There are three main ways of gaining education. They include private school, home school and public school. Among these, public school is the most common. Children get enrolled in public schools to acquire skills and to make new friends, while interacting with them in diverse environments. Nevertheless, some children have certain special needs, which may be emotional, social, intellectual or physical. They consider home schooling as a good alternative. Each of these forms of schooling has its benefits. The benefits of homeschooling include;
According to Walberg (2014), homeschooling offers flexible learning. Students’ learning schedules get to be compatible with their daily activities as well as those of their families. Students, especially those with special needs, get to wake up at their best suited time. Learning can take place during either the morning of afternoon session, depending on the students’ preference. Also, sickly students can easily take a break from learning and resume later when they feel better. Essentially, learning takes place at a student’s pace. It offers an opportunity for the motivated students to perform better. However, although it allows this kind of flexibility, students are informed that education is a necessity in life and that they should be responsible in flexibility of the learning process.
Homeschooling provides an opportunity for families to grow together closely (Walberg, 2014). The extra time students spend at home allow them to interact with their families more often, compared to being in public schools. Homeschooling means that students get to take all the three meals with their family members and hence more conversations with them. It also means that students share subjects with their siblings, regardless of age differences. For example, History could be more fun learning together with siblings. A closely knit family is significant in everyone’s life. Public schooling takes away these opportunities. Public schooled spend more time in school and spend a lesser amount of time (only weekends and during school holidays) with the family.
Homeschooling improves student outcome. When students are homeschooled, school is basically about them. All attention is focused on them. They usually learn things at their own pace. Their tutors proceed to the next topics in a subject only when the students have completely understood the previous topic. Also, students can opt to pay more attention on their main educational weaknesses. In addition, students get individual attention from parents and other family members. Family support greatly boosts the extrinsic motivation of students to work harder in their studies. Furthermore, unlike the crowded public schools, homeschooling offers minimal distractions as well as peer pressure. Crowded public schools also make it hard for teachers to concentrate on the performance of individual students.
Home schooling provides a safe environment for children. When children learn at home, they are free from bullying which occasionally happens in school. Their learning materials are also hardly stolen at home, compared to public schools. Furthermore it is hard for home schooled children to be kidnapped, unlike public schooled children.
On the other hand, the advantages of public schooling include;
Public schooling nurtures a sense of independence in children. Although home is appreciated as a safer place for children, they need a good learning environment. When children attend public schools, they are far away from their parents, who are often over protective of them. They learn how to handle certain issues since they encounter them on a daily basis. According to Walberg (2014), when confronted with these issues in school, they have to make their own decisions and that is how independence grows. Well, there are many horrible stories told on how children are bullied in school, without any reason. Although protecting them from this is important, children need to learn how to stand up for themselves during times of trouble. Bullies are not only in schools but everywhere; at the workplace, restaurants and even within the family. The only way through which they can acquire skills of standing up against bullying is by being around them. Public schooling enlightens them about how to handle bullying from a young age. Home schooling denies children the opportunity of inculcating self independence and getting to know how to stand up for themselves in times of trouble.
Public schooling teaches children how to build strong relationships and friendships (Deming et al., 2014). In school, children start making friends at a young age. They keep on building friendship throughout their school years. In addition, school exposes them to different kinds of people, some easy to deal with while other hard to get along with. Despite the difficulties encountered while interacting with these people, they eventually learn how to deal with them. Being around other people improves social interaction. Public schooled children learn how to effectively communicate and build friendships easily. Homeschooling denies children an opportunity for social interaction. They are around other people occasionally. In high school, it is important for children to feel accepted by their peers. Home schooled children are hardly around peers. They may fail to have the friendships they want. Hence, they may end up feeling shy or uncomfortable in social situations, unlike public schooled children.
Public schooling makes use of specialized teachers. In school, children are taught by professional teachers, who have specialized in certain subjects. Teachers specialize in the subjects they are most qualified. Due to this, public schooled get access to prolific and quality education (Deming et al., 2014). In homeschooling, children are either taught by their parents or by one or two tutors who cover multiple subjects. A parent cannot be qualified to tutor all the subjects. Furthermore, the tutors may not necessary have the qualifications to tutor all the subjects.
According to Deming et al., (2014), public schools offer structural environments for learning. In school, children are expected to adhere to certain learning rules. They are also expected to meet certain deadlines for their assignments. Moreover, in school, children are taught how to respect as well as listen to their authority figures such as teachers. This structured environment improves the way students think and carry out their activities. They become organized and keen on time, something that becomes beneficial to them later in life. Homeschooled children lack a structured learning environment since they do everything at their own pace. They don’t deal with any deadlines or strict rules and regulations. This has the potential of causing harm to home schooled children later in life, more particularly in the business world because they cannot work under pressure, meet deadlines and respect authority figures other than their parents.
All in all, public schooling is the best option for children. As seen, homeschooling has its benefits. However, sending children to public schooling offers more benefits. Public schooling offers not only educational benefits but also growth and development benefits.
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- Deming, D. J., Hastings, J. S., Kane, T. J., & Staiger, D. O. (2014). School choice, school quality, and postsecondary attainment. The American economic review, 104(3), 991-1013.
- Walberg, H. (2014). Expanding the options. What Lies Ahead for America’s Children and Their Schools.