Home Schooling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJHt-m3VX6o

People often times think homeschoolers are odd, out of touch people.  People incorrectly think the kids are nerds, shy, lazy sheltered, brainwashed and bookish.   But I disagree with how people perceive homeschoolers.  Most parents want their kids to grow up to be healthy, productive adults who fit into society. They don't want to raise socially backward kids. But people oft times don't take the time to really research homeschooling. They rely on what the public perception of it is. 

What type of education are people now comparing homeschoolers to?  In our society today we have 4 educational options for our children.  We can send them to a traditional public school.  The kids are educated in a type of factory.  They have classes and are controlled by a bell telling them to move on to the next class. We now have charter schools.  These are basically the same as public schools, with more choice.  There are private schools.  Private schools allow parents to be heavily involved in their childrens education.  There are no government regulations.  And there is homeschool.  This require the most parental involvement of the different types of education.

When you look at the history of the world our factory like form of public education has only existed for the last 100-130 years.  Before that, how were people educated? The general population was taught by their mothers at home.   Kids 150+ years ago were forced to work at an early age, which did not allow them many learning opportunities.  Great men like James Watt, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Elias Howe (who invented the sewing machine), Samuel Morse, and many others had to work to obtain an education.  Abraham Lincoln went to less than a year of formal schooling.  He is considered by many to be the greatest president this country has ever had.  Einstein, who became a world renowned scientist, failed grade school.  How could someone so brilliant, who was named man of the century by Time Magazine, have failed grade school in a factory like setting?  Could it possible be that not everyone is meant to be educated in the exact same manner?  Could some children have different thought processes that make learning in factory like settings difficult? 

Children who are taught in the home have ample time for socialization.  Most moms who teach their children at home realize that kids do need to interact with others.  A lot of times families combine to form some form of a co-op, where they let their children play and learn together.  I was part of many of these co-ops.  My family met with 3 other families to go to museums, the aquarium, and do science experiments.  Later on we was part of the Cache Valley Scholar Academy.  This was an academy where the younger kids learned US history and science, and the older kids did some Shakespeare plays and World War 2 history. 

Attending these and other co-ops gave me plenty of chances to socialize with my peers.  I have had many great friends.  Brian Baker, Robert Nilson, Jeremy Gardner, Taylor Hansen, Sean McNees.  I have had some great times with them.  True, I never did have very many friends.  But I had quality friends.  They didn't turn on me when I wasn't popular.  They stuck by me when I was down.  So the claim that being homeschooled limits kids opportunity for socialization is not completely true. 

Some would claim that people who don't attend a regular school have only family as their friends.  But since the family is the most fundamental unit of society, is that such a bad thing?  What is wrong with having a great relationship with your parents and siblings?  I know popular media wants us to believe that is not cool.  But I for one see no problem with a little family unity.  Learning in the family allows a child to make mistakes and learn to think clearly.  They can use words that they mispronouce, or use incorrectly in speech without the jeers they face in school.  It allows them to learn how to not be afraid of trying new things.  Here is an example of creative homeschoolers: http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/teens-creativity-starts-at-236298.html.

Another claim brought up often is that homeschoolers don't go to "regular" school because they are "lazy".  Well, to a certain extent, it was true for me.  I was a slacker for a while during my high school years.  But what 16-17 year old isn't?  I would often hear comments of "Oh man.  I am up til midnight again because of homework."  What they really mean to say is "Well, I am finished putting off my school work that should have been completed earlier in the day when I was sharper, and then I have all night to complete it instead of giving up at 1 AM because it's so late."  Seriously homework is stupid.  Why spend all day in school just to get lectured?  Why not have the teachers who actually know how to do the work allow you in class, during school, do to the work you're normally assigned to do at home?  Why is such an approach considered wrong by a lot of people?

And the claim to homeschoolers are lazy?  During my high school years I read on average one book every two weeks.  That translates to about 24-25 books a year I read.  That's 100 books over my high school years.  So I read a lot.  Maybe some homeschoolers don't read that much.  But they probably read just as much as public schoolers.   I passed with 4 of 5 my Advanced Placement test for US history in my senior year.  I scored a 23 on the ACT (The national average score on the ACT test is 21).  I passed Algebra 2, which you have to pass to get into colleges.  I completed a cooking course at Bridgerland.  Many homeschoolers volunteer at senior citizen centers, churches, animal shelters and other community services.

I think a major plus side of not attending public school is that the influences of pornography, tobacco, alcohol, and drugs are not anywhere near the kids as they grow up.  Many start using these addictive substances during school.  Their friends say, "Hey come here.  Try smoking this.  It's fun and will make you cool."  As a child grows up it is vitally important to society that they stay away from those harmful substances.  Many of our criminals were or have tried porn, drugs or alcohol.  Is staying away from those influences a bad thing?

So in conclusion, homeschooling is not bad.  It is true that they don't always have as many friends as those in schools.  But the quality of those friendships is priceless.  Homeschooling allows us to be creative in a positive environment.  Homeschooling just takes more effort on the parents part. But with all the benefits, who wouldn't want to homeschool their kids?