For those against home schooling???

Question

Does anyone have any legitimate complaints against home schooling? Do not include the whole socialization myth, that has been proven time and time again to be false.

Answer 1

I do agree with jennifer c...there is a growing trend of homeschooling without really homeschooling.  I've seen it in my own community of 1,000+ homeschool families - folks pull their kids out and think they can provide their kids with a full education by letting them play computer games or work in the garden.  Then, when they figure out that homeschooling is actual work, they put their kids back in school.  (It's a trend that has actually caused our group to make members sign a statement verifying that they will teach their child *at least* in accordance with state recommendations, and are encouraged to go much further.)

I have absolutely nothing against computer games or gardening (or other out-of-the-box learning tools) - my son uses both as learning experiences - but it can't stop there.  I am totally for unschooling, but there has to be something going on that causes kids to learn.  They need to read, to discuss, to watch, to do, to get involved with what they're learning.  It obviously doesn't take as long as classroom school, since there are not 25-35 kids to teach, but it can't be a totally hands-off thing, either.

However, jennifer, please realize that the kids you get back in the classroom weren't actually homeschooled.  They were brought home for a time and not educated, which is sad.  The reason you don't get any successful homeschooled kids in your classroom is because they are successfully being homeschooled - why would they come to a classroom?

I do share jennifer's complaint, and I'll magnify it - if you're going to pull your kids, do your job and teach them.  Provide them, somehow, with the instruction and resources that they need to achieve the strongest education they can.  If you're not willing to do that, don't go down the homeschooling road.  It can be fun, it can be beneficial, and it can give your kids an extraordinary education, but only if you as a parent are involved.  (This is not meant toward the asker, or toward any particular person - I'm using "you" as a hypothetical.)

For families that are taking their responsibility seriously though, who are providing their kids with a great education, no - I don't think there are any legitimate complaints.  I homeschool my own son (who is several years above grade level in many subject areas) and I teach dozens of homeschool kids (many of whom are working above grade level as well), and I've continually been impressed with what I see.  I only wish that the teachers and other folks who see the "homeschooling dropouts" could also see the kids who are progressing well - I think they'd change their viewpoint of homeschooling as a whole.

Edit - me, please realize that homeschooled students aren't only taught by their parents - rather, their education is arranged for by their parents.  For example, the kids in our group are taught chemistry by a chemist.  They're taught algebra and geometry by a college math prof.  I majored in linguistics with an emphasis on ancient language translations, and I teach Latin.  An attorney teaches government.  The list goes on, and on, and on.

Many homeschooled teenagers take several college courses before they graduate, especially math and science labs.  Many take fine arts classes from working artists, and many are involved in things like interning at businesses that will give them experience in their chosen field (i.e., interning at an ad agency, shadowing a doctor, being a "gopher" on shoots for a production company, etc.)  I teach kids who are 15-17, all of whom do these things.  I teach one kid who's going for Olympic qualification in 2010, and another who's being scouted by several college baseball teams.  These kids are not by any means sheltered - they're out in the world, learning from people who have devoted their lives to their chosen field.  What better educational opportunities could you possibly give a child than that?

Answer 2

I am not against homeschooling in all situations, but I do think it has some very real flaws for older students. For a young student, this answer wouldn't be a concern, but how can anyone have the knowledge to teach all academic subjects at a high school level? Not many people have the knowledge to teach biology, chemistry, algebra,  geometry,  french and ancient history.  Text books are not the only important teaching tool. When a student gets into complicated academic subjects, explanation from a teacher is necessary.  Do you think you could master chemistry by reading a text alone?  If a parent wants to prepare his child for a first rate university, the child will need the academic expertise of teachers who have studied the subjects they teach.  Some parents homeschool at this level to limit their child's exposure at this age to outside opinions about religion and theories of evolution.  If that is the homeschooling parents' main motivation, it is a good way to do that.  But doing so won't prepare the child for encountering those opinions outside the home and social circle of the parents.  

Answer 3

I am a teacher also and I think homeschooling can be a good solution, but as the teacher above and hsmomlov above point out, there are parents who don't want to push their children or have any outside interference with their curriculum.   When as teachers, home or in a classroom, we realize there are limitations to our subject knowledge and seek outside resources, such as the lab courses hsmomlov mentions, or additional training for a classroom teacher, we expand  our children's knowledge.  The concerns come when parents don't want to teach to state standards or accept any constraints other than the child's interests.  The district where I live has a great homeschooling resource program where the students meet with a teacher to go over their course work and progress, but not for actual instruction.  It helps to filter out these problems.  No one should teach in a vacuum.  

Answer 4

I agree with you & I want to point out to handyman that homeschoolers do not miss out on soilization, I have friends who have homeschooled and on Fridays the kids take field trips with other homeschololes.  

Answer 5

My complaint with homeschooling is the "fakers".  I'm a teacher and we've had QUITE a few students at our school who basically get "home-schooled" every time there's a problem at school with his/her behavior.  Just when one is about to get some sort of discipline that the parents don't agree with, he/she gets pulled out and "home-schooled".

Then the student comes back the next year, hoping for a different outcome with a different teacher, but never actually having done or learned anything at home.

I had one student, bless her heart, that was taken out of school in 1st grade and showed again in 4th...at least that's the grade she was put in.  She was actually supposed to be in 6th; she was 12 years old.  She could read, but not on 4th grade level.  And she couldn't do math at all.  Seriously, no math skills.  But, we couldn't put her into 2nd grade.  It caused her no end of grief: failing the state tests, being older than her peers, perception of being an idiot...

This is just not right.

We get huge amounts of these students back in the public schools when the "authorities" deem that they are not passing whatever tests that homeschoolers are supposed to take.  This could be why the studies constantly show them to be ahead of their peers.  I've been teaching 23 years and have NEVER seen one of these students come back to school and do well...and I see many "reappear".  Of course, this skews our numbers as well...toward the "Why can't Johnny Read?" side of the spectrum.

Answer 6

There is a wide range of subjects to be taught at school, by teachers who are specialists in their field. Who will replace ALL of those teachers at home? No parent can be knowledgeable about everything, even for young kids.

Also the socialization thing is very important and I doubt that it has been dismissed by any respected authority.

Answer 7

Handyman, if teachers were "specialist in their field" then why are so many kids graduating who can't read or do basic math?  Home schooled kids far outrank their public school peers both academically and socially.  In my almost 20 years of being involved with home schooling I have never encountered a home schooled child who had any trouble with social interaction.  Public school only offers forced and artificial socialization.  In real life do you only socialize with 25 other people your same age group and in your neighborhood?  If you do you are the one who is socially inept.  Home schooled kids deal with all types of people every day.  Why are anti home school people under the impression  we keep our kids locked away from the world all the time?  We are involved in sports, scouting, and many other community activities.

Edit: Jennifer c, if all teachers were doing their jobs parents wouldn't feel the need to home school.  The only "discipline" I objected to was when a teacher hit my son with a text book so hard it left a bruise and the school thought there was nothing wrong with that.  I am sure most teachers are good, but you have to admit the education system is broke, and nobody seems able to fix it.

Answer 8

I am all for home schooling.  There is no way that I am putting my daughter in our public middle school.  It has a horrible reputation.  There are a lot of surrounding towns that aren't as nice as our town and I am not subjecting my daughter to those kids.  Also my daughter gets very overwhelmed so she needs to work at her own pace.  We had her in private school which we loved but it was so expensive and we can't afford it this year so homeschooling is what we have chosen to do.  I am a college graduate so I do feel that I am more than able to teacher her in all subjects.  As for the social aspect she will be doing a lot of after school activities.  Home schooled students are much more advanced than students who go to regular schools.  Colleges love to accept home schooled students because they know how smart and well educated they are.