Should parents have the right to homeschool?

[FreakyLocz14]

Should parents be allowed to homeschool their children? Should they be able to get government assistance in doing so?

Discuss.

 

[Feign]

I believe there are already certain things that the parent has to fulfill to have government approval? I mean a kid needs certain requirements in high school to get into post secondary schooling, so I wouldn't see a problem as long as it is fulfilled.

As for parents who want to teach their kids lies (creationists), that's up to them, and I guess they have the legitimacy to do, as it occurs now.

It is unfortunate however when a child has to be homeschooled due to bullying issues, it shows how much the school cares about the students...

As long as the student receives an unbiased and fills the prerequisites for a good education, I see no issue in homeschooling.

 

[saint paxton]

Homeschooling is fine if the kid is actually learning the material that everyone else has to learn and is able to socialize and make friends. (not just online.) Obviously i can't lump all homeschooled students into the same group, but I think it's sad that many of them don't have very good social skills. I believe that the interaction schools provide is really important and healthy. I never witnessed or dealt with bullying in school. It was always a safe environment, and I learned a lot about socialization and the importance of making friends. :>

 

[FreakyLocz14]

I forgot to mention that there are two main kinds of homeschooling. One is where a parent teaches the student, and the other is where a private tutor is brought in to teach the student.

 

[Tree_x]

Well obviously it would be fine if the child learns the material but what happens if they do not then they will be way to far behind i think if the actual parent was to home school there child there should be a weekly test to make sure the child is learning our at the very least a license that the parent would have to apply for

 

[Esper]

They can, and they can have government assistance, as long as they can show that they're teaching their child to become a responsible and contributing member of society.

I wouldn't call homeschooling a right. It's a responsibility, or maybe a privilege, but not a right. Kids can be vulnerable and some parents can be terribly irresponsible. In a school environment there are teachers a kid can talk to if there's a problem at home. A home-schooled kid doesn't necessarily have this option if it's the parents doing the teaching.

 

[Civet]

I agree with Scarf. Homeschooling should only be considered if there's a tutor with a very good level of experience with home tutoring. If not, the parent's should go on some type of training course to ensure the child has maximum potential of learning what hey need to.

 

[Rich Boy Rob]

I don't agree with home-schooling personally, I think you're depriving the child of an opportunity to make friends and mature socially, but I digress.

I think to be allowed to homeshool a child you should need the same qualifications that any other teach does. If you have been to university and have a degree in teaching and wish to teach your child at home then fine, but I don't think some hillbilly with a barely rudimentary grasp of english, science and maths should be teaching the next generation.

Just to say, I know I'm exaggerating slightly, but that doesn't change the fact that it would still be allowed.
There should at least be some rules on what is needed to tutor your child, like minimum grades or whatever.

 

[Kura]

No, I don't agree with homeschooling. Children need social interaction and need to learn do deal with real-life situations that are outside of the home.

 

[Capris]

Yeah, there are kids in regular schooling who are quiet enough.. no need to keep them home and have them be absolutely mortified of social interaction beyond mom and dad. :/

But I still don't condone infringing on people's rights, and I think they do deserve the right to be able to homeschool their kids if that's what they want to do. I wouldn't but I'm not everybody's parent so it's not my decision to make.

 

[RattataL72]

Every time i hear "home schooled" i think of that video of the spelling bee champion kid doing an interview with a news reporter.

He's the most socially retar--- umm, awkward person in the universe. Now I'm not saying there's a 1:1 correlation between public education and not being a gomer... but it can't hurt.

Also we probably should be socialized into society with shared values and all that. I'm not into the whole "pledge of allegience" brainwashing but some indoctrination into how to function in a group would be nice for these poor kids.

Also home schooling cuts kids off from valuable experiences with other subcultures and groups. It's often done by religious nutjobs so they can pound their beliefs into their childrens heads while they are still soft.

 

[インフェルノの津波]

I think it's safe to say...yes, but under strict conditions. You see I know a friend who was homeschooled, he's atheist while his parents are Christian.

The results were not good, so I think it really depends, and parents should only teach what they have to teach. Religious classes almost always end badly, especially in homeschooling unless they know how to balance it out.

Hell I was home-schooled!

 

[DigiDevil]

There's another option I don't see mentioned here, it's called Cyber School. It's home schooling - the government assistance or parental teacher/tutor. They use a computer provided by the school, which limitations on only school purposes, and have to participate daily, be involved in virtual classes where there are teachers where you discuss things over the microphone, and when those aren't in session there is forums for the teachers and students to interact with each other. They also have field trips for the students to get together face to face, and are encouraged to speak outside of the school environment. There is still involvement with the parent, making sure their kid stays on task, keeping up with their grades, etc. The exception to regular schooling here is the parent can actively keep up with grades rather than waiting to hear from a teacher. I think it's a better option than physical school because it creates a warm inviting environment where someone can't get away with bullying, and focuses more on the education and interaction than, political correctness per-say. Another advantage is your kid will be eating a lunch that is healthy, not some random government approved trash. It eliminates just about every problem with traditional homeschooling methods.

 

[Åzurε]

That's me! I'm homeschooled! And I believe I'm better for it. I'm also a devout little fundie, who takes a keen interest in critical thought, science and philosophy. I ask that you weigh that out for a minute. Now, I'm rather quiet and somewhat awkward socially, but it's not so bad that I cannot communicate meaningfully or make friends, and after my early years in a private school I believe that it's always been in my nature.
The thing about homeschool is that it allows a person to specialize. Part of the matter is that your parents have to really be interested and involved in your life and wellbeing. What you like, what you're good at and what you're falling behind in all play into what you study. Now, homeschooling is more geared towards book smarts rather than physical exercise, but there's no law yet that says you can't go for a walk.

It's sad that people see public school as the only social outlet. But then, most people reading this doesn't go to church either. No idea what it is you're missing~ Aside from that there are organizations of homeschoolers who have group classes on a less frequent basis, or those of us who go outside and be social with the rest of the neighborhood. It happens.

I see a comment about sharing values. I find it funny that this person sees school as being what should determine your values.

But none of this has to do with the real question. Should parents have the right to homeschool?

"Only those who are qualified should teach" My mom doesn't teach me. She organizes, she assigns work, but she doesn't teach me. If anything, the authors of my textbooks teach me. But more than any teacher, the student has to work, has to learn. If they do not learn, it doesn't matter how qualified you are to teach. Then what makes a teacher effective? Understanding of the material does nothing if you cannot connect with the student. Methodology, the way you teach the learner certainly makes you a good teacher. But, for those whose parents are involved, or if you would call my mother my teacher anyhow, who knows them better? On another level, who should know the student better than their own parents? (On yet another, God. I have a feeling you don't want to hear about that right now.) The student must learn to learn. Who teaches that besides the most fundamental caretakers of the student? Once taught to learn, they can practically teach themselves. Anything. The nice thing about homeschooling is that the results vary. Some are roughly on the same average as a high school student. Some are behind or have a certain area neglected (since those raising the child are responsible, this means values and social skills as well). But I'd bet that the best homeschoolers outdo the best students of public school.

So there. I'm all for it. Not only for those in my situation, but for any religious viewpoint, any area of interest (bar, perhaps, being a meathead~) and nearly any status of the family, so long as the parents have a genuine understanding and want for the child to live well.

 

[Livewire]

There's another option I don't see mentioned here, it's called Cyber School. It's home schooling - the government assistance or parental teacher/tutor. They use a computer provided by the school, which limitations on only school purposes, and have to participate daily, be involved in virtual classes where there are teachers where you discuss things over the microphone, and when those aren't in session there is forums for the teachers and students to interact with each other. They also have field trips for the students to get together face to face, and are encouraged to speak outside of the school environment. There is still involvement with the parent, making sure their kid stays on task, keeping up with their grades, etc. The exception to regular schooling here is the parent can actively keep up with grades rather than waiting to hear from a teacher. I think it's a better option than physical school because it creates a warm inviting environment where someone can't get away with bullying, and focuses more on the education and interaction than, political correctness per-say. Another advantage is your kid will be eating a lunch that is healthy, not some random government approved trash. It eliminates just about every problem with traditional homeschooling methods.

Cyber school is more or less the same thing as home schooling, just with a different moniker and a few tweaks in the method.

The environment may be more controlled, but it also would inhibit social interaction and development. We don't just go to school for math, sciences, humanities and the Arts. People seem to forget the social development aspect of schooling as well. A computer screen and a chatbox can't give you that.

 

[Spinor]

No, I don't agree with homeschooling. Children need social interaction and need to learn do deal with real-life situations that are outside of the home.

And school is the only way to satisfy the social interaction requirements?

I'd rather go with homeschooling. The academic aspect of development should be more important than the social aspect. Before introducing society to a child, one must introduce maturity and the ability to understand. Otherwise, you just pit them in the middle of society the moment they turn 5 and that's how they encounter children who were raised by a crap teenage couple and surrounded by harsh environments. How do you know children aren't being ridiculously influenced into wrong choices? That's how chlidren encounter the pornography you so oh don't want them to even know about and become juvenile delinquents.

And I claim this because of my own younger brother, who is filth and imprudent thanks to the society of today. I witnessed his downgrade, and I experienced what I can do academically. Right now, in general, society in the United States is crap. Social skills can be developed through summer courses that require admissions and high standards. I refuse to let any children, if I am to have, risk social hardships and immoralities.

Besides, it's not 'social skills' in general that you need, its 'communication skills'. You definitely have social skills if you and your friend completely understand each other through '1337 5p33k' but for sure that means your communication skills are crap. You'll make it through if you are a good speaker and writer. As long as there is abilities to communicate professionally, life will be all good. Not to mention almost nobody is careful about their choice of friends in school.

How bad of a thing is it to delay social skills anyways? It's actually not bad. Here's how its been going: The child prefers to interact socially because he is technically introduced to society before academics. Oh gawd, no wonder the United States is getting their ass kicked with foreigners getting their jobs. Reverse this concept for a moment. Introduce the child to academics and learning before giving him the tools for social interaction. You don't need social skills until you start going off by yourself, so it only makes sense to delay that.

So guys, don't give that 'homeschooling inhibits social skills' bullcrap because they can be developed but not to the extent where we'll add to the thousands of lowlifes eating up the government's money that could be used to improve the concept of education.

Now, because of this, it would have to be that selective parents deserve the right to homeschool. This means children will not be homeschooled to inhibit their academic skills or to feed unnecesary religious knowledge. Homeschooling can be done right, and the benefits will outdo the risks.

 

[darkpokeball]

I think home schooling is fine, as long as it's actually school.
-
About that whole social issue, though home-schooled people don't meet as many people, they also don't meet the weirdo's and bullies. There can be some awful people.

 

[Mös]

I'd rather go with homeschooling. The academic aspect of development should be more important than the social aspect. Before introducing society to a child, one must introduce maturity and the ability to understand. Otherwise, you just pit them in the middle of society the moment they turn 5 and that's how they encounter children who were raised by a crap teenage couple and surrounded by harsh environments. How do you know children aren't being ridiculously influenced into wrong choices? That's how chlidren encounter the pornography you so oh don't want them to even know about and become juvenile delinquents.

What a ridiculously conservative way to look at things. Pornography = juvenile delinquents? Dude... kids are gonna look at porn either way, it happens. Are we not learning the ins and outs of reproduction by 5th grade anyway?

As for my opinion on it all, I'm just gonna go ahead and totally disagree with you. Our brain capacity may be superior to any other animal, but any way you look at it humans are more social beings than intellectual beings. Education plays an important role in society but I wouldn't go as far as saying it's more important then human interaction.

We're not computers. It's a combination of our social environments and past experiences that make us who we are. Sure, more or less any bit of information can be taught and learned. But how do you teach biases to a pupil with no experience on the matter? And biases are really what differentiates opinions and creates similar or unique ideas, are they not?

However, even though I don't totally agree with it, parents should be allowed to have their children educated anyway they see fit. It's just common sense, really.

 

[ShadowMrk]

I think homeschooling should stay optional. Seeing as every family in the world is different from the next ,so is their situation. For me, I was public schooled until 8th grade which is when I joined D1A (a Christian homeschool program). D1A actually has a basketball and volleyball team (Basketball for guys and girls ,Volleyball just for girls) which participates in state-wide competitions and tournaments. I'm not actually on either team ,but I do go to almost every game which is where I hang out with my friends. In addition to this, I have a "bible" study (rarely do we talk about the bible) which consists of some of my other friends (home and public schooled). As a homeschooler, I do get a healthy amount of social interaction ,but the schooling leaves something to be desired. I use a program on my computer called SOS (Switched-On Schoolhouse, more like Save Our Schoolhouse :b) and it has quite a few bugs ,so error dialogs have become a daily event. The curriculum is also very vague and expects you to answer 50 questions about a lesson that was only half a page long. If I could convince my parents to get a private tutor instead of paying $200 on each update for SOS, then I would have a complete homeschooling package. This is why the internet is such a great tool because it is my primary source for schooling. In a nutshell, If you have the right resources and the right social outlets, then homeschooling shouldn't be detrimental to you. Otherwise, stick to public school.

 

[Longbottom]

I think parents should teach the students.
This is perfect