Homeschooling - what is it?

Let's start with an overview of homeschooling to get a good feel for what's involved in the process. We'll discuss a few key issues that commonly crop up anytime there is a discussion of education that originates in the home, and we'll look at some of the pros and cons of the process as well.

I was educated in government schools. Most of us were. I've visited with individuals who were taught at home and who are involved in teaching their children at home too. This has allowed me to get a better feel for what homeschooling is about.

As a libertarian minded individual, I value freedom of choice, self-direction, individual responsibility, limited government and individual achievement. And, these are just some of the hallmarks of education at home.

An Overview

Homeschooling typically centers on K through 12 education at home instead of an educational institution that is often provided, funded and controlled by the government. If we are accustom to education in a government school, then having our children learn at home might seem rather foreign, but in fact it's the most natural place for learning.

To think that education must be done in a school building, far removed from the home, is to think that children learn nothing from their parents, and parents are not capable of teaching their own children anything at all. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Parents are very influential with respect to what we learn, and many parents are as well qualified to teach as some professional teachers. When someone says: "Weren't you taught any better than that?" they're not asking about what you learned in school, they're talking about what your parents taught you - at home.

It's clear to me that parents have an important role in what we learn, no matter what form it might take.

Education at home takes informal education from parents and makes it more formalized. It puts parents in the forefront of their children's education, and that is what most of us would like to see in the first place. Instead of dropping off and picking up children at school, parents become an integral part of the education process. Parents create their own kind of school for their children.

A key problem in America centers around our weakened families. We have parents that are away from the home, single parent families, lack of parental involvement in school, broken homes, and the list goes on and on. Harry Chapin wrote about just one symptom of our family problems many years ago in his song Cats in the Cradle. He sang:

"When are you coming home Dad? I don't know when, but we'll get together then son. You know we'll have a good time then."

If for no other reason, homeschooling should be supported because it constitutes a family commitment to excellence in education. The demands of homeschooling require a strong family bond, and a strong family commitment to raising children with education at the center.

In a way, an education at home can help ward off many of the things that are weakening our families, and that's a genuine plus. It's not hard to see that better families help make for better communities because they have a higher likelihood of giving us better citizens for our society.

Let's look at some of the benefits and challenges of homeschooling to get a better feel for what it's all about.

Some of the Benefits of Homeschooling

A basic list of arguments in favor of having school at home wouldn't be complete unless it contained at least the following key points:

• You get to spend more meaningful time with your kids. At least from the perspective of a child, I just don't see a downside to this. Perhaps parents might need a break on occasion, but if you're not willing to spend the requisite time with your kids to raise them to be the best that they can be, then why have children in the first place?

  I have fond memories of learning about fishing from my father and his father. Why not have fond memories about other types of education at home?

• Homeschooling offers more opportunities for parents to get involved in the education of their children. And, that's exactly what some parents are looking for. With school taking place "in the home," parents can be directly involved in establishing the curriculum and implementing it as well. It isn't just the occasional PTA meeting or report card review - you maintain an active role in the education of your children. And, that's the way it should be.

  It seems to make perfect sense to me. Parents have an active role in feeding, housing and clothing their children, so why not put education under that same umbrella of parental responsibility? The alternative is letting others "watch the store" and that can have its drawbacks.

• Homeschooling provides more opportunity for one-on-one tutoring that a large government school just can't provide. Children learn at their own pace. You can't force a child to learn faster, and sometimes individual tutoring is required just to keep pace with the rest of the government school education plan.

  I remember an episode from Sanford and Son where Fred was talking to the principal of a government school where kids needed help with their studies. Fred noted that the principal could help because he was a teacher as well. The principal then exclaimed "I'm the principal!" And, Fred simply suggested that he "forget about the principal and take a little interest."

  That's what homeschooling allows parents to do - focus on the needs of their child whereas the larger classrooms of government schools just don't afford that many opportunities for regular and focused assistance.

• If you're educating your children at home, you have many more opportunities to follow your child's interests instead of simply sticking with the approved "one size fits all" curriculum. Wouldn't it be great to have a more parent/child directed education, rather than one directed by others? I think so.

  Many of the great composers started as gifted children that were focused early on in an area that they naturally excelled in. What a shame it would have been if their required curriculum had denied them the ability to pursue their interests.

Some of the Drawbacks

It's time to look at the drawbacks of homeschooling. There are some, but then just about anything has drawbacks. Here are some of the challenges:

• It's a lot of work. Absolutely! If you're trying to take care of a household with kids, that's plenty of work as it is. If you add education to the mix, then you have additional challenges to keep up with.

  When people think of all the work involved, they often have a mindset of imitating at home the role and activities of a traditional classroom teacher. That's not a fair comparison in any respect. The environment of a one room schoolhouse is probably a better comparison, but it's still not close enough to be fair.

  First of all, there are plenty of times when education at home is largely a self-study effort. You aren't lecturing or otherwise constantly managing your children as you might have to do in a large classroom setting. The level of energy required for "crowd control" in the home is typically so very much less than what you might find at government schools where 20 to 30 students per class isn't uncommon.

  Homeschoolers that I have spoken with say that the process is more intense in the earlier years, and less so in the latter years because as children learn the basics, their advanced studies can be done much more independently.

• Lack of expertise is another potential drawback of homeschooling. Not all parents can teach all subjects. On occasion, you might need to get a tutor or seek outside help.

  The use of experts for tough topics or special needs isn't reserved for homeschooling situations. These same type of special needs are addressed in government schools as well. And, it's not uncommon for an outside tutor to be hired by parents for a child that needs to "catch up" on his or her studies, even when their child attends a government school.

  So, the idea of using outside resources and having a tutor is similar to what one might experience if the child was attending a government school. And, if you're engaging the services of an outside expert to address certain topics, I'd be willing to bet that you'd find assistance every bit as good as what might be found in government schools.

Now, let's look at common criticisms of education at home. Much of this "flack" comes from individuals who aren't involved in it, or have limited knowledge of it. Isn't that so many times the case?

Criticism of Homeschooling

Whenever I bring up the idea of teaching children at home, I hear two common criticisms of this approach to education. Since I've heard these criticisms repeatedly, I think they need to be examined in some detail. Here they are:

• Children educated at home are regularly fed a particular dogma. Certainly there are those that wish to immerse their children in their own system of beliefs, but isn't this what every parent does, no matter where education takes place?

  Have the government schools "cornered the market" on proper and acceptable dogma? I think not.

  Do government schools have a perspective that works well for all families in this country? I think not.

  There isn't anything wrong with people believing what they want to believe. And, there isn't anything wrong with children being raised with those same beliefs. That's what you get when you have children with parents.

  The world is a mixed bag, and trying to reshape everyone into some kind of norm through government schooling just isn't right. Believe and behave as you see fit - that's the courage to be free. Let others believe and behave as they see fit - that's the courage to let others be free.

• Children involved with homeschooling suffer from inadequate socialization. Are we to believe that large government institutions are the best places to shape our behavior so we all get along? Talk about dogma! I see a police car parked on school property these days. It's called community policing, and I don't suppose it's because we all have learned how to get along by attending those large government institutions.

  This idea of socialization suggests that government schools are not necessarily the only places, but our best chance at "socializing" our children. That supposes that children involved in homeschooling don't have any neighborhood friends. It also supposes that homeschooling doesn't offer any opportunities for interaction with others. I would say both of these assumptions are "stretches" to say the least.

  Homeschooling can present more opportunities for socialization because the "code of conduct" is established and managed by the parents, and the environment for learning is much more flexible.

  Socializing in government schools emphasizes being in a large institution, forming up in lines, being on time, being quiet, raising your hand, putting desks all in a row, following instructions, dealing with an authority figure, and an occasional field trip. It doesn't sound much like socialization, but more like the military to me.

  Homeschooling can involve any number of activities with others at any time of the day or night because there isn't necessarily a set time or place for school, and when it comes to field trips, you don't have to schedule a bus and there is no need for "crowd control."

  It's also common for those involved in homeschooling to cooperate with one another. The children are schooled at home, but not necessarily your own home all the time. Church and social organizations also offer opportunities for interactions with others.

  Let's also not forget that for some students, interacting with others just isn't in the cards. Some children are shy or introverted, and forcing them to be someone they aren't, or operate in an environment that is naturally uncomfortable for them can go well beyond giving someone exposure to the world. It can be very traumatic.

  Thankfully, homeschooling offers an alternative for some that might have social or learning problems that just can't be addressed in a traditional government school.

• Homeschooling doesn't provide adequate preparation for college. And, our government schools do? My experience shows that children from private, parochial and homeschooling environments do very well in college, often better than their counterparts from government schools.

  As a homeschooling parent, it's all up to you with respect to how well the education prepares your children for college. The content of college entrance exams and other prerequisites are available to those who wish to learn about them. Homeschooling in general can't be faulted, only the parents can. And, if you've elected the homeschooling route for your children, you're probably sufficiently motivated to have your child succeed in higher education.

  The Choice is Yours

  The bottom line for me is parents have a choice. They can choose a traditional education in government schools, or homeschooling in a less traditional manner. There are challenges for both parents and students, regardless of the choice made, but it is important that parents have freedom of choice.

  I've always thought that raising children is the single largest and most important responsibility that one can have. As a parent, you get to create the best person you possibly can by actively managing key aspects of his or her life until they reach adulthood. It's an awesome responsibility that is not without challenges.

  This Libertarian is thankful that homeschooling is an option for parents that choose to educate their own children. No matter what you think about homeschooling, you have to appreciate freedom of choice and those with the courage and dedication to choose a route that bypasses government.
  
  

  Done with Homeschooling, take me back to American Education