FREE ESSAY ON EDUCATION - AT SCHOOL OR AT HOME?

EDUCATION - AT SCHOOL OR AT HOME?

What do George Washington, Thomas Edison and Theodore Roosevelt have in common besides
fame? None of them joined school formally (Winger and Kantrowitz 6). In recent years,
many have followed their example and started learning at home in the United States. The
number of home schooled children has greatly increased over the past decade. Many have
argued against home schooling while many others see no negative outcomes involved.
Although homeschooling has no major benefits over public schooling, evidence shows that
parents can help children achieve a level of education similar to other school students
and that homeschooled children do not lack in social skills.
Home schooling was previously favored by religious people who wanted their children to
conform to their own values and beliefs, which they believed could be altered in a public
school (Wingert and Kantrowitz 1). Home schooling was made legal in 1993 in the United
States (Wingert and Kantrowitz 1). Some states have minimum qualifications for parents
and provide supervision from the government. Today, 1.5 million, almost 1 percent of the
total population of students are learning in their own homes (Lyman, Not home alone 3).
Now home schooling and home schooled children are more acceptable by the public than in
earlier years.
One of the oppposing arguments states that parents do not have the knowledge required by
an educator to take responsibility of teaching, therefore the children would be poorly
educated in comparison to other students (Wingert and Kantrowitz 2). However, this is not
so. Parents are not alone, as there are many facilities available today to help them. To
begin with, home schooling parents form groups in their community to help each other out.
They take turns teaching small groups of children. For instance, where one parent might
be good at teaching math, the other might be better at language (Wagner 5). In addition
to the help they get from each other, there are many tools and services available that
enhance and enrich children's learning experience. For example, various on-line services
are available on the world wide web, which include interactive classes and virtual
libraries. Also, educational CD-ROMS, workbooks, and magazines are good sources that
provide the parent with information on new educational tools (Wingert and Kantrowitz 3).
Furthermore, support can be found at public schools (Hawkins 1). In Des Moines, Iowa, a
program was developed that allowed home schoolers to use school computers, books and
teacher's guides, and provided biweekly supervision from a teacher that records the
child's progress and offers advice. Parents and their children are also allowed to
participate in extra curricular and group activities, as well as field trips (Wagner 2).
Similarly, in Oregon, home schooled students are allowed to take different classes of
their choice at different schools (Wingert and Kantrowitz 3). Although these advantages
are not available in every state, parents who chose to take education into their own
hands will work to hard to use what is available, regardless of their own educational
degrees. This is illustrated well in a recent report from the Departement of Education
(DOE), which states that student achievement in a home school has little to do with the
level of education of the parent...it is consistent with tutoring studies that indicate
the education level of a tutor has little to do with achievement of a tutored child.
(qtd. in Wagner 4). Several studies have been conducted that show that homeschooled
students are reaching close and sometimes higher achievement to their peers, proving that
parents are doing their job well. One example is a study that showed home schoolers
performed better than 79 percent of other students on reading on the Iowa Tests of Basic
Skills (Hawkins 3). Also, home schooled children score above the 60th percentile in math,
science, and verbal skills on the Stanford Achievement Test when compared to the average
of other students (Latham 2). Another study in Washington found SAT scores of home
schooled children to be higher than average (Lyman, What's behind 9). In more than 65
other studies, the results show that home schooled children perform better or average in
comparison to traditionaly schooled children (Hawkins 2). All this scientific research is
genuine evidence that verifies that parents can teach and help their children achieve
high educational levels.
Another major argument against home schooling is that confinement to a home environment
where children have little or no contact with their peers will deprive them of social
skills necessary in their development (Wingert and Kantrowitz 2). However, there are many
ways homeschooled children can get involved in social activities. For example, home
schooled children that join support groups engage in sports matches, field trips,
scouting trips, church or part-time employment (Lyman, What's behind 7). Also, those who
take classes and join extrra circular activities in public schools and other learning
centres interact with peers (Wingert and Kantrowitz 3). Even if some children do not have
contact with people of the same age because of the small size of a suport group, they are
still gaining a lot of social skills. For example, the oldest learns leadership when
speaking to or guiding younger children. The youngest learns to respect elders. This
offers the same or even more self-esteem and social understanding than a traditional
school environment would provide (Wagner 2). Scientific research also supports the fact
that homeschooled children are not socially deprived. One study at the University of
Florida was conducted in which eight to ten year old children, some of them home
schooled, were taped on video while playing. Professional counselors, who were unaware of
which children were home schooled, watched the video and found no difference between the
home schooled children and the others. Social development tests showed that the children
rated closely in self-concept and assertion (Lyman, What's behind 7). Another test showed
that home schooled children scored higher on self-concept than public school students
(Latham 1). To study long term effects of home schooling on socialization, a different
study was conducted with 53 adults of the first generation of home schoolers. The
researcher, Gary J. Knowles of the University of Michigan, states that he has "found no
evidence that these adults were even moderately disadvantaged...Two-thirds of them were
married, the norm for adults their age, and none were unemployed or any on any form of
welfare assistance. More than three-quarters felt that being taught at home had actually
helped them to interact with people from different levels of society. (Lyman, What's
behind 9). 
The studies and research so far shows that home schooling is not disadvantageous in
comparison to normal schooling. I believe that there is still no strong evidence that
verifies that home schooling is more beneficial to children than public schooling.
Perhaps the new generation of homeschoolers will reveal that this is not so, but that
remains to be found. In the meantime, as long as parents have the time and patience, can
provide their children with social exposure, and have access to educational tools, there
is no reason why they cannot home school their children. However, this is where the
government comes in. If home schooling is legalized, then there should be services and
schools to support home schoolers.
Parents can teach their children efficiently, it they have other homeschoolers to help
them and if services are available. Research on test scores proves that parents are
succeeding. Support groups, public schools and other services help children acquire
social skills, and research again confirms that they do not lack in social skills. Home
schooling rates closely to public schooling in the overall educational and social
experience of the child. And yet it is still quite a surprise that a parent can raise a
child to be president. Perhaps it is the opportunity home schooling gives youngsters to
follow their interests, beliefs, and dreams that may be pulled away in school years
before they are even discovered. Or perhaps it is the bond created between the mother
when for the first time she watches her child write his name. Whatever the case may be,
things would have probably been reallly different if Washington, Roosevelt, and Edison
were watched over by the high school principal, instead of their parents.