Homeschooling in America

Homeschooling is a progressive movement not only in the United States but all over the world. It involves parents opting to school their children at home as opposed to taking them to private or public schools. Homeschooling was initiated in the 1970s when some of the famous researchers and authors such as John Holt began writing content on educational reforms. They recommended homeschools and suggested that it was an alternative educational option. According to statistics, there are now over two million children schooling at home in America only (which makes up about 3.4% of American students) (“National Center for Education Statistics”). Moreover, the number is rapidly increasing from 7% to 15% annually. Homeschooling is legal in all the 50 states of America and also in many foreign countries (Martin). Despite this, homeschooling is always a subject of debate primarily due to its seeming lack of standards and curriculum both for students and homeschool tutors. Due to this uncertainty, this paper will highlight the dark side of homeschooling in comparison with traditional private or public schooling and establish that homeschooling in America should be reviewed or abolished.

First, we’ll look at why families choose to homeschool and find better alternatives for their challenges. Parents opt to homeschool their kids for various reasons including; To provide a non-traditional approach to education, legality, concern about school environments, dissatisfaction with academic requirements with most schools, interactive, different educational philosophies or religious beliefs, children having special needs or impaired mentally or physically, flexibility, desire to provide religious or moral instruction and belief that kids do not progress well under the traditional school structure (Barbieri).

Other than children having special needs or any forms of impairment be it physical or mental, the rest of the issues can be resolved through various public and private schools. In fact, even children with special needs and impairments can attend special needs institutions that are highly professional and have customized their services to suit the needs of such students. Also, all schools do not have the same environment and do not do things in a similar fashion. Therefore, parents can search for schools that best suit the environment they would love their kids to grow in and the culture they would love to instill in them. The idea that children do not progress well under the traditional school structure is misled. Unlike homeschooling, Public and private schools have a curriculum that has been suggested by experts who have specialized in various fields, and therefore is healthy for children to learn. The environment also provides room for children to be around other children and socialize. Peer socialization has been proved to be crucial for the emotional and psychological development and the general well-being of children. All schools do not tolerate bullying and abuse as some of the parents exercising homeschooling would argue. Parents therefore deny their children an opportunity to be around other children like them and form positive relationships and instead cultivate lack of social development in their children’s lives ("Pros and Cons of Homeschooling").

Homeschooling leads to lack of competition. Competitive opportunities are deprived of homeschooling kids since they do not study with their peers. Traditional schooling provides avenues for healthy competition not only on academics but also on co-curricular activities. The environment provides numerous competitive paths for all children to try freely. Fixtures including school play tryouts, spelling bees, and team sports motivate children to do their best. Such activities challenge them to reveal natural aptitudes that might not be uncovered in homeschooled environments.

Homeschooling results in missed experiences. Shared experiences make up life. Homeschooled children miss school experiences such as the “high-school” experience that is filled with innumerable exciting opportunities for children including prom and field trips. These instances build memories, help children better adjust in the society, and may even foster lifelong friendships. Such special events and experiences are difficult to create with homeschooling since the group of peers is absent.

Homeschooling results in lack of qualification. Most homeschooling parents lack academic qualifications in certain fields or subjects, especially in high school disciplines. This compels them to hire subject-specific tutors to coach their children at home even if they lack an authentic academic degree or teaching certification. Unfortunately, this does not also end up well for them since they have to dig deep into their pockets to remunerate the efforts of an instructor or instructors if they’re several. At the end of it all, the children lack a well-rounded curriculum that prepares them for trade school or college whereas the homeschooling parents suffer due to financial constraints ("5 Arguments Against Homeschooling"). Therefore, to ensure uniform quality of homeschool education comparable to public school education, before anyone can officially homeschool a child, they must show evidence that they have taken and passed formal teacher education coursework at least equivalent to that currently required of licensed teacher's aides.

Considering the above arguments, it may be safe to conclude that homeschooling is wrong and should be done away with. It’s crucial for parents to note that any path they choose for their child has an impact on them. There are numerous different schools worldwide specialized to cater for any needs parents may have for their children. Children sent to traditional schools can also greatly benefit from the apprenticeship of a heedful parent. Parents should make an informed choice on the matter if they want a robust educational and social future for their children.