Is Home Schooling Better than Traditional Schooling?

Is Home Schooling Better than Traditional Schooling?
Nowadays, many parents are more emphasis on children’s education, so they are more prudent to make a choice whether study in traditional school or home school. Education grooms children with well-informed knowledge to build their future careers. The methods adopted by parents and teachers may be different, but the goal and objective are the same. Traditional schooling is defined as teacher-centered delivery of instruction to classes of students who are the receivers of information while home schooling is the education of children at home, typically by parents or by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school. Home schooling versus traditional schooling already become a very controversial topic among entire society. Traditional schooling is more beneficial than home schooling as traditional schooling promotes positive competition among students, provide afterschool programme, provide various facilities and improve social communication
First of all, traditional schooling has many benefits towards students compare to the home schooling because it will promote some positive and healthier competitions among students. This type of competition will not harm students’ thoughts or change their quality of behaviour. Contrarily, positive competitions will train the students since childhood and they will become someone who are good in many aspects after growing up. In order to increase the level of anxiety or threat for a performance especially about the academic, a few of activities can be carry on when the students are in the school. For example, teachers can conduct intellectual student competition. Emmer andGerwels (2006)states “the competitive condition encourages them[students] to view their fellows less as peers or members of a learning community and more as instruments to be used to reach the goal” (qtd. in Shindler, 2009, p.2). Students can read as many as they can and do a report for summaries what is the book is talking about in a given period. Then, teachers will track the number of book has been read for each students. Finally, the winner who has the most summarize reports will be given a meaningful reward. Actually this type of activities is beneficial students in spiritual as Vockell (2004) points out that competition helps some students (e.g., the winners) feel an enhanced sense of self-esteem by experiencing a favourable comparison (qtd. in Shindler, 2009, p. 5). Besides that, positive competitions will provide a dimension that will potentially strengthen the group interdependence and the team .Good competition will shift the emphasis from quality relationship to effective relationship indirectly. Nowadays, many people care about only the money but not the relationship between each other in the social, so the appropriate competitions during the school time will help students to be prepared for their future. Johnson and Johnson (2006) stated that “We[they] are preparing students for the real world by putting them[students] in artificially constructed competitive situation is to impose on them a specifically biased world-view”(qtd. in Shindler, 2009, p. 1). Reinforce the group interdependence and team skills will also decrease the sense of bond and temporarily increase the bond within the winning group. Thus, we can say that, appropriate competitions will provide many advantages for the students whose study in the traditional schooling.
In addition to positive competition, traditional schooling provide afterschool program that is beneficial to the students future. Afterschool program is any organized programme with invites students to participate outside the traditional school day. Nowadays, parents are busy with their work, this causes parents don’t have time to take care of their children and there is rare communication between them. Due to these reasons, afterschool programs play a crucial role in their lives. Afterschool programs run inside the school are better than going to the commercial organizations to avoid transportation problem. Some of the afterschool programsare sports, performing arts, creative arts, academic enrichment, and so on. Afterschool programs have a lot of benefits to students. Firstly, afterschool programs can enhance academic and sports achievement. Students who participate in afterschool programs show improved school attendance, increase engagement in school, reduce dropout rate. UCLA Centre for the Study of Evaluation stated that “Students with at least four years participation in LA’s BEST had better subsequent school attendance, which led to higher academic achievement on standardized tests of mathematics, reading and language arts.” (qtd. in “Concept to Classroom”, n.d., p.2). Students can experience an academic boost if their make it to school every day and spend a few extra hours in enriching activities after school. Besides, it can also develop new skills and interest. Involvement in afterschool programs enables student to learn new skills and new abilities such as dance, piano, choir, drawing and so on. Students who participate in afterschool programs like tutoring class making them more understand in their academic and enhance their interest in studying. Besides to enhance academic and sport achievement, afterschool programs can also lessen risky behaviours, instruct students to use the time wisely by engage students in healthy activities. By asking students involved in afterschool programs, it lessens the chance for them to get involved in crimes, use drugs, tobacco or alcohol. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did a survey in comparison to students who spent 5-19 hours weekly in school-sponsored activities, students who spent no time in these activities were 75 percent more likely to use tobacco or drugs as quoted in “Concept to Classroom”, n.d. Afterschool programs give students role models and a safe place to learn and play. Therefore, afterschool programs that provided by traditional schooling are very important to students in order to become a better person.
Besides positive competition and afterschool programme, traditional schooling provides various facilities that will provide better school climate for our study. “there was a linkage between school facilities and student achievement, teacher perceptions concerning the importance of an inviting learning environment, and the attention that factories and retail planners placed on design related to student success.” said Holth and Smith (qtd. in Vandiveret al., 2011, p.45). School facilities will help students grow as success people. It will give students comfort and will boost students’ self-confidence. Being part of the public school system ensures the maximum state and federal funding in traditional school. Traditional schools have more funds to possess high quality resources and facilities such as updated textbooks, science labs and art room. Certainly, facilities in traditional school are more manifold than home school.Traditional schools provide many advanced technology and equipment such as libraries and kitchens allow students to complete their assignment and absorb extra knowledge in a comfort and safety environment.School facilities also permit students having “hands-on” experiences and do assignments or projects on their own. It helps students have a better understanding and remembering in order to assistance students handle problem effectively in future. In addition, school facilities support significantly enhanced learning interest among students. Teachers can make teaching method more attractive and vivid using various facilities. For example, teachers educate students by using projector make every student can watch the slide clearly and absorb knowledge fruitfully. On school, students have access to many help facilities, like writing centers and student service centers all eager to help students succeed. McEvoy and Welker (2000) found that positive school climate, interpersonal relationships, and optimal learning opportunities for all students could increase achievement levels and reduce disruptive behavior in students (qtd. in Vandiveret al., 2011, p23). School facilities such as LED computer and internet can give help to teachers and students when they can’t solve the questions. In this way, students will more interest in learning and reading. They won’t feel that learning new things or intellectual is very difficult. When a student doesn’t repel education, it will totally increase a student’s learning outcomes and achievement. Thus, traditional schooling is better than home schooling because there are more high-quality and appropriate facilities for students in traditional school compare to home school.
Some people might argue that home schooling will improve social communication among family members. Home schooling enables children to build a closer relationship with family members. This happens because children have more quality time to interact and communicate with their family. During this time, parents and the children are able to get to know each other at a deeper level. They know the bad and good sides of each other very well. When they have better understanding about each other, it can reduce the generation gap greatly. Besides reducing generation gap, it also enables children to enjoy study. This is due to the children are more happy to stay along with their parents and get the valuable knowledge given by their parents. No doubt, when someone learns new things under a joyful atmosphere, he will absorb what has been taught faster and better. This will increase the interest of the children to study because they think that study is a happy matter. On the other hand, home schooling can also prevent children from associating with bad company. There is no denying that home school children are sheltered from many of the things they would be exposed to by attending school such as bully and gangsterism. Home schooling children are exposed to healthy peer contact and appreciate not having to spend extensive time with people they don’t have a lot of common with.This helps them build strong and everlasting friendships. Home school children are taught by their parents to be self-discipline at a young age. Perhaps they may meet with bad company in their lives, but they are able to reject from doing what is wrong in term of moral even though they are persuaded many times by the bad company. For example, when their friends ask them to learn smoking or consume drug, they will remain committed to refuse what is asked by their friends. Thus, it can help children to stay away from bad habits. It is strongly shown that home schooling improves social communication as it can stronger family ties and stay away from bad company.
On the contrary, traditional schooling proves to be more beneficial than home schooling in improving social communication. It tends to closer the relationship among the teachers and students.Belchior (2003) stated that “Communication is characterized as a process of social interaction, which permits the subject to identify himself or herself with the other, and at the same time, express and affirm his or her singularity, and has the function of creating and maintaining understanding between individuals”(qtd. in Serrazina, 2010, p.2). Students ' ability is to openly interact with both the teachers and other students in the classroom. This interaction allows for immediate feedback and the ability to ask questions right away and receive an answer if you don 't understand something in the lessonswhich contribute a great academic success. As we know, there are students from different background, races, religion or even different country in traditional school. When the cultural beliefs are different, for sure the conflicts will arise. Henze (2001) found that many researchers question whether schools could play a role in improving students ' racial tolerance, given the fact that public education has traditionally reflected and even reinforced societal inequalities(qtd. in Holloway, 2003, p.1). However, it is not a matter for traditional school children. They are taught to tolerate with other students during classes. It is pretty sure that they are able to communicate with each other and can have a better understanding about other culture. Tolerance can help to reduce many racial and ethnic conflicts. In traditional school,children learn how to socialize and develop social skills that are vitally important to life outside of the classroom and in the working world. Students learn better communications skills, which will lead to better writing and speaking skills. Good social skills also enable the children to communicate well with others and thus get more friends in the school and also widen the circle of friends. On top of that, traditional schooling hasalso collaborative work. The collaborative work is alive with two-way communication. Group tasks require knowledge, skills, and resources that no single individual is likely to possess. Solving such problems alone is either impossible or very difficult. Therefore, the students have to communicate with their group members in orderto complete the task assigned by their teachers. Collaborative work enables students learn to work as a team and think critically. Also, students engaged in interaction often exceed what they can accomplish by working independently. Collaboration work helps to develop leadership skill. When one people is chosen to become the group leader, he has the responsible to instruct and lead his group members to achieve the goal. The leaders always have to become the volunteer to solve group conflicts due to different opinions and views. A good leader is willing to lend his ears to hear different voices and help to contribute the success of the group. Undoubtedly, traditional schooling not only can foster a closer relationship with other people but also helps in collaborative work.
Traditional schooling is better than home schooling because it is more effective and provides better opportunities for children. Traditional schooling is not suitable for every child, thus parents should understand their children completely before they make a decision. There are some important reasons to consider, discipline of both parent and child, patience to teach, and socialization events to help encourage the student’s social growth while deciding which method of education will suit their children the most. Parents are the greatest advocates of their child 's welfare and educational well-being. Don 't let someone else decide what is right for child. Weigh pros and cons between traditional and home schooling before children start their study life.

References
Concept To Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/afterschool/index_sub3.html Holloway, J. H. (2003, March). Research link/what promotes racial and ethnic tolerance? Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar03/vol60/num06/-What- Promotes-Racial-and-Ethnic-Tolerance%C2%A2.aspx

Serrazina, L.(2010). Proceedings of CERME 6 communication as social interaction primary school teacher practices INRP Lyon France. Retrieved from http://ife.ens-lyon.fr/publications/edition-electronique/cerme6/wg10-06-guerreiro.pdf Shindler, J. (2009). Chapter 18: Examining the use of competition in the classroom. In
Shindler (Eds), In transformative classroom management. Retrieved from http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/cm/Chapter18competition-final.htm

Vandiver, B., et al. (2011). The impact of school facilities on the learning environment, A dissertation for doctor of philosophy. Retrieved from https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?id=722503711106140&eid=ASvH9OmovgWBYoHedu1sSa_YPPbYiyuj0K7SO_UdAlfbgozkHJAVnV3BAGWAheaMt-4&inline=1&ext=1398653118&hash=AStiF7MQMaphfrDa

References: Holloway, J. H. (2003, March). Research link/what promotes racial and ethnic tolerance? Retrieved from Serrazina, L.(2010). Proceedings of CERME 6 communication as social interaction primary school teacher practices INRP Lyon France