Major Issues in Homeschooling - Article Example

Homeschooling Homeschooling Homeschooling which is defined as a mode of instruction or education that is delivered at home or in familial environment by a parent or relative, includes a variety of principles and theories, such as the philosophies of John Holt which allow children to learn at their own stable pace (Van & Pitman, 1991). Researchers have often demonstrated and related homeschooling to the development of fundamental values (Kunzman, 2010) as well as a sense of elitism (Morton, 2010) and thus have described the negative aspects of homeschooling. Yet, scholars who promote homeschooling argue that it is the cumulative effects of homeschooling that promote healthy skills of criticism and enable children who are homeschooled to grow up to become model citizens (Arai, 1999). Homeschooling is a matter of debate and despite of its advantages, it lacks many essential elements that are required for proper education and schooling. Homeschooling is often seen as a harbinger of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is not entirely related to religious teachings, however over the years it has been promoted via religious scholars and in home-schooled individuals (Kunzman, 2010). Fundamentalists resist concessions and negotiations where their values are concerned and tend to refute secularism and liberalism. This attitude is prevalent since a long time in Christian homeschooling in the United States of America, as determined by a shocking rate of over eighty-percent of students being a part of this religious school of thought. However, other religious lines of thought that home school all across the globe also tend to fit this criterion (Kunzman, 2010). It is interesting to note that a quarter of the states do not possess the knowledge about the number of children being homeschooled (Kunzman, 2010). Moreover, homeschooling can be taken to include the extra education that is a part of bringing up a child, thus there is no age limit or certification required to that cause. Due to such large numbers of the population undergoing some sort of religious fundamental education at home, it is evident that homeschooling children may culminate into drastic effects over the years. Yuracko (2008) however, argues that most of the home-based education systems are divided into two broad categories: the first being conservative Christian and the second being promoters of secularism. Home schools used to be illegal before the 1980s, but received profound promotion at the hands of the liberals (Yuracko, 2008). The prime promoter is Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) that appears to support the right of the parents to teach their own children (Yuracko, 2008).The fact that the HSLDA endorses homeschooling is based on logical reasoning that includes conforming students to a lifestyle which is according to the Christian methodology, as the public school education includes wrong practices which are incorporated into the children’s minds such as acceptation of homosexuality and pre-marital intercourse as long as the practices are ‘safe’. Thus the stringent laws regarding homeschooling became lenient in order to allow parents to teach children their own way (Yuracko, 2008). Another aspect that is negatively affected by homeschooling is the civic sense and the ability to adhere to instructions or respond well to authority (Kunzman, 2010). Public schools are seen as place which promote negative theological thought among their students, and therefore, are often referred to as ‘government schools’ thus advocating the thought that authoritarian way of life is not correct. Moreover, the point that public school students are brought up in an interactive environment where civic duties and the habits of adhering to an authoritarian system that runs the state are fostered into their young minds (Arai, 1999). Callan argues that in order to learn the meaning and ways of becoming a better citizen, every child must undergo the experience of public schooling, as collective learning inculcates a better understanding of the world and freedom to pursue their ambitions on their own terms. He also states that public school education should be made binding on all children, unless under severe circumstances where a particular sense of community could not be maintained in public schools (Arai, 1999). It is clear that this line of thought varies significantly from the fundamentalists’ opinion regarding public schools, however it also apparent that children who are homeschooled are basically mirror images of their parents as when it comes to performing civic duties they are trained to not only act but also think the way their parents or teachers did before them. Their individual voices are often stippled and therefore they often lack persona judgmental and decision making power when it comes to making important decisions regarding their duties as a loyal citizen of their country. Objections to homeschooling besides the reservations about fundamentalism include distortion of social values and risking the child’s becoming socially inept (Arai, 1999).In public schooling system, the children learn to interact with others, make friends, work in groups and learn how to battle social conflicts collectively. Homeschooled children tend to lean on their parents for assistance regarding minor discrepancies (Arai, 1999). Furthermore, there is a greater chance of a child who is homeschooled to develop bias, as compared to one who interacts with several teachers and is exposed to their varying opinions on a daily basis. There also tends to be less tolerance towards others and their opinions when children who are homeschooled are exposed to an environment after their scholastic years. Conversely, students who tend to have studied in a public schooling system tend to have greater tolerance towards people who live and behave differently (Arai, 1999). All these arguments point towards the fact that for students who are sound of health and mind and do not face the danger of interactions which would hamper their well-being of their community should be enrolled in public schools in order to make them healthy thinking individuals. The aforementioned reasons argue the drawbacks of homeschooling as compared to the benefits. However, it should be known that schooling is a responsibility that many parents take seriously, yet many are often under the influence of social pressures and therefore subject their children to stringent homeschooling so as to maintain the elitist values as their parents had in them. Thus, parents who homeschool their children can be divided into three categories: those who adopt homeschooling as an unplanned mode of education for their young ones due to problems with institutional mode of teaching; those who adopt homeschooling as a social choice, such as fundamentalists and others who want their children to be educated according to a moralistic way; and parents who have no choice left but to home school their children (Morton, 2010). The last category of parents views homeschooling as a necessity, in order to let their children complete their education as they may have undergone certain traumatic experiences in life and are prone to give up on education entirely as they may have a hard time adjusting to social norms that are adhered to in a public school system. Therefore, regardless of whether or not homeschooling is beneficial or harmful to a child in the long run, parents are often left with no choice but to adhere to it for the social and mental well-being of their child. In conclusion, it is evident that homeschooling may end up fostering more negativity such as fundamentalism, elitism, and lack of tolerance it may become essential for certain people to adopt as a mode of education. However, in order to maintain the social and mental well-being of an individual and to promote a healthy sense of civic duty in order to become a better citizen, children should be enrolled in public schools unless absolutely necessary to do otherwise. References Arai, A. B. (December 01, 1999). Homeschooling and the Redefinition of Citizenship.Education Policy Analysis Archives, 7, 27.) Kunzman, R. (October 01, 2010). Homeschooling and religious fundamentalism. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 3, 1, 17-28. Morton, R. (October 01, 2010). Home education: Constructions of choice. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 3, 1, 45-56. Van, G. J., & Pitman, M. A. (1991). Home schooling: Political, historical, and pedagogical perspectives. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Pub. Yuracko, K. A. (February 01, 2008). Education off the Grid: Constitutional Constraints on Homeschooling. California Law Review, 96, 1, 123-184. Read More