Homeschooling vs Public Schools

Homeschooling vs public schools...who wins the fight?

As a former public school teacher who is now a homeschool parent, I have an strong opinon. Based on my choice to homeschool, I'm sure you can guess which I favor. Here are three reasons why I choose to homeschool rather than send my children to public school. Even though I specifically reference public schools, these can apply to and traditional school setting including private schools.

First, the public schools have tried to take the place of parents in may instances. Too much time is devoted to to things that are a family's right and responsibility. Perhaps the public schools feel so many children come from "disadvantaged" homes, it's necessary. When I was teaching in the public school, I was given a values curriculum that I was required to teach. The problem was, most of it was very ambiguous or contrary to what I would have taught my children. Of course, the children do alot of values teaching among themselves through their everyday interactions. Later, when I became a parent with children in public schools, I had to "reteach" and explain why discrepancies that they saw at school were not acceptable in our home. In homeschooling, values are taught as they should be - not as a curriculum, but as a way of life.

The second reason I think homeschool wins the homeschooling vs public schools debate is the tailoring of instruction to fit the individual learner. Not every child learns every subject at the same rate. Homeschooling makes it easier to adjust time, presenation, and practice exercises to meet the needs of the child rather than moving based on the average of the group. If you have ever had a child who is bored in school because of the repitition of a topic he has mastered or a child who needs just a little more help to "get it" but the teacher needs to move on in order to stay on schedule, you will appreciate the individuality of homeschooling.

Third, the amount of time "wasted" in the public schools is unbelieveable. If a child spends 6 hours a day at school I would be willing to bet at least two hours are spent waiting. Some days I would say even more. Waiting for roll call, waiting line, waiting in the bathroom, waiting for 20+ kids to finish in the library, waiting for Sally to change her dress shoes to tennis shoes so PE can start, waiting for Johnny to find his math book in his messy desk, waiting for the bell to ring even though the teacher is finished instructing and there is no written assignment...if you attended public school, I'm sure you remember. If you are homeschooling, most (if not all) of these wait times can be eliminated creating more time for learning...and fun.

When people ask for my thoughts on the homeschooling vs public schools debate, these are the three I return to every time. As I have said before on this site, this is not to take anything away from the teachers who love their jobs and are working hard to make a difference in the world. It's the system, not the individual.

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