A collection of insights about the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling. Homeschooling is becoming increasing popular each day.
The Pros of Homeschooling
The advantages of homeschooling include the following:
Control what your children learn , both when and how they learn (if this is not important why are governments etc so keen to have control of this aspect of education).
Religion can also be practiced more freely.
Spend time with the gifts God has given you (no one wishes they had spent less time with their children).
Custom design your teaching and curricula to fit in with your child’s strong / weak areas, skills, interests and ability.
Freedom to learn: home based learning involves so much and the students choose to learn from a variety of options. In simple terms, you learn what you want to when you want to and for as long as you want to.
Protect your children from negative and bad influences in teaching, not excluding bullying (if this is not important why are so many schools trying to eradicate bullying, and please note bullying must first be present for it to be removed).
Prepare you children for the “Real World” seeing mum and dad earn a living and dealing with real world day to day issues, (schooling is not the real world, or rather it is a real awful world if things are not going well with your children).
Take long breaks, holidays and weekends and focus on education during these breaks.
Develop bonds with your children that is both biblical and sound without the “Tear Away” pressures and strain of schooling which often include peer pressure, unwanted behaviours, poor examples and inadequate teaching.
In an age where school standards are dropping globally homeschoolers are effortlessly exceeding the minimum standard.
Schools are attempting to fulfil its dictates of business producing “model workers”, this sounds less like education and more like slavery to the workforce. Homeschooling successfully creates unique individuals helping fulfil their God given talents, potentials and expectations.
Homeschoolers are less aggressive (read more tolerant) to each other and to their peers and colleagues. Schools are inundated with attempts to reduce bullying, herding however their efforts are futile while they jam pack their classrooms with 25 students and one teacher.
Homeschooling parents at the very least, have the true interests of their children at heart willing to make financial sacrifices and spend large quantities of time nurturing and building their family.
Comment often made “don’t you have to be a teacher to homeschool?” Of course not, we all know and understand that being able to find, learn and use the information is more important. No single person knows everything, especially not teachers who very often have come out of the schools they go straight back into bringing very little life experience with them but well versed and knowledgeable in the tacid requirements in the school system ie fit in, conform, “shut up and do what I say, here is the information, take it from me.”
Everyone is a teacher. – I became a teacher when I had my first child, so did you, it is just the way it is.
You are going to hear the question “What about socialisation?” Let me tell you that mixing with 25 or more kids of the same age group for most of your school day is not socialisation but speaking with the baker, the policeman, the librarian, your tutor, a trainer, a teacher, a businessmen, a range of school age kids, grandparents, the aged and a host of other people in one day can better be described as socialisation. Not to mention riding bikes and horses, being in the outdoors, making things, socialisation does not begin and end in school, I assure you. It takes place on the internet, clubs, societies, groups, pretty much everywhere else except at school.
I am in the business of raising adults and not children and so should you be, homeschooling, if done correctly, will prepare your child for life, perhaps start a business, maybe earn money or fulfil their passions.
We are becoming a mono culture society, governments these days focus more on social engineering than they do on law and order issues. Yes of course we can just vote them out but unfortunately they make these changes stealthily, below the radar. Homeschoolers offer a breath of fresh air and uniqueness producing individuals. Do you have a clue about the changes taking place in schools, right under your nose?
If your student is struggling with an aspect of schooling you can more quickly pick up on this issue and it won’t get swept under the carpet, you can send your child to extra lessons, you can continue with the subject until it is resolved or you can together agree “who needs that stuff anyway!” and move on to more interesting viable learning. In the school system they say too bad you have to stick with it until we move on with the dreaded curriculum which you had nothing to do with in the first place.
Homeschoolers know their kids are safe and are not being bullied, victimised, coerced and where homeschooling is being done correctly taking into account the God given freedom that children have which you need to preserve, treating them respectfully, lovingly, kindly and in accordance with God’s laws and requirements. mmm … I am not sure these can even be compared when schools are taking God out of the curriculum.
Child suicide is on the increase. Sure, this is being addressed in many ways by many organisations but unless we create a true healthy inclusive environment it is certainly not going to go away until children are treated fairly, respectfully and as individuals by everyone, that is to say other students and teachers. In an environment without shelter and protection children are left with no other alternative except to join up with the goths, the emus, the skinheads or perhaps the pink ladies or just a small group of a few friends, the problem is that they didn’t necessarily have any choice here. As a broadminded, healthy homeschooler you can bring out the very best in your children or at the very least keep the worst away from them.
Closeness to the family that enhances family bonding.
Schools and organisations are beginning to talk about “life long learning”. Homeschoolers have been doing this from day one, parents need to examine and research topics they are teaching getting the newest and most up to date information, using current up to date techniques, this is good for everyone.
A more relaxed approach ensures that there is enough time for the kids to enjoy life, and get the rest they need during those "growing" years,. This may improve you child’s health
It’s a lot easier to care for your child during Easy care for your child during illness
Homeschoolers are best suited to "flexi schooling" using the existing resources available ie. schools, mentors, teachers, trainers, the internet, online communities, everyday experiences, travel and workplace to encourage, teach and train. Homeschoolers contribute to the resources available in schools as much as any other person and should be entitled to use those facilities as much as any other person.
Also there is the freedom from stress of busy school schedules that include home work and a long and busy school calendar
Very simply, homeschooling offers an opportunity to have some control over the curriculum taught, including the way it is delivered (how, when, why). Your children are safe from abuse, you know where your children are, whose caring for them and the motive in caring for them. You can create a culture of care, respect and nurture both academically, physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Families grow up all too quickly, this is an opportunity for Mum and Dad to reconstruct their lives around their children rather than around their employer, to focus on goals and interests. The family unit is an intricate, carefully orchestrated, designed God given construct which governments are clueless about, have no interest in and will never be able to nurture or understand.
Homeschooling is growing at a remarkable rate, there are currently about two million homeschool children, the growth of homeschooling is estimated to be about 15%
Home-schooled kids perform well in standardized tests, and as adults, they enjoy a reputations of being reliable employees and self-directed learners.
Pros of homeschooling
Most home-schooled kids enjoy an option of learning and studying what they want, for as long as they want, and when they want to. This should not be taken to imply that all the fundamentals are not learnt but that there is increased flexibility in the mode of learning and covering them. I.e. for one child they may be covered at the age of ten, and at the age of six for another child. It all depends on their relative level of maturity, interest and ability.
In addition, homeschooling enables you to capitalize on your extensive and deep knowledge of your child’s dislike and likes, talents, personal interest and therefore place emphasis on any are that require special development. Homeschooling facilitates focus on an individual child rather than the case would be in a class of 20-30 children.
Close Family Relationships
Homeschooling gives parents unlimited chance to participate wholly in the upbringing of their children. This is so as they double up on the roles of a parent as well as on those of a teacher. It also gives them an opportunity to develop loving ties among all members of the family. Moreover, it has been shown that homeschooling is beneficial in diminishing the destructive and rebellious behaviour of teens.
Physical freedom
Homeschooling parents have an opportunity to provide their children with a variety of experiences that are prevalent thought the community. This is not only in and around your home but also in parks, library, theatre, grocery store, playground and the zoo. This breaks the monotony created by having to attend class in the same place as well as the limited exposure and constrained experiences of regular schooling. Moreover, homeschooling enables you to plan your holiday vacations, Visit Park and to leave your life with increased flexibility.
Religious Freedom
Homeschooling gives you an opportunity to instill your religious and spiritual beliefs that you feel are important in your child. This may be challenging with children who attend regular school.
Emotional Freedom
Unfortunately, competition, boredom, peer pressure as well as bullies form an integral part of regular schools. This according to studies tends to affect girls more negatively than boys. Similar studies conducted on home-schooled girl’s show that their self-esteem remains intact. In fact, it may thrive. Your may consider reading ( a sense of self: listening to home-schooled Adolescent Girls. by sheffer.) home-schooled kids dress, think and act the way they desire to without fear of ridicule or need to conform with their peers expectation. Therefore, homeschooling gives your children a life in the real world where their thinking and actions are not directed by adolescent pressure and their related risky experimentation.
The Cons of Homeschooling
Disadvantages of homeschooling include the following:
It is hard work and a big responsibility providing home education for you children, but that is also the secret and key to homeschooling, you are responsible for you children, and not any other person school or organisation. If you don’t think this is important find out what God has to say about children and education.
Spend big money on the family, since the kids are with you all the time, you find yourself doing and buying things related to education.
Homeschooling may affect the family income, it will put full time employment out of the house.
It can be difficult, because each person is different and if dad falls ill or circumstances change it can put a great deal of pressure on the family but that is life! and we are in the business of teaching life skills.
It is easier to become shy as a homeschooler. I know.
As a homeschooler you need to have a clear and concise understanding of who you are, why you homeschool, you may be required to present this argument to schoolers who are sometimes ill equipped to fully comprehend the validity of your argument or engage in open dialog, they might often use a number of weak points or “one upmanship” having lost the art of debate and sound reasoning skills during eleven years of traditional schooling.
Our society is geared towards dual income families, as a homeschooling family you often miss out on tax breaks and other incentives. You will be encouraged to go back to work, get a job or do something useful but you won’t be encouraged, at least for the time being, to teach and train your children correctly, protect them or to enjoy them. (Women were promised liberty, freedom and equality but were given chains, society is only beginning to comprehend the weight of these chains).
Homeschooling is intense, time consuming and of course if you fail you only have yourself to blame.
You need to love your children to homeschool and if this is not “you” then sure, send your kids to school, they are probably better off there.
At the present time, in public schooling there is a turn against ability grouping, this means your child is segregated by age not ability – Mmm.. so if they are on either end of the ability spectrum, so sad .. too bad.
If we find ourselves in a position where it is difficult to homeschool because we lack knowledge, is this not a direct result of being part of the secular school system. The fact is that schools are not in the business of teaching you everything they know but rather they are fulfilling the goals of government making sure we know what they want us to know and no more.
Homeschooling is an immense responsibility and should not be taken lightly, carelessly or for the wrong motives. If you are a religious fanatic and do not love God and yourself you need to give home education a wide berth which this includes of course your own opinions which should also remain your own.
Homeschooling also means that one of the parents has to quit full time job to work with kids. This might cause financial challenges initially.
Not every home or parent’s situation is adaptable to meet the requirements of homeschooling. If you are accustomed to and thrive on interactions with adults, whether in the work place or socially, you may find homeschooling to be restrictive as it demands you spend most of your available time with your children. Moreover, the long hours spent on repetitive learning and the authoritarian role the parent has to maintain during study time, may be detrimental in some parent-child relationship.
Some children find competition helpful, and stimulates the “need to succeed”.
Home schooled children supposedly miss a chance to participate in different activities such as team sport, school ply tryouts and spelling bees that are meant to encourage children to develop an altitude of always doing their very best. These activities give children something to aim for, and help them uncover their natural aptitudes. These may be left uncovered if one opts for homeschooling.
Some suggest that Homeschooling is limited in terms of providing your children with socialization opportunities. Home-schooled children miss an opportunity to be in classrooms with their peers, see the strength they bring to other people especially when working in team not to mention missed musical ensembles and team sports.
So there you have it, by no means is this list complete but it highlights very briefly some of the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling.
Please add to this list of pro and cons of homeschooling by contacting me.
In conclusion, the benefits of homeschooling if well managed far outweigh its disadvantages.