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There’s no doubt that the United States is lagging behind many countries in education. The public schools seem to be eternally broken. There is a lack of funding for laptops in classrooms, good pay for teachers and upgrades to school buildings. But is home schooling a good education? On many levels, the answer is “yes.” However, there may be some things that the home school environment won’t serve very well.
Education is about more than book studies. Education is about social skills. If a child is home schooled, the parent has to be diligent to get the children involved in everyday activities. Many people home school to protect their kids from undesirable people. Is this really a good idea?
Children need to know how to function in a diverse world. America is not one culture. It is many. The smartest guy is not always the most successful. We’ve all commented on that friend who is really book smart, but totally lacking in street smarts. Can home schooling successfully teach street smarts?
This doesn’t just mean common sense. This means communication and understanding. Is isolation really the best way to teach children to live in a diverse world? To be fair, there are plenty of schools out there that offer education in controlled environments. Christian schools will put a religious spin on education. Private schools will probably be populated with wealthy students. Some charter schools may cater to specific interests. In any of these situations, diversity is limited.
Even in a private education system, there is the advantage of multiple children from multiple families with multiple ways of viewing the world. Very few people think exactly alike. Therefore one Christian student might have a different experience to share with another. Education is about sharing as much as it is about learning. Home schooling parents need to remember this.
We cannot completely control our children’s lives. Even thought the purpose may be to protect the kids through home bound education, it could be causing some harm if the parent forgets about proper socialization.
