What is homeschooling?
Homeschooling is when parents choose to educate their children at home rather than sending them to a traditional public or private school, the children are taught by qualified individuals and on a set curriculum.
Homeschooling began in the 1970’s,when some authors and researchers started writing about educational reform and they suggested homeschooling as an alternative form of education.
There are over 2.3 million students in the United States who are home-schooled. It appears the home-school population is continuing to grow (at an estimated 2% to 8% per annum over the past few years) in the developed countries that is according to National Home Education Research Institute.
Advantages of Homeschooling
- Parents are with their children all day for this they are able to know and understand their children, and are influential in their lives, even as they enter the teen years.
- Homeschooling prevents premature parent-child separation, avoiding inappropriate pressure on children early separation from their parents may cause home-sickness and mental torture.
- Children are allowed to mature at their own speeds, no “hurried child” syndrome they pass through all the stages of child development smoothly without being forced to grow.
- Parents and other adults are the primary role models for home-schooled children and can be able to discuss controversial issues with them at their own discretion.
- Homeschooling provides positive and appropriate socialization with peers and adults,provide guided and reasoned social interactions with youthful peers and adults.
- Home-schooled children are largely free from peer pressure and bullying from other older children in public or private schools and from drug usage.
- There is personal interaction with the children that teachers in large classrooms with many students can not be able to provide.
- Home-schooled children view adults as an integrated part of their world and as natural partners in learning since most of them are taught by their parents hence free interaction.
- Family values and beliefs are central to social, emotional and academic development through homeschooling.Family life revolves around its own needs and priorities rather than the demands of school.
- Talent development that is they tutors spend their extra time helping the children develop any special talents they posses such as musical,athletic,arts.
- Homeschooling is flexible as compared to public or private schooling whereby parents can take their children on vacations when public school is still in session.
- Research shows that the two most important factors in reading and overall educational success are positive home influence and parental involvement; homeschooling provides both.
- A child’s natural thirst for learning is nurtured, not forced on them, and learning becomes a lifelong joy and the child gets to learn what they love most.
- Each child’s education can be tailored to his or her unique interests, pace, and learning style and this promotes excellent performance of the children.
- Home-scholars enjoy unlimited educational resources; the world is our classroom, and resources abound in the community and the curriculum is determined by them to best suit the child.
- Home-schooled children become more independent thinkers who are secure in their own convictions since they are directly involved during the education.
Disadvantages of Homeschooling
- Criticism from others.Another disadvantage is facing criticism and negative comments from others when you tell them of your decision. Frequently having to explain to friends and relatives on the reasons for choosing homeschooling is a milestone
- Finding the time.Taking the time to teach your children, on top of all the other things you need to do, can be hard work., it means you have to quit your job to be there for the children.
- Desire by home schooled children to attend public schools. They may wonder what they are missing out on, especially if their parents don’t take the time to make sure they are involved in outside activities. This is difficult for parents who are committed to home schooling and are convinced that this is God’s plan for their family.
- Lack of Opportunities. Home school students will not have the same access to certain benefits that their public school counterparts do. Counselors work hard to find scholarships for which students may be eligible. Again, there may be a few exceptions, but most home schooled children will miss out on opportunities to go to the best schools or secure financial and career help through college.
- Narrow Academic Focus. Parents have basically two choices when it comes to selecting a curriculum. They can sign up with their local school district and use the curriculum already adopted, or they can choose from the many home school programs that exists. Many of these are faith-based. Parents having religious concerns generally prefer this type of program. Whatever the curriculum type, if it is taught by one parent, the focus is inherently narrow. That is, the parent’s viewpoint supersedes any other opinion. In the long run, students will be at a disadvantage when they join colleges and universities.
- Limited Social Exposure.There are organizations that help homeschooling families have outside learning experiences like field trips. This does not provide the amount of social exposure that maturing children need. Parents may not like the lack of control they have over a school’s environment. However, children need to have time away from the security of home to learn how to adjust. They need to learn that situations will arise in which they may not get their way. Time spent away from immediate family is when they can learn the art of compromise and getting along. Homeschooling with siblings provides this to an extent, but not in the same way because brothers and sister have the same prior experiences. This will not be true of all classmates at school.
The advantages outweigh the disadvantages by far,therefore the decision lies solely with you either to home-school or to take your children to public or private schools,if it is not illegal in your country why not try homeschooling to save on the costs of public and private schooling.
If you are not good in any subject of the curricula, you should hire trained teachers for the subjects to enhance accuracy and competency.
Do you have any comments on the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling? Let me know in the comment section below.
