Home Schooling Controversy and Learn Home School Controversy Basics

Home Schooling Controversy and Learn Home School Controversy Basics

Article by Carol Currie

Home schooling has been around in its present form for nearly 40 years, is gaining in popularity and is legal in all 50 states. But is it still mired in controversy. Sadly, the home school controversy stems from both ignorance and the self interest of some groups. Talk to parents who are homeschooling their children and you will hear stories of sarcasm, scrutiny, criticism and even that it carries a social stigma for both the parents and the children. The school system and Parent Teacher Associations who feel that home schooling reflects badly on them, are active in their criticism.

Unfortunately, it is not only schools and PTAs that pass judgment of home schooling. Family, friends and neighbors all chip in with their opinions and since in most cases home schooling is something they have never experienced and have no knowledge of, the advice parents get is nearly always negative. People have become conditioned to associate a school – the buildings, classrooms, labs and gyms – with education. They feel that without the formal physical structure, there can be no educations. They are unable to comprehend that education is a process of transfer and acquiring knowledge and the physical structures only support the process and do not control it. They feel home schooled children are being deprived of what should rightfully be given to them. In extreme cases the children are even discriminated against in matter of play and social activities.

Another area of home school controversy is the fact that home school means one parent give up a job and the income from it to stay at home and teach. The argument here goes that the additional income would improve the family’s standard of living and would allow the children to go to a “good” school and get a “proper” education.

One area of genuine concern that many people have is that home schooled children are cut off from their peers and will grow up lacking the social skills needed to survive in our modern world or even just to be able to go to college. This is true but to a large extent could be over come by an understanding of what home school is, why the parents have made this choice and support in terms of encouraging social interaction between children going to regular school and home schoolers.

Yet another cause of the home school controversy is the question of extracurricular activities – dramatics, sports, academic competitions and so on. This is one area where the concern is based on, at least to some extent, reality. While some state laws say a home schooled child should be allowed to participate in all activities of the local school board, other states require a child to attend a regular school to be eligible to participate. Whatever the law, the fact remains that a home schooler will not be able to be a member of a school sports team, act in plays and the many other things that a regular school provides. A home schooler also has less opportunity for the normal school high jinks that are very much apart of growing up. Support groups can help to overcome this problem to some extent.

In the end it is for the parents to weigh the pro and cons of home schooling and make their own decision. Home schooling is not a perfect solution, but if society would stop finding reasons against home schooling and instead find way to support families who have opted for home schooling, no one would lose.

About the Author

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