Some thoughts on homeschooling.

daniel on Jul 14th 2006

  1. Homeschooling must be done in a way that provides accountability and socialisation. Otherwise it will crash and burn.
  2. Socialisation is in the interest of creating an ability to interact with other children, and adults. There is no reason a child cannot learn how to interact this way.
  3. Public school does not teach socialisation as unions would claim. It teaches a Lord-of-the-Flies formula for socialisation simply because there aren’t enough adults involved. The only time public school encourages socialisation is between classes and during breaks: how many classrooms are examples of contextual social skill growth?
  4. Public school is a necessity. To think otherwise is ridiculous. Every child must have an education, and not every family can afford that education. If this is achieved by public schools as they exist now or vouchers or any other system, fine. But they must exist.
  5. Homeschooling is free of interfering forces such as teachers’ unions, who never have the children’s best interest in mind. They serve their members and their members alone. You, your family, your children, your economy, and whoever else is in the way gets the shaft when teachers’ unions get involved. Homeschooling has none of this negative pressure, though it has countless others.
  6. I’m not sure it’s the government’s job to make sure every child has an education. This sort of soft paternalism seems to me an intrusion on the rights of a family to govern itself as it sees fit. I’m not sure, though, if not educating ones child falls outside the necessary parameters of “as it sees fit”.
  7. Homeschooling rewards those who do well. Public schools tend to do the opposite. Public schools – from what I can see – tend to mute the accomplishments of the smartest to avoid discouraging the idiots. Which is a bad idea any way you cut it. Schools should not exist to safeguard the emotions of stupid children: there will always be lifetime ditch-diggers. Not to mention the kind of grief smart kids can go through if they don’t accept certain schoolyard standards, like dress, or attitude.
  8. Public schools can be quite violent places. Why would you want to send you child there if you have another viable option?

Filed in main | 5 responses so far

5 Responses to “Some thoughts on homeschooling.”

  1. # Tim Sharpeon 14 Jul 2006 at 2:57 pm

    here’s my main thought on homeschooling:

    it seems like most people are against home-schooling think that kids “turn out weird” when they’re homeschooled. I don’t necessarily think that’s the case. I know normal kids that were homeschooled, and I know weird kids that were homeschooled. What I have noticed is that kids who are homeschooled are around their parents ALL DAY. In other words, if the parents are weird, then the kids will be weird. If the parents are normal, their kids will be normal. The pitfall is that many homeschool parents I know are just weird, and their kids probably would turn out odd whatever mode of school they went to.

  2. # shanaon 14 Jul 2006 at 4:03 pm

    Interesting perspective Roger…

    I was homeschooled for 10 years, I was treated like a spoiled, only child despite the fact I had 3 much older brothers (still am)… I was surrounded by adults until I was 17. Then I was plunged into the alien planet of teenagers in a small private high school–the worst & best times of my life. I have the perspective of going to an elementary school, homeschooling, and a high school.

    I cannot say I was weird, but I was/am definitely odd & different. I had alot of socialization skills to catch up on–pitfall of homeschooling as pointed out. Since then, I have changed much–and am still changing.

    My point is, the mode of education one gets influences them, however I do not think it can universally determine them. Someone whose parent’s defined as “weird” could turn out quite normal. Likewise, parent’s who are quite “normal” can have a child who is absolutely weird.

    I believe I could still be quite “weird” if I did not make the choice to change & become something other than what my parents attempted to mold me during my homeschooling years.

    Simply because my parents may be “weird” and homeschooled me, does not mean I am staunchly destined to be forever “weird.” The key is self-realization that there is that possibility and to actively develop & expose the oneself to culture, social skills, & ability to resist mindless conformity.

    shana
    *I’d rather be running*

  3. # Chris Hubbson 14 Jul 2006 at 5:34 pm

    Dan,

    No long treatises from me; I think you’re right on. Scary.

    Chris

  4. # Spunkyon 15 Jul 2006 at 9:39 am

    #4 and #6 contradict each other. You say public school is a necessity in #4 and then in #6 say you’re not sure it’s the government’s job to educate. Public school is government school by definition. If the government doesn’t run it then it is a private school or a home school. There are only three sources of education; public (government through taxpayers), private (citizens who form a school funded privately by business or charity), or home (family).

    BTW, I’m a homeschool mom of 6 and I agree with many of the other statements.

  5. # danielon 17 Jul 2006 at 9:31 am

    My point is that universal education should be available. But the government doesn’t have to necessarily have a hand in the actual education of children. Actually, I’m not quite sure what I was trying to say.

    There should be a third way!

    *dan