John Sledge Preparing for the Future Ms.

Carol Ramsey 12 June 2011 Home School and Public Education: Which One Is Better? 2.2% of all American students are homeschooled. Thats according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2003. 62% of families with three or more children home school their children (Homeschool). 49% of the children of two-parent families attend public school and 25% are home schooled (Homeschool). Here in America, parents have the privilege to choose how they would like to educate their children: whether to send them to a public or private school, or whether to home school them. Home schools offer many academic benefits including, but not limited to, allowing children to learn at their own pace, its low curriculum cost, the ability to teach students certain morals and values, and the ability to control how and when students learn. Public schools offer many social benefits such as students receiving the opportunity to learn another students perspective, and additional forms of social interaction like sports teams and other extracurricular activities. HOMESCHOOLS Home schooling is a type of education in which most of a childs instruction takes place at home. In America, about one million children are homeschooled. Parents function as the teachers in a home. Home school Benefits. Paul De Line, a home schooled student, says that he enjoys being homeschooled because he learns at his own pace. Supporters of home schools believe that it allows a student to work at his or her own pace, which is crucial to

making sure that a student fully comprehends what he or she is learning (Homeschooling). By allowing their children to learn at a comfortable rate and giving them detailed attention, parents can help their children excel in their studies (Homeschooling). There are many examples of children not learning on their own rate in public schools. These examples include, but are not limited to, meeting deadlines, doing homework through the early hours of the morning, and having to wake up as early as 4:45 a.m. (Schoolers). Many parents also choose home schools because they want to teach their children certain morals and values (Homeschooling). In fact, according to one survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, 33% of the families who home school their children claim that their reason for home schooling include the desire to integrate religious or moral teaching into their childrens education (Homeschool). The price of a home school education is another reason that many parents have opted to educate their children at home. The average annual price for the materials of a home school curriculum is less than one months tuition at a private institution (Homeschooling). Some parents of may want to set caps on what students learn in a certain amount of time. Some parents may even want to have more control of what or when their students learn (Homeschooling). Parents can choose what curriculum they teach, when they can teach it, and how they teach it. A parent can design a personalized schedule that can suit a familys needs (Benefits). Home schooling also allows parents to gain deeper and closer relationships with their children (Benefits). Some parents home school their children in order to shield them

from the negativity that they may face at public schools, such as bullies (Benefits). There is no bullying in home school to hinder a childs learning (Benefits). As a result, home schooled children will have higher self esteem and will be more confident about themselves. Children also may not have as much stress that they may experience at a public school (Pros). Home school Disadvantages. Critics cite the lack of social interaction as one of the major disadvantages of home school. Children do not interact enough with other people of different religions or backgrounds. As a result, they are not prepared for the real world. By being homeschooled, a child cannot learn another persons perspective on a certain issue. Instead, home schooled students are given views from one perspective only: their parents. Asked whether he thought that home schooling lacked social interaction, Paul De Line responded by telling me that the lack of social interaction used to be a problem in his community, but now his community has something called a Home School Association, in which home school families can interact with other families. He believes that the association offers him social interaction. And such associations are beginning to spread around the country, which is giving the children the interaction they need. The high cost of a home schools operating budget may be a disadvantage to families considering home schooling (Homeschool), mainly because of all the special equipment (musical, scientific, etc.) that a family might have to purchase. Home schools also require enormous dedication from the instructors (mostly parents). They are the ones who will have to make sure their children are actually learning and know what to do if they fall behind. Parents also have to research many curricula to find

the right one. Homeschooled students may not have the opportunity to participate in team sports. Some parents have addressed this problem by uniting with other homeschooled families and creating sports teams. Of course, these teams do not exist everywhere, and lack of them could be a major setback for an athletic student whose family is considering homeschooling. PUBLIC SCHOOLS Public schools are schools funded by the government. 90% (about 50 million) of American students attend public schools (Fast). Credentialed teachers are the instructors of public schools. Advantages of Public Schools. The main advantage of public school is that there is no tuition to attend and that all students can attend public schools. All public schools require that teachers have to earn degrees in their subject areas, which ensures that teachers know what they are teaching (Pros). Public schools also tend to challenge their students more than they might have been challenged elsewhere. These challenges teach students to work diligently in order to achieve their goals (Pros). They also teach that if one works hard, he or she can prosper (Pros). Unlike in home schools, social interaction is prevalent in public schools. Students learn with people of many cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, beliefs, and social classes (Pros). This diversity teaches children that the world is a big place and that peoples beliefs and values will vary. Public schools also offer many programs and academies, including environmental science, agriculture, finance, and business administration that are not only meant to prepare students for college, but also for

alternatives to college. Public schools also offer many team sports and extracurricular activities such as bands, political groups, language clubs, et cetera (Pros). Disadvantages of Public Schools. Major setbacks of public schools are the ratios of students to teachers. It is extremely high. According to a survey by the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average student-teacher ratio is 16:3 (Fast). That is slightly lower than the 1999 ratio (Fast). At my school, the current average student to teacher ratio is even higher: 25:1. Because of these high ratios, students are forced to work more independently. Teachers do not have time to address every students question; therefore, students are forced to learn whatever they can. If this ratio were reduced, students would have a better chance to fully comprehend what is being taught. Another problem that public schools face is bullying (Pros). In fact, this is one of the top reasons either send their children to private schools or home school them (Homeschooling). Public schools have to work on fostering an environment in which a student can learn without being tormented by other students. By tackling this issue, public schools would be able to help students focus more on their academics. Asked what he thought were the disadvantages of attending public school, Paul De Line responded that peer pressure is a major problem and that is a growing problem in public schools today, especially in high schools (Peer). There are growing numbers of negative peer pressure relating to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs (Peer). In addition, public schools not only offer negative peer pressure, but also positive peer pressure, which isnt offered in home schools (Teen). Negative peer pressure is spreading rapidly and it should be addressed immediately. BOTTOM LINE

Home schools offer many academic benefits include allowing students to learn at their own pace and teaching certain morals, where public schools primarily offer social benefits including social interaction, and positive peer pressure. They both have disadvantages such as the cost of a budget to run a home school may be expensive, while a public school may have negative peer pressure, stress, and bullying. It is up to parents make a decision on whether they should educate their children at home or at a public school.

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