We have all noticed that the topic of Homeschooling vs. Public or Private Schooling, has become a much larger conversation in more recent years. A conversation that perhaps made it’s way around only certain families or social circles, has now become a topic discussed in many homes and social circles. Of course, Covid forced us into a virtual learning situation where our children had no choice but to learn from home for a extended amount of time. The longer the lock downs continued, the more adaptive we all became at working and our children at being educated, from home.
Now that we know home school is a viable alternative to the standard public or private school, the options have become much more available to us.
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History…
Before the late 1800’s, public school was encouraged, but not mandatory. A lot of children still received some form of family or smaller community based education then. Various states began enacting compulsory school attendance laws toward the end of the 1800’s and by the 1920’s, mandatory school attendance had been enacted throughout the entire country.
Modern Homeschool Movement…
The the first modern day homeschool movement began gaining momentum in the 1960’s and 1970’s when a handful of educational reformists (Rousas John Rushdoony, Raymond and Dorothy Moore, and John Holt) began arguing that homeschooling had a lot more overall benefits than that of the public and private school options. This led to the Anti-Public education movement during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Since the 1990’s, the number of homeschooled children has drastically increased. We have seen the numbers go from 275,000 homeschooled children in 1990, to roughly 1 million in the year of 2000, 2 million around the year of 2010, and finally 4.3 million as of 2022. Quite the growth!
The current reasons parents choose homeschooling over public or private, vary greatly, as do the homeschool types that are used with each child.
Some folks argue homeschooling deprives children of peer socialization or lack of a Qualified Educator, it requires too much time and dedication, etc. Some folks argue home schooling is the better option, because the children not only learn easier, but classroom disruption is avoided, the schedule is easier and more flexible, etc.
I, personally, fall somewhere in the middle of these two arguments. I feel the option rests solely on the specific child and what overall strategy is more beneficial for him/her. Before Covid, I never really had any kind of opinion, either way. Once we were forced to adapt to our son learning from home, my opinion started to form in that area.
Covid & Homeschooling…
As with many other parents, we were given very little warning to the change and had a variety of different things to figure into our new daily schedules, that we never had to consider before. It was a complete disruption, stressful, and overwhelming, to say the least.
After the first week of lockdowns, our school district came up with a plan for how to proceed. I do have to give them credit for their quick actions. Within 2 weeks of being locked down, the district had an online program set up and zoom meetings scheduled.
I’m not going to lie…it was complicated. Besides the actual assignment platform, we had to download and learn various other computer programs to accommodate specific assignments. We had to learn how to create presentation recordings for specific projects, screenshots of assignments, etc. My son was only in the 5th grade when Covid hit. The kids were just beginning to learn all of these programs and skills in school. With everything shifting so suddenly to a home based education, I had to educate myself in all of these different areas while trying to instruct my son at the same time.
It was quite the Adventure!
Working Out The Kinks…
Once the kinks began working themselves out over the following weeks of virtual learning, everything became much easier and we fell in line with an organized schedule. My son attended several zoom meetings per day, each one scheduled for the class at the same time he would attend the class if he were in school. He had his lunch at his normal lunch time and ended his day at the normal dismissal time. The organized schedule did go a long way toward keeping my son focused on learning. The zoom meetings that included upwards of 15 children and one teacher most of the time, were difficult on the teacher more than anyone! lol!
I was fortunate enough to be able to sit in on the zoom meetings, and for that, I’m extremely grateful. I paid attention to the lessons being taught and the assignments being given, along with the curious little minds within the meetings that added the perfect balance of perspective, mischief, and humor that any 11 year child could muster. (That was my favorite part – the kids! From a distance of course..Not my circus!)
Being A Spectator…
In any event, the listening in, helped me to better guide my son on more complicated assignments and what the teacher was looking for, when he couldn’t otherwise grasp it on his own. It also allowed me to spend more time with my son and enjoy all of the whimsical and humorous aspects of a 5th grade classroom, right along with him. When it was time for him to work on an assignment that he didn’t need help with, I left the room and he got to work in a space without distraction. (I was strict in the way that the tv and any other entertaining technology, had to be put away during “school hours”.)
The last part of that school year was definitely bumpy, but we got through it. My son made the honor roll that quarter. When the beginning of the next school year (2020-2021) came around, we were given two options. We could choose to send him to school for half of the week/homeschool the other half, OR we could just go with the full time homeschool (virtual learning) option. We went with the full time at home option. Why not? We had a much better understanding of what we were doing. My son’s grades hadn’t suffered yet. We didn’t have to unnecessarily take chances of exposing my elderly father in law to outside germs. There was no reason to go any other way.
The Results?
That entire school year, my son not only got good grades, but he was given an academic award one quarter and made the honor roll during a couple of others. He seemed to actually excel with the homeschool strategy. When 7th grade rolled around a year and a half later, we were actually kind of sad to get back to the normal routine of him attending in person school.
I’m not saying he wouldn’t have had academic achievements if he had been attending in person school all of those months. I am saying I do believe the less chaotic, more structured experience at home may have helped formulate a more responsible mindset for my son. For that, I am grateful.
Socially…
I didn’t see where homeschooling affected his social life much. If anything, it strengthened his relationships with the friends he already had. He also made new friends. Because everyone was on lockdown, more kids were online playing video games, and more often. While I’m not exactly an advocate for kids spending a lot of time online, the gaming groups did put him in touch with a few kids his age that he still keeps up with to this day.
As for having a Qualified Educator available, I don’t think you need a degree to be able to effectively educate your child. As long as you have a brain, common sense, the ability to be organized, patience, and determination, you will make an excellent educator. There are plenty of resources, lesson plans, and instructional information out there to guide you and your child on the path of homeschooling.
Back To “Normal”…
When my son went back to full time in person learning, he re-adapted to the old routine very well. He did in fact become interested in sports and other after school activities. In that way, we do appreciate the in person structure. It is easier for him to be involved with special interest groups, creating opportunity for him to make more friends. However, many communities in general offer participation in various interest clubs or groups, to satisfy those needs as well.
At the end of the day, I do still believe the homeschool vs. public or private school options are best decided based upon the specific child and the at home instructional guidance available.
Does the child excel in a more quiet setting where distraction can be better controlled? Or does he/she work better in group settings with more interaction?
Is he/she able to study within the comforts of home, without loosing focus?
Can he/she grasp information relatively easy and complete assignments responsibly?
Can you as the instructor, remain available and dedicated to taking on the Educator roll?
Are there alternatives available for outside socialization, to balance the lack of school interest groups?
This Year…
I have found this year to be a bit less fun for my boy. He happens to be in a few classes with a class clown or two. Yes, this is that age when kids start acting a bit foolish in the classroom, for attention! We’ve all seen it. It is known. My son, on the other hand, doesn’t have much of an appreciation for regular silly antics in class. It poses a distraction for him when he is trying to complete an assignment in class. It is his opinion that you should focus on school, while you’re in school. This is so you don’t have homework and can focus on being home, when at home. ( Of course, that means for him, he can get online with his friends faster!)
I can’t say I blame him for that mindset, though. When you are at work, you want to work effectively so you get paid. When it’s quitting time though, you want to leave and not think about it for the rest of the night. My point is while my son’s grades are still excellent with in person school, I do think he was happier when he was learning from home. He was able to focus, fully grasp the lessons and still have interaction with other kids on his terms.
What do you think? Do you think the cons outweigh the overall pros of homeschooling? Are public or private schools, overall more beneficial? Do you feel that having all three options is most beneficial for today’s children, as a whole?
The Benefits?
I think, considering each and every one of us is different, and each and every one of us goes down a path most suitable for us, our kids should be given the same opportunity, starting now. If that means having more than one or two educational options, than so be it. Let them learn in a way that makes sense for them and puts them on the path to success meant for them. Any strategy is a good strategy if our kids become good, responsible adults at the end of the day, right?
Other Resources:
Homeschooling FAQ (Homeschool.com)
Homeschool Methods/Types (Homeschool.com)
