Home schooling, when chosen for the right reasons and implemented in a correct way, can be an effective means of educating children. However, not everyone choosing to home school their children should embark on this route. Let’s face it, just like there are some parents that should never have had kids, well, there are some parents that should not home school their children. These types of parents do not have the skills or understanding in order to give their children a full and effective educational experience.
Not every parent is qualified to be an educational teacher, and this is when the choice for home schooling is an often selfish one, and the child’s best interest is not first and foremost. There are numerous tools available for parents that choose to home school, but if the parent themselves are void in some or all the curriculum realms, they will be fast tracking their child to a lack of knowledge. Should we not want our children to excel and surpass our own skills and experiences, is that not what we are supposed to strive for, giving our children access to the best education possible? So, if you yourself of void educationally, how can you expect to guide the best education possible for your children?
Some choosing to home school are doing so for religious convictions and want to only expose their children to a religious sensitive curriculum, while some others are paranoid and protective. They fear the big evil world out there will expose their child to common sense reasoning that they want to stifle and protect them from. Its plain paranoia and it can cause a child’s development to be delayed on many levels. Again, it all goes back to some parents not being qualified to take on the role of educational teacher. Some parents can be an effective teacher, while some are selfishly choosing to home school when they cannot fulfill the requirements of ensuring that their child will excel academically, and only care that they excel religiously and are sheltered away from all bad in society.
The true case against home schooling should point to whether or not the parent is qualified and able to ensure that the child will excel academically and acquire the knowledge needed to go on to higher education; so, they can eventually become a productive member of society. If the only goals you have are to protect your child from the evil world by shutting them in your home and to instill your personal interpretations of your chosen religion, you may be doing more harm then good to your child.
Children have to learn by experiences, both good and bad. They have to be allowed to make mistakes in life so they can learn the common sense ways of resolving situations. No one wants their child to fall off the positive path of life, but if we shelter them so much, they will never learn the skills they will need when they are adults.
Most effective home schooling parents know this to be true, and have fought local school districts long and hard to have the right to allow their home schooled children to participate in extra-curricular activities; accountability testing that ensures that the child is meeting educational standards, and more. Their home schooling because they feel they can expose their children to a more enriched academic curriculum and do education better then the public schools can. If that is not your home schooling goal, then, you should rethink your choice.
Again, basically it boils down to some parents are not meant to be educational teachers, and their choice to home school is motivated by paranoia and religion. This paranoia and religious motivation can often shelter a child to the point that unrealistic fears manifest in the child and their normal child development can often be delayed and hindered. Also, since not every parent is capable of being a quality academic/educational teacher, they may miss certain signs and symptoms of learning disabilities that may be present in their child. Most learning disabilities that are identified during the early years of education can be worked with and even overcome when properly trained educators work with the child. Parents that choose home school for the wrong reasons and do not have the skills to effectively educate their children are doing more to dumb down their child then they are doing any good for them, and this can be an equivalent to child neglect.
No one is saying that home schooling is not a necessary and viable option, but not every parent is motivated with the right reasons for making this choice, or the actual faculties to carry it out beneficially with their children. Home schooled children need to be exposed to academic excellences as well as to a full and active life style. Most effective home schooling parents know that and are doing a wonderful job at ensuring their child receives a broad and extensive education (not diluted or void) along with extra-curricular activities (sports, club interactions, peer socialization, trips, movies, and more). If you are not including any of the above, you make the case against home schooling an easy case to prove.
