The Effects of Homeschooling

For years people have been leaning towards different alternatives to educate their children. One method most people are leaning to, besides public or private schooling, is home schooling. Homeschooling is an option for education where children receive primary and/or secondary education directly from their parents, generally in their own home. This educational alternative has considerably increased since the 1970s, but is this alternative really helping the child in the long run? The National Center for Educational Statistics estimates that as of 2007 2.0 to 2.5 million students receive their education from home. According to Kreager, this number approximately represents 2.2% of the entire student body in American. This estimation is increasing as the years go on. Homeschooling has a negative effect on children because they are being children, and they do not get a quality education. Parents should really consider the advantages and disadvantages of isolating their children with homeschooling. Just like anything homeschooling has its advantages, but it seems the disadvantages trump the advantages.

Parents always want what is best for their children and in some cases they think homeschooling is the best educational alternative for them. Some parents choose this alternative because of religious views, they feel that they know their child’s strengths and weaknesses so they feel they would be a better teacher for them, they feel homeschooling is safer for their child, or because the parent feels that they should have control over what and how their child should learn. Statistics show that 31% of parents choose homeschooling because of the offered community schools locations, 30% choose it because of their moral or religious view, and 16% choose it because they are dissatisfied with the academics of other schools. “Whatever their rational, most homeschooling parents believe the education they provide their children is superior to that offered by formal schooling,”