginning of the future of what will

one day be considered traditional education. Just as the world around us evolves,

education will evolve with it. It is not outside the realm of possibility to see all students

get their education at home, in the future. With educational tools available through the

Board of Education, as well as resources found on the World Wide Web, the tools are

already accessable. Until then, home schooling is a decision that may not be right for

everyone, but many families are proving that home schooling does work.

.

References: Kunzman, R. (2012, February). Education: Schooling and Children’s The Complexity of Home Schooling. Educational Theory, Vol.62 U. S. Department of Education. (2011) Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov

References: Kunzman, R. (2012, February). Education: Schooling and Children’s The Complexity of Home Schooling. Educational Theory, Vol.62 U. S. Department of Education. (2011) Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov