The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

The advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling may well depend on who you speak to. Proponents of home schooling will wax lyrical about the pros, and opponents will tell you how bad homeschooling is. For some people, homeschooling is not so much a choice as a need. Your decision to homeschool your child is your alone to make, and you are advised to research the pros and cons thoroughly before making a decision.

The Perks

Homeschooling allows you, as a parent, to educate your child with one-on-one attention and the love and care that a teacher in a school cannot possibly provide. You are able to teach them the same values that you believe in and that was also instilled upon you by your family. Some feel that they can give their children a better education within their faith and include religious classes in the curriculum, this is why many people who have strong religious beliefs opt for homeschooling.

The more you spend time with your children, the more influence you will have on their lives. You can avoid bullying, gang activity, alcohol and drug abuse and promiscuity which may be exposed to your children because of peer influence. School environment was cited as the main reason of 85% of homeschooling parents for not wanting to send their children to public school, according to the research done by the Department of Education.

Flexibility is also a big reason in choosing to homeschool. Your family can take vacations whenever you want to, outside of the busy season when popular spots are overbooked. You also avoid the stress of early morning school runs, hurrying out the door on the run every day. With a late night for special events easily accommodated by starting late the following day, school nights are also more flexible.

Some homeschool parents believe that homeschooling teaches their children better self-discipline and motivation, and improves their self-esteem. He learns to be motivated by his own ability to achieve, and develops confidence in his or her abilities that are not based on a comparison with a grade average, only with their own performance because your homeschooled child is in essence competing only against himself.

While still getting their education because of homeschooling, children who have acting or musical talent are able to pursue early careers. Some children in outlying areas are faced with long travel times if they attend public school.

There are numerous reasons to homeschool, and perhaps the results of homeschooling in terms of test scores is becoming a big factor in the choice too.

The Disadvantages

One disadvantage that has already been cited as an advantage, is that you get to spend more time with your kids. While that time together is precious, and fleeting, it is also not healthy for your child to be cloistered at home. There is concern that homeschooled children are not exposed to enough diversity, and may be less accepting of differences.

Another concern quite often mentioned is that parents are not “qualified” teachers, although they may be educated, but often they are not trained to teach, and also might lack the knowledge of all the subjects in their homeschool curriculum. Parents often are not patient enough to teach their kids either.

Opponents of homeschooling believe that it shields children from challenges and problems, preventing homeschooled children from developing the means to handle adversity.

Of course, there are many ways to ensure that these disadvantages are overcome. Homeschooling allows the children to learn at a pace suitable to them while giving the parents the opportunity to learn with their children. Homeschooling is considered a better option for many more parents each year.

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