Is home schooling more effective than public schooling?

Question

I have to write an argumentative essay on the topic above and I just wanted the opinion of others.

Thanks!

Answer 1

I think that public school kids need to have more contact with the real world.  They are sheltered in the classroom with only those their own age.  The real world consist of all kinds of people, of all ages, etc.    The classroom limits children to varied interactions.

As far as effective, it makes sense to me that a curriculum that is created for one child based on that child's interests, goals, talents, and learning style would be more effective than a curriculum created for all the children in a state.  One on one teaching would be more productive than one teacher with 25 students.

Answer 2

It really depends on the student. Some people need the rigid structure and repetitiveness of public school. Some need the academic and social freedom of homeschooling. It also depends a lot on your goals and what you actually want out of school.

Answer 3

I'm going to rephrase another posters answer:

I think public schooled kids learn a lot more book wise however I don't feel that they get enough socialization. I have worked in Recreational areas where the public schooled kids in the community would get together and although they are smart they do not always know how to interact with other people of different ages and abilities.

Now truly, that statement above is a GROSS generalization, just as the original poster made about homeschooled children.  While it may be true that the homeschoolers that poster encountered didn't appear to know how to interact with other peers, no one can say that is true about homeschooled kids - or public schooled kids.

I think homeschooling may be more effective than public schooling for many children. I think the reverse may be true, too. It really depends on how involved the parents are - in either situation.

Perhaps a better argument would be do kids who have involved parents get a better education, no matter where they are educated.

Answer 4

There are both benefits and downsides.

Benefits: More one on one with your 'teacher' since you see them all day long

More time to have class, less interruptions.

Downsides: Social skills or lack their of. Sometimes physical education needs are neglected. Not trying to be rude here, but anyone can be capable to homeschool, so if your parent isn't well educated on a certain subject, there is no extra help. Extra curricular activites are not available. For science mostly--materials are not always available for labs.

Hope this helps, I have a friend that is homeschooled.

Answer 5

No, I was a home schooler and, it was a lot easier than real school.You don't get homework,you don't get introuble for talking,and at the end of the school year,you just go and see this person and show her some of the thing you did for home schooling and, she passes you if you done good.P.S you don't even have to take the achievement test and, I say to all home schooling family's out their,keep on doing it!

Answer 6

I think homeschooling in general is more effective than public schooling specifically because with homeschooling you can tailor the education experience to the needs of the individual child, and not make the child cater to the needs of the classroom.  That's why homeschoolers generally outperform public and private schooled students.

Of course, there are exceptions.  You will hear of homeschooled children who don't thrive.  But the public school system fails many children and has for quite some time.  There was a recent report released stating that 1 in 10 public schools are "dropout factories" where over 40% of those who start do not go on to graduate.  This is an incredibly high failure rate.

I also think public schools do a poor job of preparing students for real life, simply because the traditional classroom is an artificial environment which does not represent anything one would encounter in real life.

Public schools are also wrought with negative social interaction which is absent in a loving home environment.

Here is a comparison of homeschooling and public schooling which may help you in your research:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Answer 7

It completely depends on the parents. Of course, it also depends on what you are deeming "effective": academic learning, social learning, morals, etc.

Homeschooling CAN be more effective than public schooling if parents go about it in a dedicated fashion. I'm going to assume you mean academics so let me go from there. With homeschooling, a gr. 1 child can do as much bookwork as a child in school and only spend about an hour to learn the same amount. In jr. high, most homeschoolers don't spend more than 3-4 hours per day on their work--compare that to 7 hours in school with 1-2 hours of homework per day.

With children able to go their own pace, that adds in another factor.

But as I said, it depends on how the parents go about it.

As for the socialization, again, it depends on the parents: how much prepping they do, how much observation they do when out in social situations, etc. What some people see as an inability to relate with peers is sometimes just a different form of relating. It looks like they aren't because it's different than a public schooled group, but I have seen time and time again groups of homeschooled students who barely know each other getting along famously and having a great time. I would say, from my experience, that homeschooling is usually more effective at helping youth become independent, have a good sense of self and become self-motivated, among other mature characteristics.

Answer 8

It depends on the family and the child.  Some kids do great at school and others do not.  Some kids will excell at home and others will not (a lot of that depends on the parents).

The socialization stuff is a myth.   My kids participate in many things and if they didn't say anything, no one would know they were home schooled.  I get so sick of people saying that my kids must be inept because they learn at home.

Answer 9

Generally speaking, yes.

Homeschool is primarily for self-starters who can work independently, as such they can go through the materials at their own pace and even do it year round, thus finishing their required courses by the age of 15, 16 or 17.

Homeschoolers have more potential access to things that usually require field trips in public schools.

A homeschooler (depending on age, of course) can go to a Museum, Art Gallery, main Public Library, Law Library, Park, Ice Skating Rink, Aquestrian Park in the daytime, weekday periods when attendence is lower, entry fees are lesser and there is more time to do things.

These days public libraries close by 5 pm most weeknights due to budget cuts.  A kid who gets out of public school at 3:15 and gets home by 3:45 doesn't have much research time left.

Homeschoolers can take courses in the order they want and from sources they choose to use.  In public school you get what is offered when it's offered and use the materials required.  You have no say in the matter.

So, a homeschooler can pick from two dozen methods of learning Algebra 1 and find a system that helps them understand the methods faster and easier.  They can also take it at their pace, taking a full year to do Algebra 1 alone or doing Algebra 1-4 in one year if they excell at understanding the process.

A homeschooler with a good brain for science and a background in math can take AP Chemistry or Physics at the age of 13 or 14 if they can do the work, instead taking it at age 17 like public schoolers often do.

Homeschoolers are not restricted by pre-requistes.  If, for example, a given homeschooler is not adept at math and has no intention of taking Geometry and Trig, which you don't have to do for a general HS diploma, even in public school, they can still unschool or homeschool in computer Programming in BASIC or C++ which you generally can't do in public schools if you don't have all the math pre-reqs.

So public schools deny some students access to advanced education and homeschool doesn't.

In homeschool a student who likes photography can go out all day long and shoot what they want.  In public school you get 50 minute courses and are confined to the classroom or have to shoot in evenings or weekends.

Homeschoolers can also get access to public photography centers at some Parks and Recreation areas that have these, plus there are still some rental studios.

Homeschoolers can do both homeschooling and unschooling in fields like computers, video, electronics, auto repairs to an extensive level.

In public schools you usually get two projects in electronics, while at home you can do dozens and experiment and come up with your own discoveries.

I was homeschooled in touch typing at the age of 6 and by 8 I was doing 45WPM.  I was homeschooled in music notation at the age of 6.

You learn things sooner, by varied methods and at your own speed.

Answer 10

It is hard to say. There are studies on the social and academic successes of homeschoolers. The evidence overwhelmingly points to homeschool as a way to raise a capable and well socialized young person. There are also anecdotal tales of some who have not been so successful. Those are often true too. The same can be said of public and private schooled children. Some flourish, some do not. Ultimately, it is an apples and oranges situation. For some kids, homeschool is much better, for others, it isn't. I prefer the advantages of homeschool and so does my daughter. She did not learn much in brick schools, but learns well at home. She loves it and never wants to go back. However, she has a peer who loves public school and by Sunday she is already eager to get back to class. She's quite bright and learns very well in that environment. Now, that peer is 11 and already in a hurry to snag a boyfriend, be popular and claims to think she is fat. (She's thin as a rail.) Do I think most of that attitude is a side effect of public school? Yes. (I could be wrong.) Do I think she'll get through it undamaged? Probably. Does every child succumb to peer pressure? No. But many do fall victim to low self-esteem and pressure to conform.

So, "better" is relative. Best just to research the stats of both options and make what you can of it. Good luck with your paper. It is an interesting topic.

Answer 11

It depends on the family. Do the parents care about their children or not?

Public school is nothing but a mandatory social club meeting. The teachers expect all students to learn the way that they teach. They don't understand the concept that everyone learns differently. When you turn in work, the teachers don't care whether you know how to figure out a math problem or write an essay. If me or my siblings missed a problem on our work, my mom would send us back to the table and make us work on it until we got it correct. Teachers just mark it, put a grade in the gradebook, and go on to the next lesson.

20 years ago, a person with nothing but a high school diploma made on average about $20,000 a year. It is still the same today. A high school diploma is nothing but a piece of paper.

I hated high school, even though I made straight A's and B's. I dropped out in March of last year because my counselors would not allow me to go ahead and take my 11th grade classes even though I was done with all my sophmore classes. I was mad. I got my GED and will be starting college in March to pursue my Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice.

When getting ready to take my GED, I was talking to my instructor, and he was telling me some statistics about about the GED and High School DIploma. About 80% of the people who have their High School DIplomas cannot pass the GED.

My mom made F's when she was in high school, but she still got her High School Diploma and graduated with her class. A high school diploma means nothing.

Answer 12

I'm a public school kid and, as far as the socialization thing, it is a myth that public schools help. I was always a shy kid who had trouble making friends, then my parents went through a kinda messy divorce and we moved...and I had an even harder time. I was occasionally bullied (not a consistent thing, although other kids did have consistent bullying) and I didn't become good at dealing with other people until college.

I was pretty bright and spent a lot of time in school being bored and drawing pictures in my notebooks (because I didn't need to listen to the teacher). My younger brother is *really* smart, and he was so painfully bored in school that, after a year of trying to get the teacher to at least give him a few assignments on his level, my parents switched him to a private school. And we were both in a 'good' public school, one with an excellent reputation.

I think that, if my mother had the temperament to be able to teach, we both would have been better off if we had been home schooled.

Answer 13

In some cases, yes, in others, no.

There is no clear-cut answer, because education is not a one-size-fits-all matter.  Each child is different, has different needs, aptitudes, learning styles, and interests.  For some kids, the structure and competition of a classroom is an incredible motivator; for others, it is distracting and frustrating.

For a child who doesn't learn well in a classroom environment, whether due to distractions, teaching styles/logistics, curriculum needs, or whatever, yes.  Homeschooling can be much more effective.  On the flipside, in a failing school district where learning is not valued (gangs and drugs are prevalent, sports are seen as more important, etc.), homeschooling can also be much more effective.

It can't be said that homeschooling is more effective in every situation; there are incredibly successful, efficient schools, and there are many students that thrive in those schools.  However, for a student that needs any sort of an alternate learning environment, yes, homeschooling has often been proven to be more successful for those students.

Edit - there are also many ways to homeschool.  No two homeschools are the same.  My son, for example, knows up front that he either gives his best effort, or he'll be redoing the assignment.  Many homeschooling families expect (and receive) excellence out of their children.  Not all, of course, but many.

Answer 14

As a home schooler, and a mom who was a public school student and also had her children in public schools until 4 years ago, here are my thoughts.

Every child is very different - we all have different learning styles and even those styles come in varying degrees.  Of my 5 children, 2 were tested and are "geniuses" who were bored in school ... and the teachers have a "box" mentality of keeping all the kids in the same place no matter who's not there.  My kids were beyond that intelligence level and needed more stimulation.  After many parent/teacher meetings, some involving the counselors, one of the counselors said my children were "prime candidates for home schooling".  We still tried getting the teachers to give my kids higher level work, but they refused.

I finally had enough and pulled all my kids out and home schooled them.

Now, instead of waking up by 6am to be on a school bus by 6:55am and be at school all day, not arriving home until 4pm and then having a good 2 hours of home work ... we wake by 8am, have some breakfast, do some chores, be lazy, have lunch and start our school day by 1pm.  We're done by 6pm, no home work, just a few evening chores left, dinner as a family, maybe a movie or some music or even games.

The kids are involved in various activities, and have lots of social time with kids in various age groups, as well as other adults.

This is not the best life for all kids (or their parents) - but it's best for ours ... my kids are 2 grade levels ahead of where they would be in public school, and it's not because I pressure them.  I simply gave them the freedom to enjoy learning at their own pace.

What's positively effective for my kids, and our family as a whole, is not positively effective for others.  Be sure in your essay you let people know there is no one right answer.

Blessings

Answer 15

I think Homeschooled kids learn a lot more book wise however I dont feel that htey get enough socialization.  I have worked in Recreational areas where the homeschool kids in the community would get together and although they are smart they do not always know how to interact with their peers.

Answer 16

Not at all; quite the opposite. In terms of effectiveness, many parents who undertake homeschooling do NOT have the qualifications or education necessary to teach. Also the child misses out on important socialization skills and the discipline they get at public school. It is very isolating and creates an unreal world for the child and does not in any way prepare them for the real world and working as an adult. But by far, the two most important aspects of why home schooling is bad are one, the lack of peer socialization and two, the lack of education and qualifications of the parent to teach.

Answer 17

You may notice that the required amount of years spent in school has increased with each period of economic difficulty. Why? Because it keeps people off the job market.

The concept of 'adolescence' has only existed for the last hundred years or so. The idea of someone having loads of disposable income and hours of spare time (in school, it's labor-intensive but everything is still all laid out for you) is a very new one, and I think a bad one. (I say this as a 15-year old.)

Homeschooling (excepting the cases where it's really screwed up, which is *not* most of the time) tends to give kids more responsibility at a younger age. They can handle it (if 13-year olds could fight in the Revolution, they can certainly keep track of all their assignments) and it's not like school kids can't, but they generally aren't prepared.

When people say homeschooled kids don't know how to act with their peers, I think the problem is that it's cultural differences coming in to play. (I've wondered why people don't ever stop and think that it's also true that public schoolers don't know what to make of homeschoolers, but I guess they're our standard.)

Kids in school who have just met tend to talk about homework, teachers they don't like, and what some kid said at lunch that day. Homeschooled kids don't have those experiences, and are usually more focused on more advanced pursuits (it's just a raising thing, no innate differences) and are often less focused on material stuff. I'm an atheist so I'm not putting a religious spin on it; I think it's related to two things. The first is that homeschooled kids usually have more power over their own lives. My friends in school have said that one of the big reasons the cliques are so fierce is that it's the one thing that they can control. You can't decide where you go every day, or what you do, but you can (to some extent) control who you spend your time with. The second is that homeschooling usually requires a few financial sacrifices, if just in the form of lost income. Less disposable income = fewer shiny toys. If nobody has the brand new iPod, nobody's competing over who has the shiniest, newest one. There's still some mild competition, but nothing like what goes on in school.

The public school system is designed to create sheep who will follow orders. It depends largely on sheltering kids from the real world; the world where they have to make their own decisions, get fired if they don't do their jobs (as opposed to getting a guidance counselor) and don't get praised for being able to put a sentence together. It's not like there's something better about homeschoolers, but the government school system (aka the Prussian system) is designed to foster conformity and pliability, where homeschooling environments are designed to foster intellectual progress and usually end up with people on stronger philosophical ground. (That goes for everyone, as far as I've observed. I'm a well-researched, principled atheist, and I know a family of six who are all very devout fundamentalist Mormons. Takes all kinds.)