NationStates Jolt Archive

Do you think homeschooling is a good idea, or do you think it is a bad idea and should be stopped?

Whatever floats your boat.

I say it's a good idea! I have a few friends that are homeschooled and they enjoy it! Its much better than our public educational school system!

I depends..Usually homeschooling is alot better than public schools, but it depends whos teaching the kid at home..

No, our school (public charter) beats the crap out of the homeschoolers from our state.

Learning from books is not everything

I started out home schooled … went to a catholic school then by high school I moved into the public school system

Out of the three the best for learning about life was the public school

No, our school (public charter) beats the crap out of the homeschoolers from our state.

I assume you have proof of this CSW because everything i've seen points to homeschoolers actually being smarter!

No, it's not a good idea at all. I'm not saying that people don't have to right to do it, and that it should be band. But it's not a good idea. We have some kids in our school that were homeschooled for their first like...8 years of schooling. And they're weird. They cannot relate to people, they don't have a sense of humor at all, they don't understand what sarcasm is, so it's very easy to make them feel bad, and the only friends they really ever make is the other ones who were homeschooled. I feel bad for them. They're so edgy.

I assume you have proof of this CSW because everything i've seen points to homeschoolers actually being smarter!
Have to dredge up the raw scores for homeschoolers (which is very hard to find), but here are some statistics from the school that I was talking about:
This is old, only up until 2002, you can pretty much extend all of that to 2004

Collage placement rate: 98-99%
"Superior Performance" rating for overall school performance in Delaware Public School Accountability Ratings.
Top-scoring high school in the state on Delaware Math Assessments (1998-2002)
Top-scoring high school in the state on Delaware Reading Assessments (1998-2002)
Top-scoring high school in the state on Delaware Writing Assessments (1999-2002)
Top-scoring high school in the state on Delaware Science Assessments (2000-2002)
Top-scoring high school in the state on Delaware Social Studies Assessments (2000-2002)
Highest average SAT scores in the state (among all public high schools)
First Place in state (out of 66 high school teams) at Delaware Science Olympiad (2000-2002)
First Place at Delaware Math Invitational (both 9th grade team & 10th-12th grade teams; 2000, 2001, 2002)
First Place in Delaware Math League (both 9th grade team & 10th-12th grade teams; 2000, 2002)
Students placing first in the state, individually, Delaware Math League (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
Math league press team ranked 1st in the United States (2001, 2002)
First Place in regional Delaware Math League (2001, 2002)
First Place in state in Delaware Envirothon (1999, 2000, 2002) (8th place in North America - 2000)
United States Physics Team Student (1 of 24) (2002)
United States Presidential Scholar Student (2002)

Raw DSTP scores for 2002
Math
96% (2002)
The state average for grade 10 math was 43% in 2002.
Reading
98% (2002)
The state average for grade 10 reading was 67% in 2002.
Writing
80% (2002)
The state average for grade 10 writing was 49% in 2002.

And 2003 scores:
Math 593
Reading 559
Writing 10.4
First in the state, again.

Funny story about my name though...

Like anything else homeschooling has advantages and disadvantages. There is no way to say objectively that one is better overall. You just have to consider what you value and make the choice as to which you feel will accomplish those values more effectively.

No, it's not a good idea at all. I'm not saying that people don't have to right to do it, and that it should be band. But it's not a good idea. We have some kids in our school that were homeschooled for their first like...8 years of schooling. And they're weird. They cannot relate to people, they don't have a sense of humor at all, they don't understand what sarcasm is, so it's very easy to make them feel bad, and the only friends they really ever make is the other ones who were homeschooled. I feel bad for them. They're so edgy.

Where I live, the homeschoolers I know are the EXACT opposite of what you stated. They are smart, intelligent and very well grounded. They have made many friends and one was even elected as homeroom rep his last year! Our district allows Homeschoolers to do the following:

1) Participate on sport teams
2) Participate in 2 non-core classes
3) Participate in school plays

It has been very effective here! You can question their social contacts all you want, but at least one that i know of was in the following:

1) Track and Field
2) Cross Country
3) Karate
4) Choir
5) Civil Air Patrol

I am of the belief that Homeschooling is a very good idea!

http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:jZyeSY4XDswJ:www.ode.state.or.us/pcs/homesch/1998/scores98.pdf+homeschool+test+scores&hl=en

(Thank god for caches)

My school falls around the 91st-92nd percentile, placing them ahead of most homeschoolers on that chart.

there are two problems with homeschooling:

1) some kids don't get the proper amount of socialization with other people their own age and therefore never quite catch on and fit in, even years later. those kids are sad.

2) far too many people homeschool their kids because they don't want their kids to learn things that contradict their fucked up fundamentalist religious idiocy - you know, like science and history and critical thinking and such. as far as i'm concerned that's child abuse.

but beyond those two things, i'm all in favor of certain forms of homeschooling/unschooling. they certainly can't be any worse than the soul-crushing drone factories of public and religious 'education'.

there are two problems with homeschooling:

1) some kids don't get the proper amount of socialization with other people their own age and therefore never quite catch on and fit in, even years later. those kids are sad.

2) far too many people homeschool their kids because they don't want their kids to learn things that contradict their fucked up fundamentalist religious idiocy - you know, like science and history and critical thinking and such. as far as i'm concerned that's child abuse.

but beyond those two things, i'm all in favor of certain forms of homeschooling/unschooling. they certainly can't be any worse than the soul-crushing drone factories of public and religious 'education'.
You'd have to regulate it to make sure that nonsense such as teaching creationism as science doesn't get done, which tends to defeat the purpose of home schooling.

Where I live, the homeschoolers I know are the EXACT opposite of what you stated. They are smart, intelligent and very well grounded. They have made many friends and one was even elected as homeroom rep his last year! Our district allows Homeschoolers to do the following:

1) Participate on sport teams
2) Participate in 2 non-core classes
3) Participate in school plays

It has been very effective here! You can question their social contacts all you want, but at least one that i know of was in the following:

1) Track and Field
2) Cross Country
3) Karate
4) Choir
5) Civil Air Patrol

I am of the belief that Homeschooling is a very good idea!

I never said they were stupid, or that they weren't alowed to participate. All I'm saying is that the ones here don't seem to like to focus on anything but their education. Then again this is Idaho, often called the most paranoid state in the union, so it's very possible the parents made them so that they're anti-social and then put them into a high school that offers a superior education (#1 in the state baby!) so that there is little chance of them going with the social flow.

You'd have to regulate it to make sure that nonsense such as teaching creationism as science doesn't get done, which tends to defeat the purpose of home schooling.

Yes, unfortunatelly that's one of the perks of homeschooling. You can teach them anything you like.

I think it's possible to homeschool easily through elementary, and it's possible through middle school.

But in high school, there are so many skills and so many different subjects that I doubt most parents could effectively school their children through it.

Also, if the students don't learn some social skills in at least high school and they go off to college, it will likely be culture shock.

I personally wouldn't homeschool my kids, unless I didn't feel the school could do it as well. And by this I mean if my student had a special learning disability, not by the quality of the school.

I think it's possible to homeschool easily through elementary, and it's possible through middle school.

But in high school, there are so many skills and so many different subjects that I doubt most parents could effectively school their children through it.

Also, if the students don't learn some social skills in at least high school and they go off to college, it will likely be culture shock.

I personally wouldn't homeschool my kids, unless I didn't feel the school could do it as well. And by this I mean if my student had a special learning disability, not by the quality of the school.

My brother was homeschooled from Middle of 6th Grade till he graduated through the Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Association! My mother taught him Algebra, Trig, Geometry, Analytic Geomatry and Calculus! My mom Tough him English and Dad, when he was home, taught him Spanish!

Though why he was homeschooled is a personal issue, he actually got a better education than those in a public school! He rated on a state exam at the highest range you could get on an 11th grade assessment test, placing in 12.4 and up (that is grade wise)! Most homeschoolers around here actually get a better education than what they get in a public or christian school. I've seen it. He lasted one month in 9th grade at the high school before he went back to homeschooling! He was smarter than his history teacher as well as a few other teachers. He was the only one that knew the answers to most questions proposed.

You'd have to regulate it to make sure that nonsense such as teaching creationism as science doesn't get done, which tends to defeat the purpose of home schooling.


Why is creationism nonsense? Can you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that evolution is a scientific fact? Like many scientific theories like global warming, it has it's flaws, just like creationism. It is regulated CW, the local educational board tests each student yearly to prove that they are actually learning. When was the last time you went on a field trip (in the 6th grade) into the Rockies to study migratory birds for a science quiz? My daughters learned through hands on techniques and book knowledge. They had a better grasp of the environment, animals, American History, languages, and sciences, then any public school kid ever would. Plus they participate in public school events like sports, etc. Now they've all graduated from college with honors.

Don't be afraid of homeschooling, as we parents just thought we could teach better then some political minded (with agendas) school board ever could. We teach them to be open minded and to love their fellow man and learn all sides of an issue, before they pass judgement.

PS:Besides teaching creation, my wife and I also taught them about evolution.

Why is creationism nonsense? Can you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that evolution is a scientific fact? Like many scientific theories like global warming, it has it's flaws, just like creationism. It is regulated CW, the local educational board tests each student yearly to prove that they are actually learning. When was the last time you went on a field trip (in the 6th grade) into the Rockies to study migratory birds for a science quiz? My daughters learned through hands on techniques and book knowledge. They had a better grasp of the environment, animals, American History, languages, and sciences, then any public school kid ever would. Plus they participate in public school events like sports, etc. Now they've all graduated from college with honors.

Don't be afraid of homeschooling, as we parents just thought we could teach better then some political minded (with agendas) school board ever could. We teach them to be open minded and to love their fellow man and learn all sides of an issue, before they pass judgement.

PS:Besides teaching creation, my wife and I also taught them about evolution.

My mom taught from a Christian perspective but that too went into evolution from a christian perspective. It never condemned it as false!

I'm glad that your children learned well and graduated with honors from college! :) Congratulations

Why is creationism nonsense? Can you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that evolution is a scientific fact? Like many scientific theories like global warming, it has it's flaws, just like creationism. It is regulated CW, the local educational board tests each student yearly to prove that they are actually learning. When was the last time you went on a field trip (in the 6th grade) into the Rockies to study migratory birds for a science quiz? My daughters learned through hands on techniques and book knowledge. They had a better grasp of the environment, animals, American History, languages, and sciences, then any public school kid ever would. Plus they participate in public school events like sports, etc. Now they've all graduated from college with honors.

Don't be afraid of homeschooling, as we parents just thought we could teach better then some political minded (with agendas) school board ever could. We teach them to be open minded and to love their fellow man and learn all sides of an issue, before they pass judgement.

PS:Besides teaching creation, my wife and I also taught them about evolution.


See evolution v creationism 1.0/2.0. Nice discussion about how creationism shouldn't be taught as science in there somewhere. It isn't science. Not even close.

Formal - Do you concede the point or are you going to answer my post?

See evolution v creationism 1.0/2.0. Nice discussion about how creationism shouldn't be taught as science in there somewhere. It isn't science. Not even close.

Formal - Do you concede the point or are you going to answer my post?

Never did say creation is a science, just said it has some flaws like evolution and other sciences. Is it good to have ideas that stray from the status quo? Creation could have occured just like evolution could have. One question my kids asked me and I never knew:Why are there still chimps and apes if evolution occured?

Why is creationism nonsense? Can you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that evolution is a scientific fact? Like many scientific theories like global warming, it has it's flaws, just like creationism.

There are two threads going on about that subject. The fact that it's called a theory is why you can't call it a fact. Evolution could have a chance to be thrown out. Creationism can't since the only way to disprove it is to disprove God.

Evolution does not seek to prove or disprove God. Creationism seeks to prove God.


It is regulated CW, the local educational board tests each student yearly to prove that they are actually learning. When was the last time you went on a field trip (in the 6th grade) into the Rockies to study migratory birds for a science quiz? My daughters learned through hands on techniques and book knowledge. They had a better grasp of the environment, animals, American History, languages, and sciences, then any public school kid ever would. Plus they participate in public school events like sports, etc. Now they've all graduated from college with honors.

Ok you are one example of where it could work. I know of a few where it don't. I know one homeschooler where he said testing is left to the parents which they left to him. He of course is an A student.

What about Biology, chemestry and or physics?

What about languanges?

Finally it is rather presumptious to suggest your children know more then any other public school children.


Don't be afraid of homeschooling, as we parents just thought we could teach better then some political minded (with agendas) school board ever could. We teach them to be open minded and to love their fellow man and learn all sides of an issue, before they pass judgement.

Oh don't take that label! I kind of think you are not as open minded as you claim. You have some very set views on things.


PS:Besides teaching creation, my wife and I also taught them about evolution.
Really? What texts did you use? I have read some very crappy texts written by Christians about Evolution.

Never did say creation is a science, just said it has some flaws like evolution and other sciences. Is it good to have ideas that stray from the status quo? Creation could have occured just like evolution could have. One question my kids asked me and I never knew:Why are there still chimps and apes if evolution occured?

Except for the small matter that creationism isn't science, so it shouldn't be taught as science. As for the chimps and apes still being around, the answer is because evolution doesn't completely wipe out an entire species before it, and we didn't evolve from chimps and apes, we all evolved from a common ancestor. The chimps and apes simply went down different evolutionary path then we did.

Read the evolution vs creationism debates, they should answer all of the questions that you can have.

Why is creationism nonsense?

the fact that in so far as it makes testable predictions it is completely and utterly false in every respect and has been shown as such over and over and over again for more than 100 years. and the rest of it that doesn't make testable predictions is 1) not science and 2) contradictory.

but this should probably go over to Evolutionism vs. Creationism v2.0 (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=342014)

One question my kids asked me and I never knew:Why are there still chimps and apes if evolution occured?

yeah, and i've also been wondering why my second cousins are still alive...

Home schooling is for religious nuts and militia/survivalist kinds of people in their compounds in the mountains in Idaho.

Never did say creation is a science, just said it has some flaws like evolution and other sciences. Is it good to have ideas that stray from the status quo? Creation could have occured just like evolution could have. One question my kids asked me and I never knew:Why are there still chimps and apes if evolution occured?

We didn't evolve from chimps. We shared a common ancestor and at one point in the path to become us; they split off.

Relations to them can't simply be dismissed when you consider that Chimps are self-aware, share 98.9% of our DNA, have the ability to lie, problem solve, wage war, have a social structure that involves politics, create and use tools, and teach tool use to their young. There has even been a sighting where Washo (a signing chimp) was seen teaching her child how to sign.

BTW: Chimpanzees are apes. As are Gorillas and Orangutans. Gibbons and Siamangs are lessor-apes.

Home schooling is for religious nuts and militia/survivalist kinds of people in their compounds in the mountains in Idaho.

Ummm I'm from the East Coast! Never lived in Idaho! Not a religious nut though I am a christian. I was homeschooled from 3rd grade to 7th grade.

Ummm I'm from the East Coast! Never lived in Idaho! Not a religious nut though I am a christian. I was homeschooled from 3rd grade to 7th grade.
Formal - Are you planning to respond to my post or do you concede the point?

I don't really care whether people are homeschooled or not, but people who go to public or private schools with lots of other people know how to get along with others better. Many home-schooled kids aren't very social because they have been taught by a tutor or parent their entire life.

Most parents simply don't have the resources to homeschool. My parents tried it when we were little, but then the situation changed, and they both had to work. It's very hard to work around the advantage public school has over home schooling in that respect. You have to have the time to do it, and the discipline to make sure you do it every day. You can't decide to just do it when you feel like it, and create holes in your kids' education, or teach them bad habits.

However, I like the idea. I think that you can spare your children a lot of hurt and psychological damage that they might sustain in going to public school, both at the hands of bad teachers and of other students. You can also avoid the indoctrination that goes on at school. You can get more in-depth on subjects, and you can give your children more one-on-one tutelage. You have more control over what kinds of things your children are exposed to. This does not mean, of course, that it would be ethical to refuse them information that they might later learn somewhere else, just because you don't happen to agree with an opinion, like evolution.

You also have the bonus of more freedom in teaching methods. Home schoolers can take their kids to the museum when they feel like it, or the zoo, or the art gallery. It can open up a lot of tools that public schools simply don't have the resources for. You don't have to break off schooling for trips to relatives across the state, or for a case of chicken pox.

Private schools are MUCH better than public school, public schools are set to the dumbest kid instead of the smartest.

I was homeschooled for many years, and some of them were the best years of my life. My dad was transfered to work in DC for a few years, so mom decided to homeschool us, and it was wonderful! My brother and I grew really close, and we got more time to explore DC and the East than I would have thought possible.

Then we came back home and I got stuck in the middle of 7th grade with no social skills and even less interest in developing any :( now that sucked.

http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:jZyeSY4XDswJ:www.ode.state.or.us/pcs/homesch/1998/scores98.pdf+homeschool+test+scores&hl=en

(Thank god for caches)

My school falls around the 91st-92nd percentile, placing them ahead of most homeschoolers on that chart.

*bumped* for Formal Dances. There.

Homeschooling is still better. It depends on what you believe. Here, homeschooling is more populat than any school. Most homeschoolers are actually smarter and better prepared for the real world than MOST kids in the public school system. I wasn't talking about charter schools. I'm talking Public Schools.

Homeschooling is still better. It depends on what you believe. Here, homeschooling is more populat than any school. Most homeschoolers are actually smarter and better prepared for the real world than MOST kids in the public school system. I wasn't talking about charter schools. I'm talking Public Schools.
Charter schools are public schools. Most is fine, but you didn't say that.

Originally Posted by CSW
No, our school (public charter) beats the crap out of the homeschoolers from our state.


I assume you have proof of this CSW because everything i've seen points to homeschoolers actually being smarter!

Do you think homeschooling is a good idea, or do you think it is a bad idea and should be stopped?

Homeschooling is great! I was homeschooled grades 10-12. I taught myself, and even graded myself. I learned far more than I did in public school.

It's good for the kids because they don't have to go to school. But they have to find other ways to be social.

Some kids I've known who are homeschooled are cool, and there was this one girl I hated.

homeschools, like all schools, are good or bad based on the "teachers" and the "students"
some parents do a good job, some suck. i went to public school and i had some piss-poor teachers in my time.

but y'all are missing the most important point

STAYING HOME ALL DAY WITH SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN SUCKS!

you are looking at this from a students point of view. im a parent and public school is the greatest invention of all civilization. they even come pick up your kid at the door!. trained, certified professionals watch your kid so you dont need to worry so much about them. geeez. you get 3-7 hours a day FREE to do all the things that need doing. i wouldnt trade that for knowing that if my son were homeschooled he'd end up with a nobel prize!

I'm not going to get dragged into the homeschool/private school/public school debate of "which is best" because I think it depends so much on the child and their academic strengths and needs. However, I will say that I bristle up a bit when a homeschooling parent tells me that they do all kinds of neat educational things with their kids, taking them to museums, national parks, et al... I simply call that *parenting*, and good parents do that anyway.

One question I do have for anyone who has been homeschooled or homeschools their kids, though: Once the child gets into advanced work in the sciences, how and where do you get all the lab equipment to support their studies? I'm just thinking of all the lab equipment I used in my high school biology, physics and chemistry classes...

One question I do have for anyone who has been homeschooled or homeschools their kids, though: Once the child gets into advanced work in the sciences, how and where do you get all the lab equipment to support their studies? I'm just thinking of all the lab equipment I used in my high school biology, physics and chemistry classes...

Well that's rather easy, you can borrow some stuff from schools, since you are paying the taxes that keep the public schools going. In many states you are entitled (in some states) to use their resources. Libraries, lab equipment, copies of tests from specific subjects. You can also purchase your own lab stuff. Plus my state allows for homeschooled kids to participate in school sports and activities as well.

Well that's rather easy, you can borrow some stuff from schools, since you are paying the taxes that keep the public schools going. In many states you are entitled (in some states) to use their resources. Libraries, lab equipment, copies of tests from specific subjects. You can also purchase your own lab stuff. Plus my state allows for homeschooled kids to participate in school sports and activities as well.

You in PA Hannibal?

I do agree with you too!