Public Education vs. Home Schooling: A Way Forward
When it comes to education, Americans tend to fall into two camps: on the one hand is the traditional camp, which claims that public education is the best way for children to learn; on the other hand, there is the radical camp, which claims that home schooling is a better way for students to learn. Each side of the debate has its own arguments: public school advocates assert that children are able to socialize better in a public school and develop a broader range of skills than they would be if they were educated at home; home school advocates assert that the home school education offers a better learning environment that is free of distraction, that is more closely monitored by a parent/guardian, and that is tailored to meet the needs of the individual student. While both sides have good arguments, this paper will show how a common ground can be reached and practiced that takes the strengths of both arguments and unites them in a new, innovative practice that ensures optimal educational success.
The background of the public education vs. home school debate stems from the development of the Department of Education, which has sought through a series of reforms to control the course of education for children throughout the nation. Whether it is No Child Left Behind or Common Core, the Department of Education has essentially fostered a "tinkering" spirit within the halls of public schools, which are compelled to meet the recommended practices in order to qualify...
Some parents, however, have taken issue with the recommended practices and standards, arguing that their children are not learning the fundamentals needed to succeed. Thus, these individuals recommend a home schooling approach to education. Home schooling did not grow out of a response to these reform policies of the Department of Education, for it existed long before the Department even came into existence (education was something delivered at home in centuries past before public schools themselves came into existence). However, with the advent of these reforms, home schooling became a stronger movement, as parents and guardians looked for alternatives to the standards demonstrated in public schools.
The argument for public education is that students will learn necessary social skills that they will need as adults by interacting with a variety of different students whom they will meet in the public school environment. They are also more likely to be exposed to a variety of skills and concepts that will give them a broader range of knowledge to draw upon when they embark upon a collegiate or professional career when they reach adulthood.
The strength of this argument is that it does point out the need for children to develop social skills and to have a broad range of experience so as to be better prepared to make life-long decisions. The weakness of the argument is that it supposes public school is the only way in which children can develop each of these points. Such is not…
