The Critics of Home Schooling - Essay Example

Home-schooling Research Paper "Why is home schooling considered a good choice for many parents and s in the present times?" The recent trend in present western community is to involve children in getting education in their own home, rather than the formal school. Parent participation in the education of the child and the family values are the main factors which encourage such decision. Many parents are opting to educate their child at home, with their own values of right and wrong. “Results suggest that home-schooling parents appear to be motivated by an active role construction, strong sense of efficacy for helping the child learn, and positive perceptions of life context. According to Green and Dempsey home school parents’ beliefs about the values, content, adequacy, and methods of public school education appear to be implicated less strongly in their decisions.” (Green & Dempsey) Home schooling is considered to be the process by which children are educated at home alone without studying in a class with other students. It is a response to many weaknesses that many parents have detected in the public education system. Home-schooling is an option for parents who wish to provide their children with a different learning environment than that which exists in public schools. It is also an alternative for those families who are unable, for practical or personal reasons, to comply with the regulations of a public school. Therefore, as Chris Lubienski mentions, home schooling may be defined as “a flight from modern American school.” The present trend is based on various factors which motivate parents to choose home schooling as an option for giving education to their children. This form of schooling provides better family bonding and socialization with the family members as most students are studying within the home environment and in close knit set up with the other family members and siblings. The flexibility of choosing the most productive time for schooling activities is also very encouraging. If there may be a family event or some family function, the study time can be adjusted accordingly. In the present times with good connection and internet and online information, it is easy to get information and use it for study purpose. The online information provide good platform for research and guidance with regard to school curriculum. Many schools and forums also have information related to home schooling. The present trend can also be said to lay foundation for the future trend, which will make the information easy task for the parents as well as for children who are home schooled. In the 1960’s and 1970’s lot of research has been made in the issue related to home schooling and it confirms in the research done by education professionals Raymond and Dorothy Moore to examine the importance and validity of the a formal school education . They concluded that formal schooling before ages 8–12 not only lacked the effectiveness, but was actually harmful to children, particularly boys (due to their lag in maturity). The Moores began to publish their findings that formal schooling was damaging young children academically, socially, mentally, and even physiologically. They presented evidence that childhood problems such as juvenile delinquency, nearsightedness, increased enrollment of students in special education classes, and behavioral problems were the result of increasingly earlier enrollment of students. They researched about the orphans and African children and concluded that home environment in such cases produced children who were socially and emotionally more advanced than typical western children. In 2003, the National Home Education Research Institute conducted a survey of 7,300 U.S. adults who had been home schooled (5,000 for more than seven years). Their findings include: Home school graduates are active and involved in their communities. 71% participate in an ongoing community service activity, like coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association, compared with 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages from a traditional education background. Home school graduates are more involved in civic affairs and vote in much higher percentages than their peers. 76% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 24 voted within the last five years, compared with only 29% of the corresponding U.S. populace. The numbers are even greater in older age groups, with voting levels not falling below 95%, compared with a high of 53% for the corresponding U.S. populace.; 58.9% report that they are "very happy" with life, compared with 27.6% for the general U.S. population. 73.2% find life "exciting", compared with 47.3%..(HSLDA). Home schooling makes them grow better. The future trend also includes the changes which have been introduced by better technology and internet facility, which give privilege to have information at the fingertips. The information and research which encourage home schooling also benefit the wide range of activity and programs which are made available for home schoolers. The current trend of Globalization also support home schooling, as people are traveling across the globe for employment and growth opportunity, sometimes they are placed in a area where there may not be education system which is compared to the system in which they have studied. Under such circumstances they have option to register in online course or request for home schooling curriculum which most states and institutions support. Home schooling is legal and supported by the local government in most countries, and now with rise in demand for flexible home schooling option, there is access to many educational curriculums of even other countries to compare and choose from. Economic reasons are one of the most serious reasons for considering the option of home schooling. With rising cost of education and increasing demand for high standard of living, there is great stress on the parents to meet the economic need of the family and many families cannot meet the needs. The cost of education has become very challenging burden for families of larger size. They cannot cope especially with education which demands on their time and finances, so many families opt for compromise which is home schooling where they manage the time and the learning of their primary education saving on money and time. Many parents or families indulge in the material things so much that they give less priority to their child’s education and this result in justifying that home schooling is better option for their child, though the basic reason is they are materialistic and irresponsible parents who do no want to make commitment to their child’s education. Home schooling is also an affordable choice for most of the low income group parents who have had good education and feel confident to get involved in their child’s educational experience and make their education part of their everyday commitment. “Home schooling is an enduring American tradition that counts Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Edison among its most distinguished progeny.” According to Lerner is estimated that more than 300,000 elementary and secondary school age children were taught at home in 1992(Lerner) The cultural trend and the adverse impact of peer pressure is another factor which makes parents decide for home schooling. According to Bush “The conventional schools offer "socialization" through peer pressure, the stress of choosing between popularity and academic performance, and excessive attention to appearance. Drawing on her own experiences as a home schooler, she details the networks of other home schoolers who provide opportunities for their children-and themselves-to socialize. Gathercole also points to research showing that home schooled children have stronger self-concepts than children attending conventional schools. Focusing on how home schoolers address misperceptions, she explores concepts of socialization, the importance of friendships with other children, strong relationships with parents, and how home schoolers eventually integrate into the “real world.” “Great encouragement is for parents who are home schooling and those who are considering it.”( Bush) Home schooling is legal in many countries. Countries with the most prevalent home education movements include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some countries have highly regulated home education programs as an extension of the compulsory school system; others, such as Germany, have outlawed it entirely. In other countries, while not restricted by law, home schooling is not socially acceptable or considered desirable and is virtually non-existent. Home schooling is very cultural and its acceptance varies from the traditions and the cultures depending on the country. People are comfortable or uncomfortable with the idea of home schooling depending on the nature of their cultural influence. The countries which have strong presence of home schooling are : in Australia census does not track home schooling families, but Philip Strange of Home Education Association, Inc. very roughly estimates 15,000. In 1995, Roland Meighan of Nottingham School of Education estimated some 20,000 families’ home schooling in Australia. In Canada Meighan estimated the total number of home schoolers, in 1995, to be 10,000 official and 20,000 unofficial. Karl M. Bunday estimated, in 1995, based on journalistic reports, that about 1 percent of school-age children were home schooled. In April 2005, the total number of registered home school students in British Columbia was 3,068.In Manitoba, home schoolers are required to register with Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. The number of home schoolers is noted at over 1,500 in 2006; 0.5% of students enrolled in the public system.In People’s republic of China there are no accurate statistics of home schooling in China. However, increasing reports of home schooling in the media suggest that the number is growing. The Compulsory Education Law states that the community, schools and families shall safeguard the right to compulsory education of school-age children and adolescents, and compulsory education is defined as schooling, therefore home schooling is illegal. This is a source of great controversy. In Germany Under the respective school laws of the 16 German states, children have to attend a (state or state-accredited private) school for at least 9 or 10 years, or until age 18 (depending on the state), to ensure minimum standards of education. By implication, this precludes home schooling. Exceptions to this requirement are governed by state law and are usually handled restrictively.The requirement to attend school has been upheld, on challenges from parents, by the German courts including, in 2006, the Constitutional Court, as well as by the European Court of Human Rights.Legislation for mandatory school attendance was first enacted in the German states at various times, e.g. in 1559 (Württemberg; boys only), 1642 (Saxony-Gotha), 1717 (Prussia) and 1835 (Saxony).(Wikipedia) In the Republic of Ireland from 2004 to 2006 225 children had been officially registered with Irelands National Education Welfare Board, which estimated there may be as many as 1500 - 2000 more unregistered. The right to a home education is guaranteed in the constitution of Ireland. In New Zealand Karl M. Bunday cites the New Zealand TV program "Sixty Minutes" (unrelated to the U.S. program), as stating in 1996 that there were 7,000 school-age children being homeschooled. Philip Strange of the Australian Home Education Association Inc. quotes "5274 registered home educated students in 3001 families" in 1998 from the New Zealand Ministry of Education. In United Kingdom Roland Meighans 1995 estimate was "almost 10,000", and in 1996 the London Evening Standard stated that 15,000 families home-educating in Britain was a 50 percent increase from the previous year.One home-education advocate estimated 50,000 children being home-educated in 2005. (Wikipedia) In United States home schooling families vary a great deal in their faith and belief. Statistically, the typical American home schooling parents are white, married, home educate their children primarily for religious or moral reasons, and are almost twice more likely to be Evangelical than the national average. They have three or more children, and it is the mother that typically stays at home. Atypical home schools may even be found in single parent homes; also known as single parent home schooling. According to the peer review journal Education Policy Analysis, based on the findings of the National Household Education Survey, of the National Center of Educational Statistics, as early as 1994, 11% of United States home schools were being led by a single parent, and by 1999, 20.6% were so being led. According to United States Department of Education report NCES 2003-42, "Home schooling in the United States: 2003", there was an increase in home schooled students in the U.S. from 850,000 students in 1999 (1.7 percent of the total student population) to 1.1 million students in 2003 (2.2 percent of the total student population).According to an unsourced National Home Education Research Institute statement, an estimated 1.9 to 2.4 million children were home educated during 2005-2006. During this time, home schooling rates increased among students whose parents have high school or lower education, from 2.0 to 2.7 percent among White students; 1.6 to 2.4 percent among student in grades 6-8; and 0.7 to 1.4 percent among students with only one parent. Race and ethnicity ratios remained "fairly consistent", with 2.7 percent of White student’s home schooling, 1.3 percent of Black students, and 0.7 percent of Hispanic students. As in 1999, rates were highest in families with three or more children (3.1 percent), and higher in families with two children (1.5 percent) than only one child (1.4 percent). (Wikipedia) There were more home school students from families with two parents (2.5 percent) than only one parent (1.5 percent), and students from two parent families where only one parent worked were more than twice as likely to be home schooled (5.6 percent).According to a 2000-2001 Barna survey, 41 percent of home schoolers are White, 29.5 percent are Black and 29.5 percent Asian. (These figures, if true, would be significant, since Whites make up 81.7 percent of the U.S. population, Blacks 12.9 percent, and Asians 4.2 percent. The study indicated that home school parents are 39 percent less likely to be college graduates, 21 percent more likely to be married, 28 percent less likely to have experienced a divorce, and that the household income is 10% below the national average. Barna found that homes choolers in the U.S. live predominantly in the Mid-Atlantic, the South-Atlantic, and the Pacific states. It found that home schoolers are almost twice as likely to be evangelical as the national average (15 percent vs 8 percent), and that 91 percent describe themselves as Christian, although only 49 percent can be classified as "born again Christians." It found they were five times more likely to describe themselves as "mostly conservative" on political matters than as "mostly liberal," although only about 37 percent chose "mostly conservative", and were "notably" more likely than the national average to have high view of the Bible and hold orthodox Christian beliefs. In contrast, Lawrence Rudners (University of Maryland) study shows that home school parents have a higher income than average (1.4 times by one estimate), and are more likely to have an advanced education. By 2001, according to the Canadian based Fraser Institute, Muslim Americans were the fastest growing subgroup in the American home school movement, and were predicted to double in number every year for the following eight years after.(Wikipedia) There is other important factor which makes a family choose home schooling over formal schooling and sometimes these are related to the health concerns of a particular child who may be suffering from long term illness or chronic disease like caner, asthma or other physical concern. There are also other social factors which prevent parents suffering from certain disease or health factors not to cope with the fast paced life of an active parent of a school going child and this leads to choose the option of home schooling. The progress of technology and the easy availability of information at fingertips give a positive drive to the exercise of the right to choose home schooling as n option for the child’s education. The political support and the support from the intuitions which are tied up with the home schooling program provided by the state give the program a structure which makes it very promising choice with the turn of the century. It is a logical, legal and ethical choice for many families. The critics of home schooling claim that this method of teaching puts a child in isolation from others his age and therefore, prevents the child from learning how to function socially. This is not true. Children of the age four or five, before going to school they have friends which they gain from their parents social relation and their relatives. It clearly shows that the way children are brought up at home is the only way that affects his sociality. In fact, there are children that already go to school but at the same time they do not have friends and they are considered to be from the isolated kind if people. In addition, in 1991 a research called The American educational research, made by J. Gary proved that home education do not affect the student negatively towards having social relations. “I have found no evidence that these adults were even moderately disadvantaged. . . . Two thirds of them were married, the norm for adults their age, and none were unemployed or any on any form of welfare assistance. More than three quarters felt that being taught at home had actually helped them to interact with people from different levels of society” (Gary). Last but not least, home schooling does not produce adults who do not know how to function socially as critics claim. Home-Schooling is going to play a critical role in shaping and balancing the future of students; internationally with better connectivity, expensive education and rising competition. It is going to be an option for many people in many parts of the world. The global demand for more efficient and easy home schooling option is going to be the trend for the coming years. 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