What do you think of these reasons for wanting to go to school?

Question

Why I should go to school

Reasons for a real school experience

1. Real classes with experienced teachers with teaching licenses

2. Experience around large crowds of people

3. Learning exactly what I should know for my grade level one day at a time, one class at a time

4. Actually having a GPA

5. Extra-curricular activities like school plays, choir, dance team, basketball, track, etc.

6. Classes I wouldn’t be able to take at home such as anatomy, debate, physics, trigonometry, tech ed, classes that will be important when I’m older

7. I can get letters of recommendation from teachers when I apply for college

8. Be ready for college when the time comes

9. I’ll have teacher’s expertise on subjects my parents are probably not experts

10. Teachers teach their classes with different approaches from which I will benefit, they’ll have us do projects, video presentation, experiments, etc.

11. Lab equipment for biology, chemistry and physics

12. High school yearbook and class ring

Answer 1

yes they really are !take it from someone that was unable to finish.I wish I could have experieced hat .talk to your parents have them do some research and see how you could benifit from it!

Answer 2

The real reason why we should go to school is to learn and be educated and to prepare us for a larger, broader future which we are going to live and work. We should really have to go to school whatever the conditions (as what you have enumerated to choose from) because KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. At school you should also balance studies and recreations that is why extra curricular activities is being encouraged. It's good to study at a private school since they offers complete facilities but in times of crisis that we can only afford to study at government own schools, we should be resourceful to make use of all available facilities. Good Luck!

Answer 3

1) Not necessarily - there are heaps of excellent teachers out there with no 'teaching licence' or 'teaching qualifications'. People get way too obssessed with whether or not a teacher has a teaching degree/licence/any other qualification! Often the very best teachers don't. Private schools often get heaps better results and give heaps better classes despite having unqualified and unlicensed teachers! Why? Because, for example, they'll employ someone who has spent 30 years actually WORKING as a chemist to come in to school and teach chemistry; or someone who was born and bred in France to come in and teach french...and so on and so on.

2)Possibly -- however one can get 'experience around large crowds' in any city centre shopping mall; you'd be getting experience around large crowds that are far more authentic and realistic of large crowds in the real world too if you were to go stand in the middle of your local CBD than in the middle of your local school as well!

3) One word: sheep. Puddles, Sweetpea and the rest of my woolly babies'd be very proud of your logic with this 'reason'. This is classic 'flock behaviour' if ever I saw it, you may as well say that after the fourth kid jumps off the school roof, you'll have the opportunity to jump too, *grin* (Okay so you probably have to know sheep and the way their ovine minds work to get the joke in that!).

What you should know at a certain age and a certain grade level is ENTIRELY ARBITRARY and often related more to classroom management and crowd control and less to you developing any necessary life skills or knowledge. Far better to learn what you, as an individual human being, need to know than what some stranger sitting in an office thousands of kms away woke up one day and decided you had to know by a certain date for no better reason than a number on your birth certificate!

4) If what you want is a GPA, work one out for yourself. If you want a publicly acknowledged GPA, well, maybe you should go to school. You don't *need* a GPA though to have a successful and fulfilling life.

5) ...Are all available through community organisations, private business, sports and leisure centres etc. Have you checked to see if yours is one of the areas where homeschoolers can access public school co-curricular activities?!? Have you investigated the possibility of doing co-curricular activities at a local private school?!?

6) Check out local colleges, community groups, private business, neighbours with specialist knowledge/experience etc who'd probably be only too happy to have an apprentice.

7) Yes...but such letters are no better than references from a thousand and one other professionals.

8) Actually college means being 'an independent learner'; something kids from schools have to learn once they get there and home educated kids have been naturally doing all their lives!

9) So, don't restrict yourself to your parents for 'expertise'. There are heaps of people living in your community who have all the 'expertise' you could ever need and certainly heaps more than your average 'teacher'. Get out and about and find someone who has spent their whole life living and working in the subjects you want to study if it's 'expertise' you want. Many school teachers are teaching subjects they know either little or nothing about. Most teachers are teaching subjects that they themselves only ever studied at high school level.

10) You could be doing all those things and more at home; I do.

11) My oldest brother did biology, chemistry and physics right through to the end of Year 13 using equipment that's available from pharmacies, online suppliers of scientific eqpt etc, as well as stuff your parents probably have knocking around at home anyway

12) Yep...if those things matter to you...if you imagine they'll *still* matter to you 30 years down the track...you should probably go to school ; /.

Alternatively you could design and commission your own, either individually or with a group of home-educated mates.

13) I've never used a 'standardised workbook' in my life, neither have my siblings; tell you the truth, I've never even seen one! Trust me, not having access to 'standardised workbooks' is not a barrier to being successfully home-educated.

14) ...because we all know there are absolutely no distractions or barriers to learning in your average school!

15) Experience of real life and self discipline and self motivation and self reliance and independent learning and independent thought processes make for a better college/uni applicant.

As for co-curricular activities, no-one has to go to school in order to participate in them. I live a 2-day drive away from the closest school and I manage it! You could just as easily get involved in community groups, projects and activities, volunteering etc.

Plus given the amount of time you'll spend at school, getting to & from school, doing homework etc etc you'll have heaps *LESS* time for co-curricular activities if you were to go to school than you currently have as a homeschooler.

Answer 4

I think your reasons are right on the money, im in homeschool and im dying to get back into public. I think you actually helped me out. Im gunna use some of the reasons for a strong persuasive argument.. thanks

Answer 5

Glurpy and I come From... have given you the best advice you can get.

You seem to be an organized articulate young lady.  If you really have the burning desire to go to school you probably should.  It is an unknown to you and you have ideal, preconceived ideas about the value of the experience.  Many homeschool kids do go to school just so they can say they did, just for the experience.  Most of them go back to homeschool when they find that the reality is not quite what they expected.    And who knows? Some people even thrive in the public school system.

But as I said, Glurpy and I Come From.. have hit the nail right on the head.   Their rebuttals are the reality to your idealistic list.

Answer 6

You have done a good job of listing your reasons for attending "regular" school.  This list shows that you have put some time into organizing your thoughts.

Before showing this list to your parents (I assume that is the purpose) go through each point and write out how you would overcome the issue if you were in "regular" school and wanted to be homeschooled.  Those are the types of arguments that your parents will make when you present your list.

This will provide you an opportunity to better prepare your argument.  It will also prepare you for the best possible outcome by examining both sides of each issue.

Answer 7

I don't agree with all of the reasons, but they are well stated, you have obviously been thinking about this for a while. If this is the list you are preparing to present to you parents, I would go a step further and find out about the district and the school. What programs do they have (not all schools have choir, dance teams, debate, etc...). Find the ratings that the local schools are given. How are their test scores? Go the extra mile and do the extra research. Then when you present this information, you will have the answers to the questions.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

I think they are good reasons

Good Luck

Answer 9

I didnt read your list of things but you dont need a reason to go to school...thats whats wrong with society today. everyone wants motivation to better themselves like bettering yourself isnt reward enough....yuck i'm going to find a stray cat to chase down the street now, pray for me, I love you guys.

Answer 10

Let me start by saying that i'm a highschool student, 17 (not a parent), and I went to public school up until a few months into my freshman year of highschool and went back for a short time at a different school for about a month in 10th grade. I also have lots of public school friends.

You've got a pretty long list here, all typical reasons teachers and public school supporters give for why public school is better. It almost sounds like you're quoting reasons you read somewhere else. Now lets go through this list and point out what's wrong with each of these reasons.

"1.Real classes with experienced teachers with teaching licenses"

A teaching liscense doesn't necessarily mean someone is a good teacher or even a better teacher than the typical parent. My mother is a retired public school teacher, and her and all her colleagues can tell you that all they learned in teaching school was croud control and how to identify child abuse and ADHD. Homeschool parents don't need these croud control skills because they don't have to manage and regulate the bahavior of 20 to 30 bored students at a time.

"2.Experience around large crowds of people"

Are you lackinig this? Do you not leave your house and go to stores, parks, museums, the mall, the beach, the library, ariports, bus terminals, on vacation, to theme parks, to community centers, community pools, sporting events, block parties, city-wide events and festivals, or any of the other places where you generally find large crouds of people? If you don't, you should. It's a much better way to get used to large crouds without all the down-sides of public school. And these will be real world crouds, not age-segregated crouds in the artificial world of school.

"3.Learning exactly what I should know for my grade level one day at a time, one class at a time"

Aren't you doing this now? Homeschoolers work in a  sequense like public schoolers do. If you're actually doing work and not just goofing off all the time then you are likely working at the level you are supposed to be working at. Age and grade level are irrelevent. If you didn't learn Algebra, you aren't ready for Geometry whether you're in the grade for it or not. Furthermore, if you're in the grade where you'd learn Geometry but you're ahead and ready for Algebra 2 or PreCal, you should not under any circomstances do work that's too easy for you just because it's "age appropriate". As for one class at a time...well, I assum3e you don't do reading assignments while working problems in your math book. And as for one day at a time, I also assume you are doing your work every day and not letting huge gaps of time go by in between. If you are, there's nothing stopping you from setting up a schedule if you feel you need one and sticking to it. If the work feels like it isn't at your grade level, ask your parents if you can do something harder instead.

"4.Actually having a GPA"

What do you think is so important about a GPA? Do you have grades? If so, then you have a GPA. You calculate it by assigning a number to each letter (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) then counting up the numbers for each subject you're studying and dividing the total by the number of subjects. If you don't have grades in the Public School sense, there's nothing wrong with that. You will just need to explain your grading system when you apply to college, but it will NOT make you any less likely to get accepted into college.

"5.Extra-curricular activities like school plays, choir, dance team, basketball, track, etc."

You already have them. If you're not a member of a local homeschool group, go to google.com and type in "<your city/state> homeschool groups" and find one you can join. These groups offer TONS of activities like co-op classes, drama club, plays, academic teams, sports teams, chorus, band, art programs, dance team, yearbook, newspaper, field trips, park days, parties, dances, prom, graduation, and so much more. Also, look up your local Parks and Recreation website and you'll find lots of activities available to you right in your community. You also have scouts, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, clubs and events at the local library, the local youth or community center, volunteer opportunities, and more.

"6.Classes I wouldn’t be able to take at home such as anatomy, debate, physics, trigonometry, tech ed, classes that will be important when I’m older"

Now why can't you take Anatomy and Physics at hoom? There are tons of curriculum and lab supplies for sciences such as these that are specially intended for homeschoolers. For Trig, you can use a video curriculum or take an online course. I'm planning to do this next year. You can find curricula for Tech-ed as well. I did. I'm taking a Programming and Robotics course this year and even got to buld a robot of my own. If you can't afford the supplies for these kinds of classes, again, join your local homeschool co-op group. A co-op is a group of homeschoolers that have small-group classes taught by volunteers in specialized areas that would be more difficult or expensive to teach at home... Things like Technology, Physics, Chemistry, Anatomy, Home Ec, Foreign Languages, Geneology, and so on. Another option is to start duel enrolling at a community college once you're at the age where you'd be taking classes like these. Many homeschoolers do this, some starting as early as 14.  And honestly, most public schools cant afford to offer decent programs (or any program at all) in most of these subjects.

"7.I can get letters of recommendation from teachers when I apply for college"

These can be helpful, but there's no reason why you couldn't get them from community college professors when you duel enroll, from employers, from people you've volunteered for, from councilors in educational camps and programs you've attended, from homeschool co-op teachers, from coaches in community sports, from instructors you've worked with in music programs or art studios or drama club at a local community theater, from clubs you've attended, and so on.

"8.Be ready for college when the time comes"

Honestly, you've probably got a better chance of being ready for college if you continue homeschooling since as a homeschooler you don't have things being spoon fed to you, you learn to think for yourself, you don't have your creativity stifled, and you learn to be self-motivated and independent.

"9.I’ll have teacher’s expertise on subjects my parents are probably not experts" See above where I explained what a teaching degree mostly is. If you plan on attending a school where the chemistry teacher majored in chemistry and MINORED in teaching, or is actually a retired chemist, where the math teacher is a mathmatition or computer programmer, where the english teacher is an author, journalist, or at least an english or linguistics major, where the history teacher worked as a historian, archeologist, or at least worked for some time in a museum, and so on... That would be different. Even I'd go to that school, but if that isn't the case then the chances are your teachers will be no more qualified than your parents. Just better at croud control. They'll be using a teachers guide and answer keys as well. If you feel there are subjects your parents can't teach you, you have a lot of options. Sign up for online courses, attend college courses as a duel-enrollment student, join a homeschool co-op, take a video course, or seek out professionals in your community who can answer questions not clearly covered in your curriculum.

"10.Teachers teach their classes with different approaches from which I will benefit, they’ll have us do projects, video presentation, experiments, etc."

Okay, now i need to tell you from experience that you'll spend A LOT more time taking notes and working out of a book than you will doing any of the above, and one of the boasted benefits of homeschooling is the fact that you CAN do all of the above as apposed to mostly book work. There's no reason why you can't do all of these things now. My homeschooling is almost entirely project/experiment based. You can do creative projects and video presentations, use resourses other than textbooks, go on field trips, do hands-on activities, and experiment all you like. If you need help finding equipment for experiments, google "home science tools" and click on the first result. If your parents can't afford these materials, there are lots of home made experiments and projects you can do, and there is still the option of community college, educational camps and weekend programs, and homeschool co-op groups.

"11.Lab equipment for biology, chemistry and physics" See above. Also consider that a lot of public schools really don't do many labs in these subjects because the kids misbehave too much, there isn't room for everyone in the lab, or there aren't enough materials to go around.

"12.High school yearbook and class ring" What is so important about a class ring? If it is that important, you can have your own designed by the same companies that distribute rings to the schools, or see if the local homeschool group does rings. The local group may also have a yearbook club, or you can do what I'm doing and design your own. Lay out the pages on your computer with pictures that highlight your best moments in homeschooling, and then send them to a yearbook publisher that does homeschool yearbooks (there are many) to have the book bound for you. In my community, I started a yearbook club for homeschoolers where I help other HSers learn how to use the software for page

Answer 11

I really liked your second point. I am in my fourth year of university and I know kids who still don't know how to speak publicly in front of others. It's a great skill to learn to socialize in a large environment. It's absolutely necessary for university or college and for life in general.

You're sixth point would've sold me. If being homeschooled means you miss the opportunity to take classes necessary for your future, I'd let you go.

I think your list is good. If you really want to go, then I'm sure your parents might listen to you. Just remember you should know why they put you in home schooling in the first place. Be sure you're ready for this because it will be a big, big change.

Good luck.

Answer 12

They could be good reasons for some.  They are not for me.  Here's why:

1. I had lots of 'real' class time with certified and not so certified teachers.  Classes taught by other homeschool parents (some certified, some not), classes at the community center, classes at the community college, unless you live in the middle of nowhere, if you are wanting 'real' class time you should be able to find it.  And in my experience real class time is real wasted time because everyone has to move at the same pace, wait for directions, wait for the teacher, etc.

2. Not gonna lie, this one confuses me a little. Large crowds of people?  Just what do you think this is going to benefit you?  And have you never been to the mall around Christmas?  That would be better crowd experience.  Or how about an NFL game? Those crowds are crazy.

3. Why do you want to be exactly at your grade level?  You have presented your reason for wanting to go to school in a  thought out, respectful way, I bet you are above your grade level.  Why would you want to be held back?  And if you are not above grade level, why would you want the opportunity to advance be taken away?

4.  Finding out your GPA is not that hard.  My little sister has been able to do it since I showed her how in third grade.

5. I was in theater and consequently, plays, I was in chior, I was in ballet for many years, I tried the whole sports thing but it wasn't me.  However, you should have no problem doing sports while homeschooled.  And dance team? I don't know about where you live, but where I live the dance teams wear tight clothes, dance like strippers to songs like, "I'm in Love With a Stripper", and all in front of the "Parent Seating" section at football games.  Gross.  

6. Anatomy?  Why can't you take that as a homeschooler?  I did.  Most of my friends were in debate.  Debate is a big deal in lots of homeschool groups, you should check it out.   Many of my friends received big scholarships to Harvard, Princeton, Wheaton, and all because of homeschool debate groups.

7. Why can't you get letters of recommendation from people who actucally know you?  Like adult friends, family, coworkers?

8. Trust me, I have talked to many college students, homeschool and publec schooled graduates.  The public schoolers are always the underprepared students.  It's sad really.  I feel like I have wasted so much time in college while professors go over concepts that were taught in ninth grade.  But the public schoolers were too busy texting during class to pay attention the first time.  Oh, and guess what?  Nothings changed!  They are still busy texting in class!

9. If your parents cannot handle certain subjects, find other homeschool parents who can, hire a tutor, or take classes at the community college.

10. And you can't do this now because of......

11. Many homeschool groups have their own equipment and offer classes.  Otherwise take a lab at the community college.  That way, yo won't have to take it again in college because you already have the credits for it.  I never took a lab in high school, but I still managed to have the top grade in my college lab class.  And I was the only person who had never had a lab.  Trust me, it's not that important or hard.

12.  I was in a homeschool group and we had both those things.  I opted to have my parents buy me a ring at a jewelry store in stead of a class ring, and the photo albums I have of me and my friends are way more important than the year book I have.  

13. Not sure what you are talking about.  I had textbooks all the way through 12 grade.  You should look into other curriculum options.

14. I doubt public school would be a better environment.  I have been wrong before, but c'mon.....  better environmet?!

15. Most homeschoolers I know agree that homeschooling allowed them to be in more exrtracurricular activities than if they would have gone to school.  Why?  They simply had more time.  Plus, college don't want to see how many activities you are in, the want to see that you stick with the activities you start.  However, if you homeschool and have time for many activities and are able to stick with all of them, more power to you!  You seem to be concerned about your future college education.  Nothing screams "Freakin Amazing Student!!!" to college admissions officers like a homeschool graduate.  Seriously.

Obviously you have thought these things out carefully.  If you really want to go to school that badly and your parents will let you, then go.  But seriously, your future can be much brighter if you take charge of your education.  Only you and your parents have your best interest at heart, no one else will take care of you like your family.  And remember, homeschooling is what you make it.  If you want all these things in life, than why not make it happen?

Answer 13

1. Personally, this wouldn't be a good reason for me. Why not? Because the teacher I'd most like to have is Marva Collins. She taught for years and was never licensed (or at least, taught for many years before she was granted a license; she never took teacher training). Teaching licenses do NOT mean that a person can teach. They don't test to see how well you teach when you become a teacher. They test to see how well you understand how to assess, how well you know whatever subject matter you've been taking as part of your teacher training. When you do student teaching, they want to see that you progress and have some basic abilities; they expect you to become better as the years go on, but many get worse!

2. Life is full of large crowds of people. However, if you were saying that you'd like a transitional phase in preparation for college, that would work better, since some places do have classes of 400 and things like that. It can be very overwhelming for some people--even those who have gone to large high schools!

3. What does that mean--"exactly what I should know for my grade level"? You mean for your state? How come you can't do it at home? I know of homeschoolers who use online programs that follow the local curriculum or they get the resources, create schedules and deadlines and learn everything that they would have at school (and sometimes more). You'd have to expand on this more.

4. If your parents aren't willing to mark your things, then that could be a potential reason since there are awards and opportunities out there that require specific GPAs.

5. You don't have those things available to the public or to homeschoolers where you live? I know a few homeschooled kids who are into acting and they go through local theatre groups. There are choirs for both homeschoolers and the general public. I don't know what a dance team is; I don't think we have them here. We have community basketball teams, homeschool track... If those things aren't available to you as a homeschooler, then yes, those could be reasons to go to school. However, they really would have to be available only through the school. (Are you likely to do ALL of those things? When are you going to have time for homework??

6. Yes, specific classes that you can't do through homeschooling are all great reasons. However, you CAN do physics and anatomy and trigonometry at home--maybe not in the same way done at school (although there are plenty of programs out there for doing trigonometry; I assume anatomy could end up being different in a school and possibly a physics lab for some higher end equipment, but the experiences enhance the learning; they aren't necessary for it). Also, there might be a homeschool or public debate team where you live, so that might not be very valid.

7. True. As a homeschooler, if you do other activities, you could also get letters of recommendation from them, too.

8. Why can't you be ready for college through homeschooling? There are plenty of homeschoolers ready for college, even as early as 16. I'm not sure why that would be a reason.

9. Actually, you might not have that great of expertise. There are plenty of poor teachers out there. My own math teacher gave us a practice test for which he couldn't even do some of the questions. There are situations where students are better off finding some great resources at the library or bookstore instead of relying on their teacher. Expertise in a subject matter has little to do with how well you will learn. Teachers have to follow the CURRICULUM, as mandated by the state. They don't simply go teach you what they learned in college. If the curriculum changes, which it often can, then they have to brush up or learn from the start some things they never learned about. (I say this as a former teacher married to a teacher and who had a teacher in high school who, despite his degree in teaching math, was very lost when it came to a change in the prescribed curriculum!)

10. I would use that reason as a way to show a transitional phase for college courses. (Although, why can't you do projects, video presentations and experiments now? I understand it's a bit different in a classroom situation, but I know homeschoolers who have done all that.)

11. Yes, this can be important to some students. Do keep in mind, though, that depending on where you live and the school, your time in those labs may be very limited. I had one teacher tell me that most of the high school students where I live are lucky if they get to do one lab for each of their science courses. My brother-in-law teaches high school biology and he can't do ANY labs--too many students, so it'd be too great of a hazard. He does a few demos, but that's it.

12. Homeschoolers can have that too, but I have to say that I don't really understand that being a reason to go to school for 180 days a year. Just to have a book with pictures? Hm... I suppose to some people it might be important, but if my daughter presented me with that, I'd definitely look at her funny. ;)

13. "Standardized workbooks." Uh, there typically AREN'T workbooks, even in school, for grades 9 and up. There are textbooks, which anybody can purchase. You can get the same texts as used in school or something even better. There are lots of resources available.

14. Having lived through high school, I have to disagree. Hearing the stories from my high school teaching brother-in-law, I really have to disagree.

15. You can do extra-curricular activities as a homeschooler. You actually have the potential to do MORE extra-curricular activities since you don't have to be in school for 7 hours, come home and do an average of 2 hours of homework a night on top of extra-curriculars. I know homeschoolers who are in tons of things. This is NOT a reason to go to public school. Truly. Unless you live in such a small town that the only way anybody can participate in extra-curriculars is through the schools.

I think your reasons reflect that you've really thought hard about this; they also reflect that you aren't fully aware of what things are like in schools and that changes can possibly be made through homeschooling to meet the same needs. That, or you are scraping too hard for reasons. If you want to do extra-curriculars, DO extra-curriculars. Don't wait until you are allowed to go to high school. It just sounds like there's so much you think you'll be able to do in high school that you can probably do already--what are you waiting for? Are these reasons the REAL, deep, heartfelt reasons you want to go to school or are they anything you could think of to try to convince your parents?

Do some deep soul-searching to figure out what it is you are really hoping to have by going to school; and consider the possibility that you might be able to get the same things in another way. If you really want to go to school, you really need to figure out WHY. Especially since most of the reasons you listed really aren't valid reasons due to the fact that they can be accomplished through homeschooling or are just way off in thinking about what is going to be guaranteed at school.

I, personally, am all for trying out school at your age if you want to. But I'm not your parents. If they actually need to be convinced beyond simply an inexplicable desire to go, you're going to have to go with some good, strong reasons. Not pretty good; definitely good and irrefutable.

Answer 14

I agree that Glurpy and i_come_from have answered the question best. At least they answered WHAT you asked, which was to give an opinion of your list of reasons.

But i have a sneaking suspicion that these reasons dont have much to do with the REAL reason you want to go to school. My feeling is there is something else going on here. Like maybe you are lonely in homeschooling. Or maybe you are curious to see what school is like. I think there's an underlying reason- an emotional reason-not necesarrily a logical one, that you want to go to school, and you are looking for logical reasons to support what you really want to do. Am i right? I dont think you have to have a good reason to want to go to school. If you want to go to school, that is a good enough reason.

  (When i said Glurpy and I_come_from had the best answer i had not read Hanna M's answer yet. Too tired to read it now-may come back to it later :) )

Answer 15

*Clap, Clap*

Bravo.

That's a nice list of reasons.

Alot of one's I've never even thought of.