Public School Versus Home School Essay

Over the years people have debated which one is a better education system for children, whether it is public school, or home school. There are many arguments for which one benefits the student more, such as social development in children, the education level to which he receives and also the maturity level upon completion. With the number of homeschoolers growing at about 11% a year so you can see that the public opinion of homeschooling is slowly changing. Pros and Cons of public and home school education When considering the difference between public school and home school education there are many pros and cons for both sides it depends on the learning ability of the student. Here are some of those differences: Pros of Public School: * Learning within a social setting * Extracurricular activity availability * More curriculum opportunities * Diverse social education Pros of Home School * Free to choose curriculum * Free to choose schedule * Small teacher to student ratio. * Teaches students to be independent in their learning choices Cons of Public School: * High student-teacher ratio * Less independence (scheduled learning) * School chooses curriculum * Peers based on area instead of choice Cons of Home School * Usually more expensive than public school * Teachers are not always qualified to teach all subjects * It is harder to provide social interaction * Colleges sometimes have stricter admission policies concerning homeschooled students. Differences in social development. One main arguments between public school and home school is the social development of the student, according to a California study by researcher Dr. Brian Ray 92% of superintendents believe that home learners are emotionally unstable, deprived of proper social development and too judgmental of the world around them. And some home school parents argue that children are immersed daily in a hostile setting that constantly works to influence them in the ways of the world which their parents have not had time to prepare them properly. For example some people think that homeschoolers spend their days isolated from society at kitchen tables with workbooks in hand, even though there are many programs out there where they can get social interaction, NHERI reports that home schooled students participate in approximately five different social activities outside the home on a regular basis. On the other hand, parents of public school students now and days are not as surprised to see reports of or hear about school shootings; find drugs or condoms in backpacks; or receive phone calls from the police and principals. So the argument that home school parents make, is that they have more control on the social contact their children receive. According to a leading developmental psychologist, Dr. Gordon Neufeld, peer interaction instead of facilitating the process of socialization, it is now more likely to lead to the premature replacement of adults by peers in the life of a child. Such children become peer-oriented rather than adult-oriented and are more difficult to parent and teach. A parent who is truly interested in his child’s education and not just kicking against the system can easily find ways to give his child the socialization skills that will make him a better member of society. Public school advocates argue that the biggest problem with homeschooling children is that they miss out on socialization. They claim that by not being involved in the classical classroom environment, they miss out on social skills which are second nature to children from the public schools. Homeschooling parents who wish to give their children good social skills must go out of their way to  expose their children to social situations which they can learn these skills. Differences in educational advance Although many public school administrators say that parents lack the necessary skills to teach their own children and the department of education has no way of knowing if the homeschooled students are being taught the necessary curriculum they have passed legislation that requires parents to pass some level of certification with the state or local school district before teaching their children at home. Most of this can be discredited because of the study of Dr.Thomas Smedley, who conducted a study utilizing the Vineyard Adaptive Behavior Scales test, which identifies mature and well-adapted behaviors in children, where home schooled students ranked in the 84th percentile whereas public schooled students were only in the 23rd percentile. On average, government schools spent $6,500 per student every year and private schools spent $3,500. Parents undertaking home schooling spent of $550 per student each year, although this figure does not take into account the time spent by parents on home schooling for which a public schoolteacher would be paid. home schooling provides you not only with the opportunity to teach your children what you think they need to know to succeed in the real world, but it also allows them to opportunity to develop their own skills and interests to a degree that is rarely possible in the public schools. In conclusion, homeschooling can be the best option for a child if the following conditions exist: the home provides a suitable learning atmosphere, the parent is capable, the child is receptive and the option to home school exists. These factors include the enabling of parents, the emotional health of the child, interest and curiosity, the socialization of the child and the teachability of the child. Regardless of your choice, the important thing is to understand what is available and the consequences of both systems; although many teachers believe that successful home instruction by uncredentialed parents undermines their expertise and jeopardizes their jobs. Yet from the research the home learning environment seems more profitable for the students’ academic growth. References U. S. Census Bureau, The Barna Group, NHERI, Dr. Michael Slavinski, Dr. Brian Ray, Dr. Thomas C. Smedley, Dr. Larry E. Shyers, Dr. Michael Mitchell, Dr. Linda Montgomery, Dr. Rhonda A. Galloway, Dr. Amy Binder, Belick, Stacey; Kathryn Chandler; and Stephen Broughman, â€Å"Homeschooling in the United States: 1999. † NCES Technical Report, 2001-033. Washington, D. C. : U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2001 Smith, Christian, and David Sikkink. â€Å"Is Private Schooling Privatizing? † First Things 92 (April 1999): 16-20, Rudner, L. M. (1999). â€Å"Scholastic achievement and demographic characteristics of home school students in 1998†, Cloud, John and Jodie Morse. â€Å"Home Sweet School†, Neufeld, Gordon, â€Å"Homeschooling, Time. com, nheri. org, familyfun. go. com.