Home Schooling - A Personal Choice

Parents have long debated whether private education is better than public education. Now colleges are recognizing the value of an applicant that has been home schooled. Statistically they are well rounded, equipped, socialized, and able to handle the curriculum as well as their counterparts. There is no magic home school formula. Perhaps learning what a child is exposed to in that environment may shed some light on the situation.

What most people fail to realize is that home schooling has been around long before there was formal education. Primitive society educated their young in survival training. The elders were appointed to train the young to read and write. They did storytelling, taught beliefs, tribal law, business, and art. Education was restricted to prominent families while others were taught a craft or a trade.

In Europe, it was not until the 1800's that education was nationalized and governments introduced the concept of establishing elementary schools for the poor so that they could be obedient and patriotic citizens. However, in the colonial United States we were far ahead of Europe. The Massachusetts law of 1642 stated that children should be taught to read and write, and in 1647 every town that had over fifty families had to establish an elementary school. Predominately southern and middle colonies established schools that taught reading, writing, and religion. However, these schools had enrollment limited to children from privileged families.

In 1636, Harvard College in Cambridge Massachusetts was established and introduced liberal arts. Soon eight more followed but they were only for the privileged. The United States, following the Revolutionary war, saw a desperate need to educate all children. In order to support their education, state systems were organized for the first time. In the 1830's taxes were levied to run them. This also necessitated the separation of religion.

Although this is 2009, it was just 1954 when the Supreme Court declared that segregation in the public schools was inherently unconstitutional. In 1965 Congress had to pass the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to improve education for low-income families in the public schools.

Some of the Congressmen and Congresswomen serving today were the children who were affected by these acts of Congress. They were products of public school and are successful men and women.

A home school education is a choice made by the parents and the child. It is determined by a number of personal factors. The primary motivating factor should be to provide an exemplary educational environment for the child. It should not be motivated by fear and news reports. Life happens!

The home school curriculum offers everything from a virtual classroom, local support groups, home school magazines, spelling bee competitions, junior and senior proms and every avenue of support you and your child could possibly imagine; pre-K to H.S. Home schooling is a network of concerned parents who have decided to educate their children outside of the standard educational process. The whole family benefits when its time to take a field trip; museum, art show, library, symphony, ballet or Broadway play. The wonderful thing about this is that each child can set their own pace.

Of course there are downsides to everything. The one thing here is time, time, and time! If you are not dedicated to your child's education then don't do it. You have the option of trying it out for a year and see if it works out. Further, if there is a subject you are not familiar with, then there are tutors available if the virtual classroom fails to do the job.

Statistics have proven that it doesn't matter if the background education was public, private or home schooled, as long as the child is well rounded, completely educated, and turns out to be a productive and happy adult; mission accomplished.

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