The Benefits Of Homeschooling Education Essay

High-school education is the corner stone in the formation of individuals. It is the key that could open doors to better universities and career options. Education is, unquestionably, a topic that must not be taken lightly. Recently, more and more parents are expressing their discontent with the academic quality of American public schools. Other guardians fear for the safety of their children, who daily witness incidents of bullying, drugs and sexual assault. In a world that is becoming more and more aggressive, families are searching for ways to successfully educate their children in physically safe environments. Public education has been deemed unreliable and inconsistent. Nevertheless, Homeschooling satisfies the three most basic criteria in a child’s education: academic excellence, ethical and civic righteousness and socializing skills.

Home schooling is better because, overall, homeschooled children excel academically and are better prepared. This is probably due to the efficiency of having one-on-one classes rather than a packed classroom, which allows parents and children flexibility in their schedules. A homeschooled student is face with fewer distractions on a daily basis, which allows him/her to cover more information in less time. It is not a surprise, thus, that when a homeschooled student reaches the age of 16, the student has covered the material equivalent to a senior in a public school. Homeschooled students are also prone to having stricter curriculums, yet tailored to address their personal strength or weaknesses. These characteristics result in a maximization of their academic achievement. A Study by Dr. Lawrence Rudner and The National Home Education Research Institute clearly shows how homeschooled kids outperform public school kids about 30-37 percent more in all subjects. This, according to the National Center of Home Education, means that 54.7% of the home schooled students in grades K – 12 are achieving scores in the top quarter of the population in the U.S. Likewise, homeschoolers are shown to average about 80 points higher in standardized tests (SAT & ACT) than kids in public school. This reflects in their college admissions as well. The National Center of Home Education averages that 71% of homeschool have gone to college, versus 44% of the general population. At the same time, children from public schools graduate college at a lower rate, 55%, when compared to homeschooled boys and girls, 67% (Rudner, Lawrence. “Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics of Home School Students in 1998.” Education Policy Analysis Archives 7 (1998): n. pag. Print)

Becoming more morally correct individuals is another of the advantages of home schooling. This is mainly because home schooled students develop a better relationship with their families and develop a sense of belonging to the community. One of the best advantages of homeschooling is that parents are able to impart their values and beliefs in their children. This, along the way, aids parents and their children in developing closer and healthier relationships. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 29.8% of parents chose being able to provide religious or moral instruction as their number when reason for homeschooling their children.

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Despite popular belief, families of homeschooled children are more civically engaged than the average. The primary reason for this is that homeschooling fosters solid community ties.  This is all according to a study performed by Rachel Gathercole, a veteran homeschooling mother and widely published author. Statistics prove, however, that 71% involved in community service, while only 37% of public school children are.

Development wise, homeschooled boys and girls are recognized to be more mature than public school children. This is the reason why they tend to engage in less riskier situations and stay out of trouble. A study shows that homeschooled students are 50 times less likely to get pregnant before marriage, 37 times less likely to have an alcohol related incident and 46 times less likely to ever try drugs (Home School Researcher Journal. Rep. National Home Education Research Institute, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012) To this contributes the fact that homeschooled children do not have to deal with the consequences of peer pressure or bullying. Being “Cool”, according to Gathercole, is not a factor present in homeschooler’s life. These kids can be their own person and don’t have to worry about being popular or being harassed Although homeschooled kids aren’t considered cool by the standards of conventional youth culture, but she doubts that this sort of “coolness” is actually appealing to them. By being allowed to prosper in a physically safe environment, free from the prejudice and hazing of their peers, homeschooled children mature into socially stable men and women. This is obvious from statistics reporting that homeschooled children have 80% less likely to have suicidal thoughts than other kids.

Some may argue that homeschooling deprives children of socializing and experiencing diversity, suggesting that homeschooled children grow up to become social outcasts. Basically, people in favor of public education believe that homeschooling does not prepare children for the hassles of “the real world”. The results of recent studies, nevertheless, point to exactly the opposite. Although it is true that homeschooled students do not get to interact with other people within the classroom, they do socialize through other mediums. While 77% of public school kids spend their afternoons playing video games or on the computer, 98% of homeschoolers are involved in programs like dance lessons, sports, religious groups, scouts, volunteering and music. Also, although they spend a lot of time at home, homeschooled children watch 65% less television.

Again, Rachel Gathercole claims that homeschoolers generally have “fewer casual peer relationships” but stronger friendships with a tighter group of people.

In another study, Dr. Larry Shyers and Thomas Smedley, used the Vineland Adaptive Behavior scales to assess the personal and social skills within homeschooled and public schooled children. As It turns out, homeschooled children have greater social skills and maturity. They scored in the 84th percentile while public in the 27th percentile.

One of the most avid critics of homeschooling is the National Education Association (NEA). They argue that inexperienced parents cannot provide a comprehensive education to their children. Others point out that, since most parents are not certified pedagogue, they are unqualified or not knowledgeable enough. Some other critics contend that parents cannot provide a complete learning experience to their children because they lack the resources that established schools do have. This argument would be convincing enough if it wasn’t for the fact that the success of homeschooled students seems to be completely unaffected either by their parents’ accreditation or their family’s income. A recent study conducted by the Home School Association of California proved that, students of certified parents scored in the 88th percentile of their standardized subject tests. Children of uncertified parents followed closely, scoring in the 87th percentile. Evidently, homeschoolers performed above average even if their parents were not certified teachers. Similarly, their scores are highly unaffected by their family’s income. In the same study, students with a family income of 34K or less per year scored in the 85th percentile. Meanwhile, children born in households with incomes of 70K or more per year scored in the 88th percentile. Although there is in fact a difference in their performance, it is not a dramatic one. In conclusion, homeschooled students tend to succeed regardless of how much money was invested in their education.

Home schooling has proven to have more advantages over public education. Looking at the overall benefits of home education, it is clear that home schooled children develop as better-rounded, complete individuals. Children educated at home graduate with a superior academics because they experience stricter yet customized curriculums, thus learning in a more efficient way and making better use of their time. This proves to be more effective when looking at their standardized testing and college graduation rates, which dramatically surpass that of public schooled children. Homeschoolers are more laid back because they can learn at their own pace, which does not saturate them with excess information, homework’s and tests. Overall they are less stressed, both by school work and by having to be “popular” or “cool”, which reflects in their academic and social performance. They avoid the social stigmas of high school and the constant pressures to “fit in”, while still enjoying extracurricular activities and social interaction. In fact, they are encouraged by their parents to engage in activities that will enhance their practical skills outside of home, like going to museums, theaters and concerts.

Homeschoolers grow up as ethically correct citizens, less likely to get in trouble with the law and socially conscious about the issues that affect their communities. Because parents are able to emphasize the importance of strong moral values and social responsibility, homeschoolers grow up to be more civic and involved people.

When compared with the deteriorating modules of public education, there should be no doubt that homeschooling is the most comprehensive, inclusive and satisfactory option.