Introduction
Homeschooling refers to the process of a parent or parents schooling their youngsters at home, rather than enrolling them in the nearest public or private academic institution. The US government approximates that about 3% of school-going children were homeschooled either all or mostly in 2012 (“Fast Facts: Home Schooling”). It also found distinct races embraced homeschooling differently. For example, homeschooling uptake was highest among white mothers (83%) and lowest among Asian and Pacific Islanders (2%) (“Fast Facts: Home Schooling”). Debates have arisen concerning whether homeschooling is better than enrolling the youth in new facilities, with experts suggesting it denies them the convenience to learn social and communication skills. Despite the arguments against homeschooling, this essay proposes that teaching kids at home are better than registering them to traditional institutions. In particular, it is safer because it protects children against school shootings, and homeschooled students perform better than their counterparts in education centers. It is also economically beneficial because it saves parents school fees money, and provides guardians with the opportunity to instill their ideal beliefs in their minors.
Safety
Some mothers prefer schooling their adolescents at home because it is much safer than attending public or private educational institutions. Homeschooling confines the child within the house environment, reducing social interactions with individuals who might suddenly become violent. However, when guardians enroll pupils in learning facilities, the young adults interact with different people, increasing the infants’ risk of being hurt in dining halls, classes, and school playgrounds. For example, Wolfe and Walker state that “in 46 weeks this year, there have been 45 school killings. That’s nearly an average of one school shooting a week” (para.2). Among the reported cases, the majority were intentional shootings, while the minority were accidental. Either way, undergraduates were harmed in all those incidents, sometimes losing their lives. This evidence insinuates academic centers are riskier regarding children’s safety than homes. Therefore, it is safer to educate children at home than in schools because their chances of suffering physical or emotional harm from their peers are highly reduced.
School Performance
It is also more beneficial for parents to teach their young ones at home than taking them to ordinary schools because homeschooled children perform better in exams than school-going students. For instance, they outperform school-going children in Scholastic Aptitude and American College tests when applying for colleges and in the overall regular school exams. Brewer and Lubienski found “the home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school scholars on standardized academic achievement tests” (26). Learners who are taught by their parents manage such exemplary performance because their parents take moments to ensure they grasp a topic before proceeding to the next one. Teachers in schools do not have adequate time to concentrate on one student because they have many pupils to teach per class. Therefore, slow learners are sometimes left to study for themselves, allowing the pupils to remain behind in certain studies and possibly lose interest in difficult subjects. Hence, guardians should teach their youths at home than registering them in public schools.
Economic Benefit
Homeschooling is also a better option than enrolling children in either public or private schools because it saves parents money, which they can use in other activities. For example, parents are required to pay school fees at the beginning of every term for their children to attend classes. However, school fees are not applicable when homeschooling pupils, which provides guardians with the extra money they can use to finance other educational activities, such as buying revision materials. Brewer and Lubienski discovered that “the cost to educate three children at home is approximately $2,030 for curriculum materials, supplies, a home library, etc. for the year” (29). The cost can be even lower if the parent registers in a public library to borrow relevant books instead of buying them, making homeschooling cheaper than taking children to educational institutions. Therefore, instructing young people at home is better than registering them in learning organizations.
Religious Advantages
Tutoring students at home is also advantageous than taking them to school because it provides parents with the opportunity to instill ideal religious beliefs in their children. For instance, most students are taught the evolution theory as the ideal explanation for how the Universe was formed. However, not all parents believe in the theory, and the school curriculum does not offer students the opportunity to learn other religious theories that attempt to explain how the universe came into existence. Parents can inform their children about these theories and other ideological ideals, which they deem acceptable to them when homeschooling students. This argument is supported by many parents who stated that they preferred to teach their children at home because it allowed them the opportunity to “use a school curriculum that reinforces their family’s religious beliefs” (Brewer and Lubienski 29). Allowing guardians to instill their ideologies in the children makes homeschooling the best method of providing an education than taking students to school.
Disadvantage
Despite the evidence, some people argue that taking young ones to educational facilities is better than tutoring them at home because it prevents children from suffering parental inflicted emotional and bodily harm. For instance, Brewer and Lubienski point out that a family, which homeschooled all its children, “failed to report instances of abuse to law enforcement” (30). The abuse took place at home, when a member of the family sexually abused their siblings, proving that students are not necessarily safer at home than in school. This argument is wrong because it implies that children who go to school are not exposed to parental and another kind of harm prevalent at home. Many parents prefer to teach their children because they care about their academic performance, safety, and personal development. Therefore, they keep the young ones at home to prevent other violent people from harming them. Even the students that attend schools are at risk of parental abuse because they go back home at some point. Therefore, it does not imply that students are safer in school than at home.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there has been an increase in the number of homeschooled children over the last decades because of the advantages it offers to both parents and young ones compared to attending schools. Teaching young people at home provides guardians with the opportunity to spend extra time on topics that the children find difficult, an opportunity that teachers do not have in school. It also helps guardians protect their children against harm, such as school shootings, which are prevalent in educational facilities. Further, it saves parents’ money by removing school fees obligations, which they have to meet at the beginning of every school term. Finally, it allows guardians to instill religious and social ideals that they view as fit for their children. Therefore, more parents should consider homeschooling their children to enjoy these benefits.
Works Cited
Brewer, T. Jameson, and Christopher Lubienski. “Homeschooling in the United States: Examining the Rationales for Individualizing Education.” Pro-Posições, vol. 28, no. 2, 2017, pp. 21-38.
“Fast Facts: Home Schooling.” National Center for Educational Statistics. Web.
Wolfe, Elizabeth, and Christina, Walker. “In 46 Weeks This Year, There Have Been 45 School Shootings.” CNN, 2019. Web.