Publice School or Home School?

Question

Witch do you think is better?

Answer 1

For our family, we like home school.

The answer that said

" In public school, kids and teens get to have interaction with others." and that they " learn how to interact with many different kinds of people"

must live in a very remote part of the country.   We live in the rural south and we have neighbors, clubs, sports,  civic events, and many opportunities to interact with other people.

Also I want to give another side to the statement that  :

" There's also the aspect that teachers are FAR more likely to make a kid do his or her work as opposed to parents who will let their kids slide when it comes to homework and quizes and tests."    

My son was in public school from K-8th.  I am much tougher on him than the public school.   He can now actually write a paper with correct spelling and punctuation.  In school they thought it was fine as long as he was expressing himself.  I disagree.  I think he should express himself in a manner that people can read and understand.

And thirdly the statement :

"Teachers are educated in how to educate others. Most parents are not and therefore, although they have good intentions, just don't know how to effectively teach a child and prepare them for the real world."

I think that anyone can educate another person.  I learn from many people.   The key is to have a mind that wants to learn.   If the students are sitting in class with a closed mind, they will not learn no matter how much training a teacher has in educating.    We are all self learners.   The key to home education is giving the kids the freedom to learn in the way that they learn best.

Answer 2

I think home schooling is better

Many people don't consider home schooling thier children, because they are afraid thier children will miss out on socialization. According to the U.S. Department of Education, it is estimated that 1.7 percent of all students participate in a home schooling program. A greater number of parents are turning to home schooling as an option for educating their children.

This concept once only included the idea of parents assuming the responsibility of educating their own children. Today, the modern home school has evolved to include the use of computers and other technically-advanced equipment. Although home schooling has the predominant form of education throughout history, many people consider it to be a new concept.

Why are parents choosing home schooling more and more? There are many benefits. You can customize your curriculum (just as k12 does). Home schooling enables students to participate in a curriculum that is tailored to their needs. They can focus on specific areas of interest or other areas that require extra attention.

You can use different learning methods, so students don't have to sit at a desk all day. They might go on a field trip to a historical place, explore nature at a park, or visit a science camp.

Most home school based curriculum is self-paced, so if students require extra help on an assignment or want additional challenges, they can learn as fast or as slow as they choose. In a traditional school setting , the teacher can't always slow down and go over an area that a few students may not understand as well as the rest of the class. This is how so many kids today "get lost" and are left behind. A situation like this is easily avoided at home.

Having a flexible schedule is a great benefit. Home schooling provides students with more options than a traditional classroom. Students can set their own schedule and learn at any time. If they want to take a test at night, they have the freedom to do so. They are learning on their own terms.

There are fewer social distractions for children at home. Home schooling allows students to learn without the worry or interference of social distractions. They are not faced with the social pressures of regular school. They can focus on their work and not what another kid in the class might be saying or doing. You don't have to worry about bad influences that your child might have at school (drugs, alcohol, the wrong crowd etc). If you teach your child a certain set of morals and values, they will not learn something entirely different as they may have in a traditional school setting.

Home schooling enables students to get one-on-one attention from their teacher. Whether they are learning from a parent or online teacher, they can get immediate attention for all of their educational needs.

A home schooling program can provide students with choices. It gives them an alternative to the traditional classroom. Whether they choose home schooling for academic, safety or social reasons, they can be in charge of their education. It enables them to create an individualized learning experience.

For many children this is definitely a good option. A student needs to be self disciplined enough to do the school work daily. If a student is dedicated to being home schooled and can appreciate it, they can be successful !

Answer 3

I think it depends a lot on the family, the schools and the individual student.

I prefer homeschooling for my kids, having taught in the public school system and having a dh who is a jr. high teacher and a brother-in-law who is a high school teacher.

As for one person's comment:

"Public school, by FAR! In public school, kids and teens get to have interaction with others. "

There's nothing stopping homeschooled kids from interacting with others. I know homeschooled teens who don't want to go to school because they spend a good deal of their time with friends and don't want to spend the bulk of their day sitting in a desk listening to a teacher and doing work.

"Sure there are some not so nice people out there (bullies and such...), but overall, you learn how to interact with many different kinds of people."

So do homeschoolers. In particular, they can learn to interact with people who are babies through adulthood because any active homeschooling family will come in contact with a wide age range of people.

"There's also the aspect that teachers are FAR more likely to make a kid do his or her work as opposed to parents who will let their kids slide when it comes to homework and quizes and tests."

And why would you make this assumption? You assume that homeschooling parents are going to let their kids slide? Those who have an academic bent definitely do not. Homework? In homeschooling? I'm not sure you even know what homeschooling is about.

"Teachers are educated in how to educate others."

Actually, no. Teachers are educated in how to educate GROUPS of others. There's a difference.

"Most parents are not and therefore, although they have good intentions, just don't know how to effectively teach a child and prepare them for the real world."

Wow, you have such a wonderful view of parents! I'm guessing your own aren't so great. Btw, were you aware that many private schools do not require that their teachers have an education degree?

Answer 4

Public school, by FAR!  In public school, kids and teens get to have interaction with others.  Sure there are some not so nice people out there (bullies and such...), but overall, you learn how to interact with many different kinds of people.  There's also the aspect that teachers are FAR more likely to make a kid do his or her work as opposed to parents who will let their kids slide when it comes to homework and quizes and tests.

_________________________

Responding the person below me:

"There's nothing stopping homeschooled kids from interacting with others. "

There's also not as much encouraging it, either.  Many kids who don't interact with school kids on an everyday basis tend to not want to participate in athletic events, clubs, and other school activities as much as children who are educated in school.

"I know homeschooled teens who don't want to go to school because they spend a good deal of their time with friends and don't want to spend the bulk of their day sitting in a desk listening to a teacher and doing work."

If they're that unwilling to listen to authority figures and people in charge, the majority of those kids are only going to form opinions based on what their parents and peers think.  It's unusual for parents to teach and reinforce in their children things they don't believe in (creation vs. evolution, for example).  As a result, they are less likely to think about things their parents don't believe.  And the unwillingness to want to "sit in a desk listening to a teacher and doing work..." let's just hope these children don't have desk jobs for corporations some day.  They may be tempted to not want to listen to their bosses or do their work either.  And by the way, teacher, you sit AT a desk, not IN one (unless you have a really big desk or are a VERY petite person).

"There's also the aspect that teachers are FAR more likely to make a kid do his or her work as opposed to parents who will let their kids slide when it comes to homework and quizes and tests.

"And why would you make this assumption? You assume that homeschooling parents are going to let their kids slide? Those who have an academic bent definitely do not. Homework? In homeschooling? I'm not sure you even know what homeschooling is about."

And do you know what homework is about?  Sure, there's doing schoolwork at home, but it also means reading and critically thinking about the material presented to you on your own time; not just "classroom" time.  And yes, I have seen parents let their children slide.  To the point that one family has two of their five children who were unable to graduate, and the third is well on his way to not graduating.  And since their family is still caudling them, they have no desire to even attempt to earn their GED.

"Teachers are educated in how to educate others.

"Actually, no. Teachers are educated in how to educate GROUPS of others. There's a difference."

And just what do you think "others" means?  Desks?  Blackboards?  Teachers are trained to educate other PEOPLE, be it in a group or as individuals.  You have to be able to educate a person before you can have a group of people.

"Most parents are not and therefore, although they have good

intentions, just don't know how to effectively teach a child and prepare them for the real world.

"Wow, you have such a wonderful view of parents! I'm guessing your own aren't so great. Btw, were you aware that many private schools do not require that their teachers have an education degree?"

Actually, I have wonderful parents.  They sent me to a public school, regardless of the fact that I have family who teaches in the school system.  I am well aware that many private schools do not require their educators to have an education degree.  This discussion is not about private schools, but since you brought it up, they are required to have some sort of degree, which is not the case with parents.  If I were an uneducated parent, I would rather have someone with SOME formal education teaching my children.

Answer 5

public school of coourse....

Answer 6

I think it depends on the child, the school, and the situation.

LaRue's Lady, you apparently went to a great public school.  That's wonderful.  You need to realize, though, that not every public school in America measures up to that - and some fall dreadfully short.  (By the way, the person you rebutted, saying she basically knew nothing about teachers, IS a certified teacher.  So is her husband.  She previously taught in public school, he still does.  Thought you might want to know.)

Both homeschooling and public school, when done correctly, can be great.  For my son, homeschooling is best.  He has academic and health needs that can't feasibly be met in most classrooms, and the district we live in (one of the "best" in the state, sadly) has a 20%+ dropout rate annually, for the past several years.  Sorry, not for my child.

As LaRue's Lady pointed out, there are really great public schools out there, and there are students that are well-suited to that atmosphere.  She's evidently one of them.  However, many children are not, and thrive in a homeschool setting.  They get a great education (sorry, but I'm way harder on my son than most teachers would be), and they have friends - they just don't sit in a classroom for 6-8 hours per day.

Both of these choices are just that - choices.  You need to weigh the options and make the choice that is best for you.  Luckily, in America, that's a choice that all of us have.  :-)

Answer 7

home schooling

Answer 8

Depends on factors like crime, nasty teachers and administrators, bullies, bad working conditions poor equipment.

A well equipped school that is safe and fun to go to can't be outdone

If they have a radio station, drama department, band, chior, TV production department, photo studio, print shop with press, student newspaper, intermural sports, chem labs, physics labs

Fine

If the place is horrible or you can excell on your own then homeschool is best.

Brick schools will NOT generally let your graduate until you finish 12th grade and that means 17 minimum 18 average.

If you can finish at home by age 15 or 16 and get accpeted for college that's another matter!

Answer 9

I was homeschooled though high school graduation.  I have never had socialization problems (at least I don't think I have, my friends might argue), and I loved college and graduated with honors near the top of my class.  Many of my good friends went to public school and then college, loved it, and graduated with honors near the top of the class.  I have met homeschooled students who were some of the best adjusted and nicest people you could ever want to meet.  I have also met homeschoolers who were (sadly) very maladjusted and fit the classic "weird nerd" stereotype.  I think homeschooling is great, but the parents/tutors/teachers must go about it carefully and purposefully.  Students can succeed and excel in either environment.

The good of homeschooling:

1) The student has one-on-one interaction with the teacher almost all the time.

2) The teacher can tailor the class to the student. In a larger classroom, the instruction must be generalized so that every student can be given the best opportunity to learn. This generally leads to boredom for the quickest students, while the slower students may be left behind.

3) Homeschooling can be more objective and open to new ideas. There is no specific curriculum for a class, and public schools have a set curriculum which often prevents exposure to alternative or new ideas.  (As an example, check out the creation vs. evolution debate in the Kansas school system.  The debate was not that one viewpoint should be favored over the other, but the debate was whether any of the problems with evolutionary theory and new theories on the origin of matter should be allowed into the classroom.  The end decision was that evolutionary theory should not be questioned in a public school classroom.  In a homeschool environment, this discussion can take place at the discretion of the parent.  But, note that this freedom can also be a weakness, because many people with weird, off-the-wall ideas choose homeschooling so that they can push these ideas upon their children.)

4) Homeschooling generally removes students from the negative aspects of public schools such as bullying, negative peer pressure, drugs, and violence.

5) Homeschooling is VASTLY more cost-effective. The average public school student costs 10 times as much to educate as the average homeschooled student.

6) Test scores have overwhelmingly shown that homeschooled student perform better academically than their public and private school counterparts.

Homeschooling negatives:

1) Homeschooling lacks many of the benefits of organization, a large student body, and good facilities. These include groups such as band, most varsity sports, drama groups, and most student organizations. Homeschools don't have football fields. Homeschoolers can get involved with such groups, but it is more complicated than if the student went to the school in question. The student may also feel like an outsider, because he/she does not have the same school experience as the other group members.

2) Homeschooling may cause social isolation if done incorrectly. This is compounded by the fact that the school years are some of the most important from a developmental standpoint. Poor socialization can lead to poor social skills as an adult and the inability to adjust to changes in environment.

3) Homeschooling can be extremely subjective and closed to multiple viewpoints. When the teacher is also the principal, cafeteria worker, janitor, and Mom/Dad, it should be obvious that getting more than one viewpoint can be difficult.

4) Homeschooling requires time. This probably means that a family will live off only one income.

5) Homeschooling lacks competition. Though some may see this fact as a benefit, having competition actually provides motivation and increases human performance.

So, does a homeschool provide a better education than a public school? Test scores give a definite YES (but there are a few caveats). Homeschoolers typically score in the top 25-30% of students nationwide. This shows that having quality one-on-one attention with a teacher in a stable environment fosters a better learning experience. Note that many (most?) homeschools are led by highly educated parents who provide a good income and are (by definition) very involved in their child's education. Homeschooling requires more work and discipline on the part of the parent than that required by sending a child to public school. So, don't choose homeschooling unless you are definite about it and prepared for what it will require.

Answer 10

It completely depends on the family.   For ours it's home school.  Commitment on the part of both the student (once they are of high school age) and the parents is very important.

If the student isn't ready to study and do the work then home schooling isn't for them.

The social aspects -as in home school kids don't get any - is a myth.   The poster above me wrote:

"1) Homeschooling lacks many of the benefits of organization, a large student body, and good facilities. These include groups such as band, most varsity sports, drama groups, and most student organizations. "

I would have to respectfully disagree with a lot of this.  It depends of course on the homeschool groups near you and how involved you want to be.   My son plays saxophone and clarinet in our home school band, my girls have been in several musicals with the drama group, my son directed a movie in which one of my girls was an actress (we just got a copy of that movie yesterday!)  and a whole host of other things.

Yes it can be tougher in smaller centres but if parents and older students get together to make it happen, it's not impossible.