A new national movement. That is what has been said about
home schooling in the United States-a growing trend being pushed by people who
believe that the best education a child can receive is better in the house.
Still viewed by some as weird, home schooling is nevertheless winning more
advocates every year. Researchers say the home-schooling ranks have grown to
175,000 in 1990 (Gorder 8). Some home-schooling advocates claim that more than a
million families in the United States are now schooling their children at home.
Support groups for home schoolers have also sprouted up in other countries,
showing that interest in home schooling is spreading around the world. Why are
so many parents making the decision to teach their children at home? How
effective is home schooling? Is it a choice worth considering for your family?
Home schooling is not as radical as it may seem. Famous people, like George
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and Albert
Einstein, were schooled at home. In fact, compulsory-school-attendance laws were
not introduced in the United States until late in the 19th century.
Interestingly, the California Home Educators web site estimates that from 50 to
90 percent of U.S. parents who practice home schooling do so for religious
reasons. These parents are generally concerned about protecting their children
from what they perceive as bad influences in the schools. Other parents have
pulled their children from public schools to keep them from exposure to damaging
immoral influences. They are fed up with overcrowded classrooms, low academic
standards, and safety problems prevalent in many public schools (Editors of Home
Education Magazine 15,16). Disappointed by the often lackluster results of
institutional teaching, they believe that they can help their children more by
giving the one-on-one attention that home schooling makes possible. Parents who
school at home have 100% involvement with their children. They can devote their
attention to their own child's education. Those who advocate home schooling say
that children learn more effectively at home because lessons are woven into
every aspect of the family's daily activity. How effective has home schooling
proved to be? Some studies have shown that home schoolers generally earn scores
at or above the national average on standardized achievement tests. But such
results do not necessarily prove that home schoolers are better off than
conventionally schooled children. The present evidence is inconclusive says the
critics. The problem with all of these studies is that test scores from a
significant proportion of homeschoolers are not available. Home schooling is not
without its critics. Many school officials have expressed concern over the
inconsistent quality of education being offered through home-school efforts. For
that reason school districts are sometimes uncooperative, or even antagonistic,
when parents announce plans to teach their own children according to the
Homeschooling Resources from the Waterboro Public Library. While some school
districts in recent years have made an effort to work more closely with those
who do home schooling, other educational authorities remain skeptical. Both the
National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Education
Association (NEA) have taken a stance against home schooling, fearing that some
parents may not be capable of providing adequate home education. According to
the NEA's official position statement, "home-schooling programs cannot provide
the student with a comprehensive educational experience." Home-schooling
advocates say that parents don't need college credentials to be good teachers.
Parents don't need to know all the answers in order to encourage their children
to seek after answers to their own questions. Children can be directed to
appropriate source materials. Parents and children can learn together. And where
advanced training or expertise is required, private tutors can be hired on a
part-time basis. Critics also claim that home-schooled children are too isolated
and are deprived of normal interaction with other children their own age. Again,
this is a judgment that advocates soundly reject. Home schooling takes, courage,
but stamina, inventiveness, and steady nerves, (Home Schooling
Resources-Waterboro Public Library). So if you are contemplating home schooling,
think realistically about the commitment involved. Diligent effort and good
organization will be needed to keep up with chores and other family
responsibilities in addition to providing a daily academic program for the
children. While some suppliers charge a modest tuition fee, other home-teaching
programs cost hundreds of dollars. Standardized tests, which home schoolers are
required to take annually in some states, can cost up to $50 each. New
textbooks, work booklets, and other materials will be needed year after year, so
a carefully planned home-school budget is a must (California Home Educators web
site) according to The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling. Of course, not all
parents are willing or able to expend the time, effort, and money that experts
say are required to make home schooling a success. "Home schooling is not for
everyone," said one 16-year-old Canadian boy girl who began home schooling when
she was 7. "It takes the right circumstances, the right attitudes, and the right
parents." Self-discipline-by parent and child-can be added to the list too. The
boy (Josh Fiebig) quoted earlier said that to make home schooling work, "it
takes a strong commitment." He continued: "The real challenge is being able to
devote the time to doing it and following through with it." The young boy was
from Canada and his family did not feel that his going into the school system in
Southbridge would be to his benefit. They were concerned about his safety due to
the violence in the high school there. They are also Jehovah's Witnesses and
they were concerned about the declining morality of the school system. The
mother was the one who taught him and he appeared above average in his
scholastic aptitude. Parents, who are ultimately responsible for the proper
education and training of their own children, need to decide for themselves the
type of schooling they feel will most benefit their family. So weigh all the
factors carefully before deciding if you are ready to take on the challenge of
teaching your children at home.
