Children should never be educated at home by their parents.

Children should never be educated at home by their parents.

Do you agree or disagree?

Introduction

Homeschooling refers to the practice of educating children at home by either parents or by a private tutor instead of sending the child to school. The idea of homeschooling has been present in society for a long time. In fact, if we look at the pages of history, before the establishment of a formal system of education, people were educated at home. The financially well off families could afford a private tutor, or governess. The other families would teach their children themselves.

Homeschooling a good idea

I disagree with the statement that children should never be homeschooled. There are many reasons why parents would opt to home school their children. It could be because they don’t agree with the conventional educational system; they might have specific religious beliefs (like the Jehovah’s Witnesses), or might be a family that travels around the world frequently. In order to objectively analyze the concept, let us look at the pros and cons of homeschooling.

Benefits:

• The child is more open to new and different ideas and concepts.

• If the child is homeschooled due to the nomadic spirit of the parents, she or he will be well travelled, thereby giving the child a wide exposure to different lifestyles.

• The child has a flexible schedule that is free from the rigors of a regular school. The child can enjoy her or his childhood.

• Homeschooling can have a varied and inclusive curriculum, which enables the child to learn and explore more.

Disadvantages

• Parents might not be qualified to teach children, even if they have college degrees.

• With an absence of interaction with other children of the same age, the child might be socially withdrawn. The child may be awkward, and find it difficult to make friends.

• As the child is at home with parents, she or he might not learn what it is to have a strict schedule. Discipline might not become a priority for the child, which can have negative effects as an adult.

• The child might not have many opportunities to be a part of group sports and other activities in a regular school.

Conclusion

While there are good and bad effects to homeschooling, it cannot be altogether written off as a bad idea. It has its own benefits both to the child and the family. Apart from that, as the advocates of a regular formal schooling suggest, it is not a terrible situation. As a society, we should have a broad minded attitude towards homeschooling. We should be able to accommodate ideas that are different from our set of beliefs and our value system.