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5 Arguments Against Homeschooling

Homeschooling has become immensely popular in the west, with several million children now being home-schooled by their parents or in co-op home schools. But in spite of its surging popularity, homeschooling  can be  harmful to some children , their social development, and even their parents.

While there are definitely situations in which homeschooling is ideal, some home-schooled children can face disadvantages when they reach college and working age. Here are five arguments to consider about homeschooling children.

Financial Strain

In many 21st-century households, more than one income is needed to sustain the household and ensure the needs of the family are met. In two-parent households, homeschooling can significantly impact the financial stability of the household, as at least one parent must remain at home to homeschool their child or children of the household. For middle-class parents, the loss of a household income very often translates into serious financial strain in both the immediate and far future.

Lack of Qualification

Due to a lack of academic qualification in certain subjects, particularly in high-school grades, homeschooling parents must sometimes hire subject-specific tutors – even if they have a teaching or other academic degree – to instruct their children at home, adding to the financial strain already faced by the loss of that parent’s income.

In states where homeschooling is regulated, even lightly, this lack of qualification can present a significant challenge to homeschooling parents – and later to the children themselves if they have not been given a curriculum well-rounded enough to prepare them for college or trade school.

See also:  Top 10 Best Online Masters in Teaching Degree Programs

Lack of Peer Socialization

Appropriate peer socialization is critical to the psychological and emotional development – and well-being – of children. Children need to be around other children , and frequently. It’s true that there is an abundance of homeschooling groups and co-ops and these groups provide ample opportunities for socialization. However, some homeschooling parents argue that they want to protect their children from bullying and abuse, and tend to shy away from becoming involved with other students and parents. In addition to depriving their children of an environment where they can form many positive relationships, these parents are also depriving their children of the ability to learn to handle bullying and abuse tactics, which are skills they need to successfully navigate adulthood.

Development of Over-dependency

Homeschooled children can develop co-dependency or over-dependency on their parents, rather than having a well-balanced development of independence by spending time among their peers and around adults other than their parents. This can often result in the children being ill-prepared to leave home as adults, to attend college or another post-secondary institution, and can impact them professionally later on due to reduced decision-making capability as a result of the lack of independence.

Excessive Stress on Parents

Just as children need time away from their parents to develop appropriately, parents also need time away from their children. Spending all day with one’s child or children, every day, results in increased stress and anxiety in the parent. Every parent needs time to simply be with other adults minus their children, to work, or to have time alone – without their kids.

For the parents of children with special needs, homeschooling them can also deprive them of the necessity of being with a team of trained professionals who can best meet their educational needs – a specialized resource that homeschooling parents may not have. Raising special needs children is stressful even for parents who send their child to school, and that stress can be multiplied without the support of educational professionals trained to teach special needs kids.

Every child is unique, and while homeschooling may be right for some, it should be approached with caution and investigated thoroughly when parents are deciding how best to educate either children – and how bet to equip them for the future.

Recommended reading: 5 Reasons to Homeschool Your Kids

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DebateWise

Home Schooling Should Be Banned

Home schooling should be banned

The practice of homeschooling has essentially been around since the dawn of time. Parents and guardians have always took it upon themselves to teach the younger generation the knowledge that they have received through their many years of experience. But we live in a different world now, governments have recognized the massive need for an educated youth and have provided public school systems to insure that vital knowledge gets passed on. This debate is about answering the question of whether or not in a world where everyone is awarded an education by their government, is the practice of homeschooling still needed or has the benign intentions of the past transformed into something harmful towards society? Our plan is simple, as in most states some years of education is compulsory, we will use the same methods to enforce a ban on homeschooling, punishment being fining the parents/legal guardians.

All the Yes points:

Why home schooling harms society, the uniqueness of school, loss of opportunity, breeds separatism, unschooling, improves education, summary: proposition, all the no points:, proposition plan is unfeasible, homeschooling increases quality of education, home schooling increases civic involvement, home schooling can be the only alternative, individual rights take precedence over government’s monopoly on education, homeschooling is economically beneficial, parents are responsible for ensuring that their children’s education is carried out well., we trust parents to know what is best for their child, parents are entitled to make judgements about the quality of state provided teaching., it’s ridiculous to say that home schooling necessarily will be of poor quality., homes beat schools on two significant fronts – facilities and an atmosphere that encourages learning., family bonding, classroom education often fails the bright and the slow, try as it might, the state constantly fails those with greatest faith needs in its schools., czech summary, yes because….

Schools are communities that not only emphasize collective learning but also encourage sports and creativity in the form of extra curricular activities; such activities serve as a utility to instill societal values into the next generation. These values include public health – required immunizations not only have concrete benefits but also teach children that their actions have consequences on the greater whole. We believe that parents that teach their own children have less of incentive to immunize children and statistically do not[[http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-21-home-school-vaccinate_N.htm ]]. Public schooling gives a voice to the government that speaks of the societal values that have been agreed on by the general public. We believe that both society and the government have a right to influence the child’s development, not only because the government plays a part in protecting the child, but because of the important role the future adult will play as a citizen of society. We believe that public schooling is the mouthpiece for the interests of both the government and society as a whole. Naturally, parents will have the right to influence the development of the child, but homeschooling allows parents to become sole dictators of the child’s progress, which is harmful. While some parents’ ‘curriculum’ may be aligned with that of the public, there are no safeguards against parents that may indoctrinate their kids with beliefs that will raise them to become harmful citizens. These beliefs can include gross intolerance for particular minority groups supported by false information. These ideas can still reach the child outside of school, but the government has a duty to protect children from a regressive upbringing by at least offering a more constructive perspective. The cost of not ensuring that the next generation has the foundation of accepted principals and values of the society in them outweighs the potential benefits of homeschooling.

No because…

This odd mixture of arguments fails on three levels. Firstly, Proposition asserts that homeschooling deprives children of extra-curricular activities, when the opposite is true.Prof. Linda Montgomery in Home Schooling: From Extreme to Mainstream Homeschooled students are as involved in out-of-school and extracurricular activities that predict leadership in adulthood as are those in the comparison private school (who are more involved than those in public schools). The entire logic of extracurriculars – say, basketball – somehow passing on universal societal values is also quite unclear; Opposition would say thorough upbringing does that much better. Secondly, Proposition gets its values messed up. Team USA stresses public health. (That, by the way, is not helped by US proposal anyhow, unless it institutes obligatory vaccination – and they need not ban homeschooling to do that.) However, if there really are universal societal values, freedoms of choice and religion are surely among them, and rank far above the utilitarian “public health”. In effect, Proposition fails to provide for its minor spin-off benefit, while attacking basic social tenets without substantiation. Thirdly, Proposition claims that there are no safeguards against harmful upbringing. One, ban won’t change this: several hours in school will not suddenly reverse pre-school education and out-of-school familial lessons. Two, if parents are bent on indoctrination, they can still send their kid to a private school which shares their views. Three, safeguards can be implemented, as they are in France[[http://www.freetohomeschool.org/hs/international/France/200211250.asp]] and most of Europe: that does not mean we need to ban the entire system. Overall, we believe that the Proposition argues for a general ban on the grounds of few far-fetched cases while failing to provide evidence even for them. As evident in our case, majority of homeschooled kids benefit the society.

When answering the question of whether or not something should be banned, we must look at the what is being lost in the world of the stakeholders while that action or thing is still being permitted. In the context of this debate, we believe that there are unique benefits to receiving an education outside of the home that are so conclusive and so vital that they make school an absolute necessity that every child should partake in. A crucial part of an education outside of the home is the interaction amongst the students that is used to prepare them to have constructive engagements with fellow citizens when their schooling is over. Interacting with other children who may be taught different belief systems and come from different social-economic statuses and religious or ethnic backgrounds prepare students for their future, where the potential of having to deal with someone who is different is almost inevitable. While there may be attempts by parents to socialize their children through other means (such as joining sports teams or youth clubs), these organizations are centered around similarity – all the kids that enjoy the same thing or believe in the same values congregate. School is a mixture that does not filter out students, and there is an inherent social value to such a mix. We believe that governments have a duty to ensure, or at the very at least, provide children the potential to interact with other children of different backgrounds at such a crucial time of their development as active and productive citizens. The only way to do this is to eliminate systems such as homeschooling that promote exclusivity under the guise of protection. The only way to truly hold the child’s interests as a priority is to to prepare them for the society that they will soon inherit; homeschooling attempts to construct a world for the child that often does not match reality.

Proposition basically says that school is necessary because it (1) makes communication with diverse people necessary, as parents do not choose where their children go, (2) homeschooling and extra-curricular activities connected to it cannot bring that diversity, for the attending group is self-selecting rather than “unfiltered mixture”. We believe that none of the two assumptions is warranted nor true. Firstly, parents still select schools for their children on the basis of common values, cultures and achievements – and even go as far as to move closer to the school they want in order to fall into its catchment area [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/oct/25/chicken-run-city-schools]]. As such, public schools then offer blatant misrepresentations of the society, as exemplified by DC public schools, where less than 5 % of children are white, although whites account for 40.6 % of DC population [[http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/11000.html]]. Proposition policy bars no parent from sending their child to a religious or a predominantly white school; if anything, it strengthens incentives for doing so. This phenomenon of “rational racism” is well-accounted for in modern research, most recently by Tim Harford’s Logic of Life: no Proposition mechanism changes this. What stems therefrom is that a child’s environment is often only as diverse as parents allow it to be – and there is no change to that with homeschooling ban. Secondly, we think it rubbish that homeschooling should somehow eliminate diversity from socialization in sports teams or other clubs. What members of a basketball team or, indeed, a debate club share is not race, religion, nor income bracket: it is the desire to participate. We think that this volitional common goal is much more likely to bring tolerance and integration than forcing parents and children alike into one classroom; the latter is more likely to produce resentment to society in general and minorities in particular

Children can perhaps be best described as beings of potential – during their school years, each child is in the process of discovering their talents and having them be nurtured in an attempt to best reach self-actualization. We believe a self-actualized individual is aware of their own limitations because their talents have been nurtured from a young age, with their mentors providing for their development. Under the homeschooling system parents become much more exclusive mentors to a child, and this can be problematic. Although parents are generally aware of what their child is capable of, their assessments are not always accurate. This could be for a number of reasons – perhaps it may be due to the fact that their children are predominately seen in the home environment, limiting their chances to show off their potential in other situations. It could also be because parents sometimes assume that their children will share the same talents that they had. Simply stated, it would be unreasonable to assume parents could see the whole picture. This is why nearly everyone has someone in their life that helped to form their identity or helped them discover a talent – a mentor that is someone other than their parents; very often even a schoolteacher or a coach who gave them an opportunity to excel that may not have been available in the home. It is this sort of mentoring that can lead a person from simply having potential to becoming self-actualized, and banning homeschooling best provides an avenue towards that goal. Governments have a duty to protect these non-consenting individuals from a severe loss in psychological advancement due to their parents decision. Governments require parents to feed their child’s body, why not require them to feed their minds as well by partly liberating them from the shackles of their parents’ world view?

Firstly, Proposition operates under the assumption that a kid needs an extraordinary non-parent “mentor” to fully develop its potential. No evidence is provided in support of this statement; for all Team Opposition knows, full development is especially based on familial support rather than random encounters in school. That may be why Venus Williams has been coached by her father since 1995[[http://tinyurl.com/68bj24]]. Secondly, Team Opposition finds it hard to believe that schools can provide better mentoring to children than parents. This assumption is obviously incorrect: we know that the average number of kids in class is 23 or 24 [[http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/5]] and even the simple pupil/teacher ratio (currently 15.2 in public schools[[http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372]]) is much higher than the number of kids per parent. The underpaid public-school teacher has many more students to deal with than just a few offsprings; he simply cannot be the good mentor for all of them, if any of them. However, it is definitely easier to reveal the kid’s talent for the parents who knows it deeply, than for the teacher who only needs perfunctory awareness of it. The Proposition claims that “parents couldn’t see the whole picture”: in light of these facts, we can say that teachers in public schools cannot even look for it. All that this ban means is that children will spend more time with overworked teachers instead of loving parents: we have already proven that home-schooled kids attend more extra-curricular activities than public-school kids, thereby meeting more “mentors” to be “guided by” than public-school students. “Mentoring potential” is thus maximized in a homeschooling environment. Having pointed that out, Team Opposition must insist that the entire theory of necessary “mentorship” lacks substantiation and cannot be regarded as significant.

A good question to consider in this debate is why parents choose to home school their children in the first place. The overwhelming motive is to provide religious or moral instruction. From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of students in the United States whose parents reported religion or morality as the reason they chose to home school increased from 72 percent to 83 percent [[http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009030.pdf]]. This usually means that these children are taught with only a single world view in mind that has the potential to go completely unchallenged throughout the child’s development. We have already explained how the probability that this will create a citizen that has not been taught the sufficient ability to become an active and actualized member of society is far too great to be ignored. Beyond that, just the practice of home schooling alone shapes the child in a negative fashion. We believe that homeschooling a child dramatically and adversely alters the way in which the child relates to the rest of his/her fellow citizens. To home school is not only to physically separate children from the public but to also mentally separate them as well. We believe the ability of a home schooled child to empathize with others in society is severely retarded by homeschooling because the child has been raised to believe that there is something that is so dramatically worse about the rest of society that it necessitated removal from whatever was going on on the other side. If citizens do not have any sort of investment in their fellow citizens, how can decisions come about that benefit the majority and the community?

Firstly, ban on homeschooling will not diminish parents’ influence on children’s morals & religion. If religiosity truly is the top factor, parents will enroll their children in a religious school, thus impose a single world view as well. Demonstrably, though, it is not: “religious or moral instruction is a relevant reason for only 1.3% of parents” and, even if it were, “no association was found between parents’ most important reasons for homeschooling and the pedagogical methods they utilized” [[http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~soc/downloads/senior_projects/2008_Higgins.pdf]]. Even in the 2007 study provided, more parents cite “a concern about the school environment” and “dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools” rather than religious reasons. We think that parents want to educate a child, not indoctrinate it. Secondly, home schooling is not separation, but rather direct integration into the local community. Instead of being integrated into an arbitrary system of school hierarchy, children get to know their own community much better, as they do not spend hours locked up at school, but rather keep everyday contact with their family and neighbors. Removing children from classrooms doesn’t mean confining them to the house. A lot of life lessons can be learned in extended community service (i. e. church) or simply by being involved in the community substantially. Additionally, home schooling offers protection to vulnerable children from the wrong kind of socialization (youth gangs, bullying…). Regarding the bland assertion concerning lack of empathy, we feel obliged to point out thatBrian D. Ray, 2009, “Research Facts on Homeschooling The home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development [including] peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.

Homeschooling can be a guise for unschooling. For ideological, economic, health issues, etc., some parents will pull their children from school under homeschooling statutes and refuse or be unable to carry on the education. It is estimated that in the US alone, there are 100,000 unschooled children in the 1.5 million homeschooled population [[http://dailywd.womansday.com/blog/2010/04/daily-buzz-goodbye-homeschooling-hello-unschooling.html]] At least 100,000 adults will enter society without any formal education. This will severely affect their chances of unemployment and hopes of financial and fiscal success. Regardless of how important it is tolearn to dance, sing, and play, employment standards are based upon public education standards. It is important to be formally educated for this reason.

USA falsely equates “unschooling” with “refusal or inability to carry on the education”. Using their own source, we see that “unschooling” is actually “unorthodox approach to homeschooling that does not focus on formal classes, set curriculum or tests”, which is basically equal to the widely accepted[[http://tinyurl.com/3admh7u]] Montessori educational program. Regarding impact on children’s future after unschooling, suffice it to say that Montessori achieves better results than standard classroom[[http://tinyurl.com/38ufkrv]] – and that founders of Google and Amazon cite it as source of their success[[http://tinyurl.com/3xcbx2a]]. Even if unschooling harmed, this would call for regulation rather than ban. Perpetually, Proposition picks extreme cases like “homeschooling as religious indoctrination”, or minority methods like unschooling, and argues that we need to ban homeschooling to ban these extremes. Our consistent answer: one, ban will make parents enroll the child in a school which supports their views on education, Montessori in this case; two, regular progress checks are a better way to protect the children’s right to education. Additionally, the Proposition is contradicting itself. Here, they argue homeschooling will “severely affect chances of unemployment and hopes of financial success”, but in refutation of our third argument, they concede that “average homeschooled child performs better on standardised tests and is more involved in civic society”. This does not go together: if a child is able to pass a standardised test with flying colors, then it can easily fulfill public education standards (substandard by Proposition’s own admission). In the face of evidence that 96 % colleges enroll homeschooled students[[http://tinyurl.com/323dqwn]], it is hard not to say that formal education plays little to no role in social achievement; on the contrary, Opposition has shown that homeschooling has better results than a formulaic, one-size-fits-all policy.

When parents are (often rightly) concerned about the state of public education, their concern is likely to revolve mostly around their own child or children. Given the option of homeschooling, those who have sufficient leisure time (i.e., time not devoted to work and life functions) to actively participate in the civic life will be able to homeschool their child. This is clearly not a long-term solution, though, as many children live in households where both parents work or even if one parent has the time to educate them has not themselves been well-educated enough to qualify as a home-teacher. If homeschooling was banned, those concerned parents could use their political clout to improve the public school system through democratic reform, producing a better system that is more equitable even for those who do not have time to take upon large civic reform.

Firstly, we need to point out a huge concession on part of Proposition: they concede that the state of public education is bleak and in need of reform. This kills their point of educational quality for all homeschooled children transferred to public schools – which we showed is not going to happen. Strangely, Proposition advocates a position that homeschoolers like John Holt[[http://tinyurl.com/yk3kry]] used to stand for in the 1960s: that the system can be changed by thorough discussion of its flaws. However, past evidence suggests that educational reform movements accomplish nothing[[http://tinyurl.com/cfl5c4]]; current public schools are results thereof. Opposition says that public schools are on the government agenda enough[[http://tinyurl.com/cpp9hq]], without need for extra voices; moreover, we think that homeschoolers would rather lobby for reinstatement of homeschooling than engage in a Sisyphean task of reforming a system they hate. Several ideas in this argument merit refutation simply by virtue of being bland assertions. Firstly, the idea about parents’ inability to actually homeschool once they opt for homeschooling is clearly frivolous: even if they didn’t have the time – an absurdity – they could still provide for a qualified tutor [[http://tinyurl.com/38b4qtl]]. Secondly, the notion that parents’ lack of education makes them ineffective teachers is demonstrably false: 2009 research shows that homeschooled children are more successful than publicly schooled children, regardless of parents’ qualifications to teach, thanks to individual approach[[http://tinyurl.com/6r22hm]]. Lastly, the idea that non-long-term or non-mainstream methods need be banned is clearly ridiculous on its own, akin to banning emergency shelters after hurricanes to promote building new houses. If public schools can be reformed (which we doubt), the reform can be simultaneous with homeschooling. Banning it wouldn’t get any lobbying support; even if it did, it wouldn’t help.

We do not object to home education, and we do not claim that public education is perfect. We seek to ensure that these two essential practices do not become competitive. All the benefits of homeschooling can be maintained without pulling students out of public school. Parents influence their children and can direct them to other intellectual pursuits that the school does not offer, or can tell children why they object to something they might hear or learn in school rather than pretending that the subject they dislike does not exist. But, if they wish to keep child abuse secret, to radicalize or unschool their children, to create their own education system with other parents or guardians, or to avoid more strenuous oversight through homeschool, we object to this. We therefore find it justifiable to ban homeschooling as a practice: not because it is an evil, but because it takes away the good of social education and because it can endanger some children. School is still invaluable, and there are benefits that are mutually exclusive from homeschool: teachers who are experienced professionals, and a diversity of thought regardless of the type or common ethnicity of a school. If a a student had the same teacher for 12 years, it would be cause for alarm. Homeschooling is a legalized version of this limiting and unnecessary practice. It necessarily limits the scope of a child’s learning by placing it on the expertise (or lack thereof) of a single individual. For the same reason we don’t allow children to study only math if it is their favorite subject, we don’t allow the parents to educate their children fully simply because they object to the curriculum and its diversity. All the opposition’s points about better academic performance and civic involvement are explained by the fact that the majority of the homeschooled belong to a high socioeconomic class, which has a significant effect on school achievement and child development [[http://tinyurl.com/329qzko]]. This achievement would be boosted in traditional school settings because of the uniqueness in schools we have already described. Research has also shown that mixed-ability classes, in which higher and lower performing students are taught together, produces better academic results in students[[http://tinyurl.com/23glrmb]]. Specialized schools are also options. Opting out of society is something one can only choose as an individual. We do not believe that the choice is valid when you decide it for someone else, particularly a child, who has not had the benefit of seeing what society is. Even the Amish who religiously object to most of modern society’s practices allow all the individual members to experience society as long as they see fit so that if they choose to join the community, it is by their own volition and not by the force of ignorance. To fight ignorance and ensure cooperation is what we wish to achieve by this measure. We wish to keep parents and children involved in society.

No matter the alleged “benefits” of Proposition policy, it must first show that the mechanism for putting them forward is effective. We don’t believe it is: as the only punishment put forward by Prop is “fining the parents/legal guardians”, we say that many parents will be more than happy to pay a fine for the privilege of educating their own child. After all, many non-homeschooling parents are quite content with paying exorbitant tuition at private schools; as Prop failed to set an exact fine, we daresay any fine will scarcely outburden that. Additionally, it is important to recognize that this plan will inevitably have many loopholes. For instance, it is extremely difficult to draw the line between homeschooling and small private schools. If a parent, for instance, teaches his children and children of his neighbor could he technically be eligible for a ‘private school’ status? We don’t know – but apparently, neither does the Proposition, as it completely failed in its responsibility to provide specific definitions for anything it prohibits, or how it will prohibit it. While we think that failing to provide for the ban of homeschooling is a very good thing, it also means that none of the alleged benefits of the ban can stand.

First, just because some citizens will choose to violate a law is definitely not sufficient reason to decide not to pass it altogether. We recognize that there will be parents who will break the law, just as there are still those who commit murder, theft, and fraud despite the harshest of punishments. It is still important for a government to uphold the principles it believes are beneficial to society – in this case, the importance of a complete, wholesome education that will create a better citizen in the long run. Take the smoking ban. Are there those who smoke despite the ban and pay the fine when caught? Yes. Is the law still supported? Definitely – because when it comes to a matter of public good, the government passes the necessary laws that will deter most people from acting in an undesirable manner. Most citizens would rather be law abiding. In addition, institutions of higher education, as well as job-offering companies and organisations, will probably not be willing to accept students who have not passed through a legal, state recognized curriculum. This serves as a powerful disincentive to parents who choose to home school – these parents take their children’s education so seriously that they teach children themselves; they will weigh pros and cons very carefully. As for the supposed ‘loophole’, there is a substantial difference between a state recognized private school and Aunty Jane teaching the neighborhood kids. A private school is a registered institution under state or federal law, often financially independent . In Texas, for instance, the Commissioner of Education recognizes the accreditation of non-public schools in a Letter of Understanding before operations can begin[[http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/RegPrivSchl/texas.html]]. And if parents start creating mini-private schools instead of home schooling…well, we can cross that bridge when we get there. More stringent teacher and curriculum certification requirements are among the available options.

Public schools face a crisis of confidence worldwide, especially in the US[[http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=1500338]]. Underpaid teachers teach huge classes of unmotivated students, which include everyone: exceptionally bright children, ADHD-suffering kids and mentally deficient teenagers. This detracts from quality quite clearly: one size simply cannot fit all, and teachers struggling to maintain at least a modicum of order in their class know that all too well. At the same time, lack of educational quality is a massive detriment.Mankiw, N. Gregory, David Romer, and David Weil. 1992. “A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 107 (2): 407–37. [E]ducation is primary predictor of economic and social success of an individual and of the society. If Proposition policy does anything, it is only to exacerbate the problem: it seems to want to channel all homeschooled students to public schools, where they can hear from “the mouthpiece of the government”. Homeschooling, however, is beneficial to all stakeholders, both homeschooled students and public school students. Firstly, home-schooled students receive concentrated attention of an adult who understands them. Their course of study can be individualized with understanding of their unique strengths and weaknesses. As a result, home-schooled children can achieve significantly better academic results than kids schooled otherwise, and they statistically do (Basham, Merrifield, Hepburn: “Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream”). Secondly, homeschooling reduces the strain on public education. Fewer students in a classroom enable teachers to select a more individual approach. Moreover, homeschooling is more likely to remove extreme cases of students – both the fast and the slow – which will make that education more effective.

The Opposition seems to be contradicting itself here – in an earlier rebuttal, they mentioned that the average American public high school class size is at 23 or 24 (not much higher than the OECD average, which is between 21 and 23)[[http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/class-size-around-the-world/]] – these numbers do not indicate the ‘huge classes of unmotivated students’ implied that are causing a ‘crisis of faith’ in public schooling. In addition, there is more and more evidence that says that class size has little to do with performance in schools; countries like Japan and Korea have some of the world’s highest achieving student bodies, yet they also have the biggest class sizes. This goes to show that classrooms teach students skills that they will not be able to pick up while learning on their own – discussion, collaboration, debate, and interactive learning. The ‘concentrated attention of an adult who understands them’ is a moot point in this debate. We are not shutting the child in school without access to his/her parents – parents will still encourage the child, motivate the child, recognize strengths and weaknesses, help with work, and even introduce college level literature if they think their child is capable of it. We just do not consider this a replacement for school, with its ethnic and socioeconomic diversity as well as taught life skills. Parents nurture children, but school is an altogether different educational experience that no child should miss out on.

While children in public schools already fall into the arbitrary hierarchical structure of the school, homeschooled children are left in the relaxed setting of the family, free to seek a different social ladder to climb on. This often tends to be the real one: when students don’t attend school, they often get involved in their communities[[http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/Civic.asp]]. In fact, homeschooled students are almost twice as likely to be involved in an ongoing community service activity, be a member of a community group or simply be able to get involved, as the average US citizen[[http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/Tab2.gif]]. We believe that is intrinsically beneficial: early integration into community makes for a more prepared adult citizen, which is what the entire schooling system strives for.

The reason the average homeschooled child performs better on standardised tests and is more involved in civic society is because of who they are rather than the process of homeschooling itself. They tend to come from two parent households, where both parents are substantially educated themselves, are thus reasonably financially comfortable, and place a high importance on education[[http://www.educationbug.org/a/homeschool-statistics.html]]. Any compilation of such students will perform better than the average. Such students, who may not have to juggle a job and taking care of younger siblings while their parents juggle jobs, will naturally have more time for civic involvement. These already relatively privileged students will perform even better after partaking in the collaborative learning experience in the diverse learning environment that is school, in addition to becoming more well rounded individuals with superior social skills. We believe that the path to ‘early integration into a community’ lies not in performing community service at an orphanage twice a week, but rather by regularly, actively engaging with peers and mentors on an intellectual as well as a social level.

There are many cases in which the home schooling is the only possibility to get education. It can be in the cases where the school is too far away and there is no possibility to go there, this is a big problem for example in New Zealand where The Correspondence School had originated in order to help parents educating their children at home.[[http://tinyurl.com/wodc1]] This problem can be even bigger when the children are handicapped in any way, there are numerous cases of deaf children who live too far away from schools for them, so they have to home schooled.[[http://tinyurl.com/wodc2]] Even greater problems have to tackle the parents of physically or mentally handicapped children who would become victims of bullying in normal schools (according to the reports from British schools 82% of children with learning disabilities are bullied)[[http://tinyurl.com/wodc3]] and the special schools are not always accessible. Hence, home schooling is the only possibility for parents to defend their disabled children, mainly in the earlier school years where is the possibility of bullying highest. Thus, ban on homeschooling would constitute an unusual and cruel burden on many families, and would actually deprive their children of proper education. That is not something that any society can stand for. Another group harmed by the standard education system are talented and gifted children. The public schools and teachers there usually don’t have time and opportunities to help them. They spend their time in school uselessly and can’t use their potential because teachers don’t have time to work with them. Homeschooling provides parents the chance to fully use the potential of their children and give them the most effective education because they can work with them on topics in which the children are good. So there is a possibility of 14-year-old children getting place at the Cambridge University.[[http://tinyurl.com/wodc4]]

We don’t have a problem with implementing programs like the TCS in NZ for particular cases in which the student is not able to attend school because of their location. Programs like the TCS are essentially a home deliver service of public education and not characterization of homeschooling that we have seen in this debate. Students are given the same exact curriculum as they would in at a State school and parents actually receive an allowance from the government much like a teacher would receive pay[[http://tiny.cc/gyy5p]]. Since the government still has control over the curriculum, the values of the society can still be reflected through education and a level of quality control is still maintained. These students will not receive all the benefits of an education outside the home, but they will still receive some. Bullying is all about exerting power over another. The way to stop bullying surely isn’t to say to the bully that your power is so great that you can control the attendance of another student to this school. One way to stop bullying is to train teachers to recognize tell-tale signs and provide ‘teachable moments’ to the class which create an environment where bullying isn’t tolerated by the students. These programs have worked in the US where students who reported being physically bullied over the past year had declined from nearly 22 percent in 2003 to under 15 percent in 2008[[http://tiny.cc/kyy7v]]. While we have seen a focus on mentally handicapped children in this debate, kids get bullied for vast amounts of reasons and the only way to stop the problem is to face it head on with campaigns against bullying. We don’t think achievement recognition is mutually exclusive to homeschooling. Students can be put in accelerate classes, skip grades and have after school tutors to get the education they deserve. There is a possibility that young people from public schools can also be accepted to top tier universities.[[http://tiny.cc/w03kz]]

Throughout the debate, Team USA has been hinting at “societal values” “we” need to “instill into the next generation”. They made the term mean different things at different times: “public health”, “tolerance of diversity”, or “psychological advancement”. We have dealt with all of these points when needed; the variation thereof, though, shows another thing. When entrusted to the government, education becomes a political means to a political end, rather than a good in itself. We believe that rights and freedoms of children and their parents, such as freedom of choice and religion, or right to education of one’s choice, are basic tenets of democratic societies for a reason. When individuals disagree with the approach of their local state school – which, say, bans evolution from classrooms[[http://tinyurl.com/3y7jkg4]] – they must have the right to take their child’s education out of state’s hands and into their own, or to use some parts of the state curriculum and disregard others. Regular progress checks, that we alluded to, sufficiently guarantee right to education. No completely correct curriculum exists – but only having a single one almost guarantees it will be a wrong one. Banning homeschooling would eliminate yet another alternative to state schools, and thus enable the government to further skew the educational process to the direction that is currently beneficial for it. Recent curricular changes in Texas, for example, “ignored historians and teachers, allowing ideological activists to push the culture war further into our classrooms”[[http://tinyurl.com/32meea5]]. The rights of children and parents lie forgotten by the sidelines: politicization of schools takes priority. This grants the government too large a power, misused in both democratic and undemocratic societies. In the former, it can serve to transform them into the latter; in the latter, it perpetuates totalitarianism even further, like it did in Hitler’s Germany[[http://tinyurl.com/32narne]].

Schools do benefit public health. Disturbingly, some parents homeschool children only because they believe the state should not mandate vaccinations for students. In August 2008, the number of children with measles doubled to 131; homeschooled children accounted for 25 of 30 in an outbreak in Chicago in May and for 11 of 19 cases in Grant County, Washington[[http://tinyurl.com/6yp4lk]]. Of the infected, 91% were unvaccinated, for the same “philosophical or religious beliefs” that keep 83% of homeschooled kids away from school. It is a government’s duty to protect its citizens, particularly those who are not old enough to oppose parents. Opposition asks us to institute an obligatory vaccination; we have, in the only place we can enforce it – school. Parents’ rights are important, but states often intervene for collective benefit. Laws protect children from their parents’ physical abuse. Laws require all children to be educated. We support freedom of choice and religion – we believe, though, that a child, not the parent, has the right to choose these, after s/he has had exposure to other ideas at school. We definitely don’t endorse parents pulling children out of school because they disagree with a taught concept; homeschooling in the US took a jump soon after public schools began teaching evolution. When a parent disagrees, s/he should work towards solving the problem with the school rather than losing hope. Finally, the idea that a ban on homeschooling would result in the creation of totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany is ludicrous in today’s world. Public discussion occurs whenever school curricula are changed; the democratic processes that exist to vote on such changes(communities elect school boards) ensures that the indoctrination of children that occurred in Nazi Germany won’t occur. For example, opposition’s citation is from MSNBC, a liberal voice in public discourse, and the article is an example of the debate following Texas’ change.

The practice of homeschooling positively affects budgets of both the family and the state. Homeschooling families save money on expenditures which public schools would otherwise demand: large notebooks for every subject, presentation boards, or uniforms. Uniforms are increasingly more required[[http://tinyurl.com/dzwmkt]]; cost $150 – $300 per year[[http://tinyurl.com/yfbx2hk]]; and must be annually renewed. Public schools thus become expensive, especially for the poor stricken by the current financial crisis; for them, homeschooling is much cheaper, because its costs are customized[[http://tinyurl.com/34onh6p]]. State incurs unnecessary costs as well. Firstly, underprivileged families may qualify to have their uniforms paid for by governmental grants [[http://tinyurl.com/2w6fw2d]]. More importantly, state has to foot the bill for tuition. The most basic cost per child in public school is $8,322; in reality, that is almost $25,000[[http://tinyurl.com/5y2f27]]. In contrast, “the average cost per homeschool student is $546”[[http://tinyurl.com/2dchmnd]]. Return of the homeschooled would make the US alone pay $8,000 to $25,000 per each of the 1.5 million homeschooled children[[http://tinyurl.com/2v9mktl]]. Overall, this would make the US pay $37.5 billion: the equivalent of nominal GDP of Lithuania[[http://tinyurl.com/39y82lq]], or 462 education budgets of the District of Columbia[[http://tinyurl.com/5y2f27]]; in any case, fifty times as much as homeschooling. The government will need to raise that extra money, thus restricting our financial freedoms, or to redirect that money from other vital projects, where they already are too scarce. This is an unnecessary expense. Contrary to Proposition’s unfounded claims, we have proven homeschooled children academically perform, psychologically develop and socially integrate much better than their public-school counterparts. Homeschooling is clearly the efficient option for both families and the state.

First, the idea that homeschooling is cheaper for parents is not logically sound since homeschooling requires a parent to stay at home resulting in a loss of income. If someone finds it difficult to pay for public schools they are unlikely to be able to take the time off to homeschool their children. It is more likely that they will simply take subsidies that the opposition itself concedes the government gives. This is evident in homeschooling already as “Parents who home-school children increasingly are… wealthy” [[http://tinyurl.com/np2qog]] and thus would be able to afford public or private schools if homeschooling were banned. If a parent were to balance a job with homeschooling then we question how effectively they would teach when compared to a trained, committed school teacher. Secondly, the opposition argues that it would be too expensive for the government to fund public schools if homeschooling was banned. Even if we accepted the opposition’s dubious figure of $37.5 billion, using their logic we can point out that this is only 2% of America’s GDP [[http://tinyurl.com/2l9rcv]] and so a negligible amount. This only shows how misleading statistics are. Instead we believe that on principle the benefits of banning homeschooling are so great that the government must financially support it. Schools instill skills and values into the next generation. They teach children to be cooperative and productive; give them a myriad of lifelong memories and a diverse group of people to learn from. Ask yourself how many adults you know who would have preferred to study at home with their parents rather than attend a school. The American government already more than doubled the Department of Education’s budget this year [[http://tinyurl.com/d75s6y]] thanks to the Recovery Act, we see no reason why more cannot be used to fund these opportunities.

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children’s education is carried out well – there is no logic that necessarily requires them to surrender that responsibility to the state. If they feel that the child would be best educated at home, by them or by another, that is their right. It is of course a crucial check within such a system that those teaching are vetted by the state to some extent to ensure their suitability. Such a system has worked for some of our most able achievers and will continue to do so. Some exceptions might slip through such a system, but that doesn’t mean the system is wrong – and it’s hardly as if state education has never failed. Moreover, this is a debate about whose claim to the right to guide a child is greater, the state’s or parents’. We stand firmly on behalf of the parents. Freedom of choice should exist in this arena, given all the responsibilities a parent assumes in bringing up a child: refusing parents the right to educate their children at home is an affront to a family’s liberty.

The most important thing in this debate is ensuring children receive the decent education which they have a right to – something that, with its resources, experience and expertise, the state is best placed to do. High minded arguments about ‘parental rights’ are all well and good, but if things go wrong, it’s impossible to make up for lost time and bad practice in a child’s education. What if a parent is deficient in providing the educational process, but the state fail to spot it? What if they are satisfactory upon inspection, and then take the year off with the child to watch sports? What if the child does school work the day the state comes knocking, and house chores the rest of the year? A system can try to cater for these problems but it will frequently fail, not least because those it tries to monitor will often wilfully mislead it. This is therefore not about a right, and not about a choice – there is no right to choose to fail your child’s education. This is true not just as a precautionary principle, but as a practical problem the proposition simply can’t answer – there is no feasible mechanism which can ensure that the standards held to be appropriate are carried out in practice.

We trust parents to know what is best for their child – parents care more, because it’s their child. To them the child is an individual – to the state, merely one of the many thousands moving through the system. Changes in the curriculum, experiments in teaching practice, can take years to iron out – fine for the system, disastrous for the individual caught up in it at the time.What is the difference in principle between home schooling and private schooling? Both involve taking one’s child out of the state’s prescribed school structure and instead educating them in a private environment that’s been vetted by the state. Given state regulation is present, isn’t this just private schooling on a micro level?

We firmly believe that education provided by the state is by its very nature far less likely to make mistakes than parents or home tutors. Furthermore, the opportunity to keep children at home will be seized upon in large numbers by parents who resent the costs of schooling (e.g. uniform, trips, and transport) who simply can’t be bothered with the hassle of ensuring their child receives schooling. That attitude obviously points to the standard of teaching they would provide in the home.Given that it is the state’s duty in liberal democracies to ensure children receive a decent education, the state is entitled to take positive steps to reach that end – much safer to have children educated by the state or established, tested bodies (such as private schools) large enough to bear corporate responsibility where observation and review can frequently occur, than in the home where review is necessarily infrequent and unrepresentative. Teachers in both state and private schools are within an environment we can subject to quality control, and are employed to do their jobs and therefore have a driving interest in ensuring it’s done properly. No doubt some parents who want to educate at home have good intentions but others do not, and we don’t have the same kind of immediate control over them.

Parents are entitled to make judgements about the quality of state provided teaching. If that quality is sufficiently low in their eyes, why shouldn’t they be allowed to make the considerable sacrifice that becoming a ‘home teacher’ constitutes? A generation was failed by the British state educational system after the 1970’s philosophy of ‘children learning at their own pace’ permeated the teaching profession: it’s thoroughly reasonable for a parent to reject such methods; if sufficiently able to pass tests the state wishes to impose regarding their capacity to fulfil the teaching role themselves, why should they be denied that chance?

Hundreds of researchers and experts within the educational profession labour to ensure that the best methods are deployed in schools. How presumptuous to think one might know better than that accumulated wisdom how to teach a child – as if that child being the product of an individual suddenly enhanced that individual’s knowledge of their educational needs beyond that of those that have given their lives to building an understanding of these complex matters, and are qualified through years of training to carry out the tasks we set them. State schools may not be perfect – but they will only get worse as those who can afford to opt out in order to educate at home.

It’s ridiculous to say that home schooling necessarily will be of poor quality. Many parents will be fantastic teachers. Furthermore, it’s not as if the process occurs in a vacuum simply because education occurs in the home. In the USA, the nation that home-schools the largest proportion of its population; a network of home-school support groups and businesses provides expertise on given subjects and teaching methods. The internet makes all this viable in a way it was not before and allows every home to have better research facilities than any school library had ten years ago.

It’s a pretty good bet that parents won’t be as good as a teacher, unless they are one – in which case their home schooling of their own children deprives the state (and a whole class) of their services. The same applies to private tutors. Furthermore, even if a parent or tutor excels in one area, will they cover all the things a school does? The point of the curriculum is that these are things we have decided as a society that children need to learn. Even if strong in one or two fields, it seems tremendously unlikely that home schooling can cover all the required ground.These support groups can’t make a parent into a teacher, any more than a book on engineering makes one an engineer – the vocation of teaching is a much more challenging one than the proposition suggests.

Homes beat schools on two significant fronts – facilities and an atmosphere that encourages learning. The needs of one or a very small number of students are the focus of the entire educative process. Parents willing to invest in their children properly often find the local and woefully ill-equipped state school is unable to match the targeted provision they are able to make.The home also lacks the many distractions of schools – peer pressure, social stigma attached to achievement, bullying, show-offs, general rowdiness.

Schools beat homes on two significant fronts – facilities and an atmosphere that encourages learning. Homes are very unlikely to have extensive science laboratories, sports facilities. By pooling the resources of all to provide common facilities, the state is able to cater for everyone’s needs without needless duplication. In the unlikely circumstance that an extremely wealthy parent were able to provide the plethora of things required for a rounded education, it would be a massively selfish thing to do, and remarkably pointless: why not send their child to a private school, where at least the power of review exists, and the pooling of facilities occurs?It must be terribly confusing for a young child to be asked to ‘switch’ to ‘learning mode’ and then back to ‘play mode’ in the same environment by the same people. For the older child, it represents ample opportunities for abuse – for pushing activities the parent enjoys instead of a lesson, or manipulating the parent into slacking off ‘just this once’. Schools are for learning – that’s their essence, their function. The home is an altogether more complex environment, ill-suited to the purpose of instruction.

Home schooling doesn’t just offer a better education. Family bonding is a massively important element of a child’s development, one that’s constantly undermined in modern society. Positive parental role models are found less and less frequently. If a parent is judged by a state vetting process to be good enough, isn’t it enormously positive to approve of an environment that cements both a positive role model and family bonding? It is absurd to suggest that children only interact with others at school. The concern regarding ‘getting to know other children’ has been solved in the USA, the nation that home-schools the largest proportion of its population; a network of home-schoolers exist to provide companionship, promoting sports events and social functions through the internet and other methods – it fulfils the role admirably (recent steps include the creation of a home-school honour society). Furthermore, the standard social provisions for children in civil society – scout movements, sports clubs – are open to home schoolers like everyone else. Seen in this light, home schooling is not a removal of a child from society – just from the state’s schools. But such interaction happens outside the classroom, where it belongs, instead of acting as distractions to learning. Within this point, some parents have legitimate concerns about the moral tutelage their children receive in state schools – about the kind of moral message some teachers choose to impart, and the kind of classmates they find themselves alongside. Parents are entitled to judge schools on a moral level, and find them lacking. In so many school districts, the only way to avoid drugs in school is not to go.

Interaction with other pupils is a crucial element of a child’s development, and mere social interaction isn’t good enough – team building, working towards goals, being forced to confront problems with and live alongside individuals one might not like, or come from different backgrounds, is clearly done best in a school environment. Being able to integrate depends on exposure to other people – obviously there’s more diversity in a class than in the home! The proposition is right to identify wider needs: education is about more than just academic tutoring – it’s about educating the whole person, and that is best achieved by educating them within a school with their peers, in a microcosm of the society they will soon enter.Indeed, parents and children spending day after day at home are sometimes subject to a phenomenon sociologists call the ‘hothouse’ relationship – the closeness between them becomes exclusive, with reaction to outsiders almost aggressive by instinct. Such a relationship makes it even more difficult for the child to adapt to life in the wider community.Those that seek to cocoon their offspring from the outside world merely delay the time when their children have to deal with it – and strengthen the impact of the shock that will be received upon seeing the element of society they find so unpleasant. Furthermore, what is the guarantee that the moral structure parents might be instilling in their children, year after year, away from any kind of effective monitoring, is beneficial?

Classroom education often fails the bright and the slow, by going too slowly for the former and too fast for the latter. Necessarily, a teacher of many has the interests of the group as a whole in mind in pitching a lesson at a particular level. This leaves some unchallenged and others humiliated. Home education avoids the pitfalls of both. This point is especially true with regard to students with special needs; the state either fails to identify such needs and lets the student lose years of education instead spent unproductively, or drops then into the vastly underfunded and stigmatised bins we call ‘special schools.’There is yet another group that is failed – individuals with identifiable problems that damage their capacity to learn in a normal school environment, but are not severe enough to merit a place at a special school – those with mild to medium severity dyslexia and attention-deficiency suffers fall into this category with many others. Home schooling can help such students, often with the help of tutors specially trained for such needs (and sometimes the state helps parents with funding for these tutors, so the burden does not fall solely onto them). Indeed, parents willing to take on the enormous task of educating their child at home, or paying for them to be educated at home, are relieving the state of the burden of doing so in the state system – but continue to pay their taxes to benefit others.

The benefits of education in a wider context more than counterbalance to this objection. Of course, the state doesn’t just leave high achievers and strugglers to rot! Whilst admittedly, attention for individuals in either group isn’t one on one, it’s not awful – and the experience of growing up alongside less and more able students produces individuals with greater understanding of their society. Furthermore, students with special needs are those that most need the state’s enormous resources to focus on their requirements. Once a student has needs of such a magnitude that demands it, they are educated in special schools specifically intended to help them.

Try as it might, the state constantly fails those with greatest faith needs in its schools. Numerous examples can be found of the state failing to provide for students of ‘minority’ faiths – of ignorant failure to provide for prayer time, the banning or denigrating of religious dress, of unwitting subjection of students to religious festivals that are manifestly unsuitable.The popular home schooling movement in America sprang out of two real and legitimate concerns parents of Christian students had: that their religion was being denigrated in the state curriculum, and the ritual humiliations they were subjected to for their faith. Of course, schools should reform to ensure such behaviour is minimised – but if parents want to avoid such perils altogether, and teach their child within an environment that caters for their religious needs, that is and should be their right.Nowhere is this more true than in discussing the appropriate place of dogma in schools. Many deeply held beliefs – such as creationism – are undermined, directly and indirectly, by state sector educators. The refusal of many schools to alter text books to highlight the fact that evolution is a theory and not proven truth, and the refusal to teach creationism as a possibility alongside it, serves to prove this point.

Those that wish their children to be educated in a religious environment have the chance to send them to a religious school, the quality of which can be monitored by the state. However, that ‘exclusivity’ of belief is remarkably unhealthy – we believe that the adherents of all religions shouldn’t shut themselves away, but rather engage in society as a whole, and understand other people’s beliefs and points of view. Meanwhile, it is the duty of the state to teach the thinking of all religions, and the dispassionate conclusions of science. It should indeed be pointed out when theories are theories – but that should never stop schools teaching our best understanding of how we came to be, and how we developed. If that jars with theology, that’s a pity – but it shouldn’t stop teachers teaching.

This week, Proposition failed in all points. Negating the importance of socialization among ethnically diverse groups, we proved that public schools don’t give any inter-ethnic socialization, while homeschooling alone gives enough. Countering the importance of school in passing values, we pointed out that it is unclear how public school does that better than home school, that homeschooled kids are generally better prepared for the society as measured by psychologists, and that ban actually harms societal values. Refuting the mentors point, we showed that their importance is largely speculative, but that public schools give fewer opportunities still to meet mentors than homeschooling. In the misguided argument about unschooling, we explained that Proposition misconstrues the concept. Lastly, opposing the lobbying point, we remarked that USA misunderstands what drives lobbying and imagines public school reform quite simplistically. Generally, we showed USA argues on wrong facts, uses bad logic and ignores majority of cases. Even if ban worked, it won’t yield benefits; rather harm them. We out-evidenced them, forcing them to concoct e. g. “college-bound public schoolers” (see their link which “backs it up”). The Opposition case stood. We consistently showed that homeschooling enriches students, that it gives them better – in some cases, the only – education for life and thus ensures social integration. We also showed that society benefits from legal homeschooling and that keeping it legal is principally justified. US refutation was fragmented, seized on details rather than whole ideas, and succumbed to our POIs. More importantly, our arguments forced Team USA to make a number of concessions. Firstly, the premise that parents who homeschool are carefree, racist, unable-to-teach, religious zealots, prone to sacrifice their children’s education to their God (be it the God of Creationism, Non-Vaccination or White Supremacy), formed the basis of half their argument. As time went, they argued instead that these same parents would be the critical voice to finally reform public schooling; or that they would hone their kids’ education and thus make up for demonstrated drawbacks of public schools. In claiming that parents are responsible, caring, and personally incentivized (which sets them apart from public school teachers and enables them to teach better), they assented to our original argument. Secondly, USA at first argued that public schools are the perfect solution; then admitted that they badly need reform. Thirdly, our POIs revealed that their asserted importance of socialization is caved by their espousal of the TCS in NZ, a symptom of wider failure to provide definitions. Opposition teamline was simple & stable: homeschooling rules over public and even private schooling; flaws coming with it can be fixed by regulation, but mostly need not be. In contrast, Team USA had no teamline; only inconsistent logic and faulty fundamentals.

As an Orthodox Christian we DO have the right to instill our religious beliefs in our children. We had children partly to preserve the faith. Our Christian faith tells us to be not of this world. We believe govt should be small and limited and is a necessary evil, not a public good. We believe we live in a fallen world and corrupt society. Both my husband and I hold advanced degrees. We make sure that our children associate with like minded families. I’m raising my children the way I was raised.

If home schooling is going to continue, those children need to be evaluated at least once a year to ensure that they are progressing academically, meeting standards set by the school boards for their regions. It unfortunately doesn’t address their involvement with physical exercise and extra curricular involvement to promote socialization but it’s a start. The two parents I know who home school do not have the educational capacity to teach multiple subjects (one in fact isn’t even a college graduate, let alone University educated). Also, one of these parents rage frequently when she’s stressed as she’s trying to manage 5 children of varied ages. Neither environment is healthy for the children. I don’t see a positive outcome and without checkpoints in place, it’s permitted.

I homeschool my 2 youngest children and do not regret it one bit. They are vaccinated, and that has nothing to do with homeschool. Just because I am not a teacher does not mean I don’t know what is best for my child. Some children thrive better in public school or private school. Others thrive better being homeschooled. Socialization is not a problem for homeschoolers. Mine go to a co-op, which is a group of homeschoolers taking classes like a classroom setting. They are with other children and learning different subjects. For example, I teach both hours (our co-op has 2 class times, once a week). Both subjects are STEM classes. One is for 1st through 3rd grade and the other is for 4th through 6th grade. The classes are small – my largest class is 12 children and both of my classes have another mom as a co-teacher. Not only are they learning but also being socialized – not just someone their own grade, but they learn to respect children that are not their age as well as adults. There are a variety of classes at co-op. Required subjects, electives, and life skills classes such as how to manage money or how to start a business. Some things aren’t taught in public schools. As far as not being around different cultures and religions, that is false. There are many different cultures and religious people that homeschool and are with other children of different cultures and religions. Field trips are awesome learning experiences that my kids actually enjoy. Hands on experiments help my children enjoy learning and actually retain what they are learning. Not every child learns the same way. I’m sorry, but who grasped much of what they have learned sitting reading cut and dry textbooks that you fall asleep to because it is so boring. I’m not saying that textbooks should be ruled out completely, but children learn more if it is interesting to them, so sometimes that is thinking outside of the box. Even when we are not sitting down officially homeschooling, they are still learning every single day. For example, my children helping me cook dinner teaches them life skills, math, and health. Even going to the grocery store can be turned into a learning experience. They can even learn budgeting by helping with the grocery planning and shopping. Oh, and there is far less bullying with homeschooled children. Again, they learn to respect others. My children actually get along at home most of the time without fighting and play together usually without issues. No one is perfect, but it has been the right choice for me. My older 2 children were in public school. They are doing ok, but it was difficult at times, especially spending quality time with them. They had hours of homework after school and on weekends.

I think homeschooling shouldn’t be banned! I went to primary school and loved it, i had all the support and help but when it came to secondary it was dreadful! I went to the open day where you can go for a day it was so fun but when it came to the actual day it was awful i didn’t know where to go nothing was put in place for me.I had no support from anybody so me and my family decided for me to be home schooled.It was the best option now i can work at my own pace and i am more happier in myself and i am really confident now then i was! I joined a tennis club for home schooled children and i love it! I get all of the opportunities like i would if i went to a public school and there is a lot of educational places to visit like the national space center if you lived in England you can get in for £9.00 and a adult free! There is a lot of educational places to go and you can get discount! Homeschooling isn’t expensive at all infact it would be cheaper than going to a public school like paying to go on trips where you have to pay the full price but when your home schooled you basically get in for free!Homeschooling is the best option for me i get a lot more free time and i still meet up with my friends!Its one of the best choices i have ever made!!

yes that helped me a lot now I am home-schooled I am happy and its better than being at school

I went to public school from preschool all the way through Freshman year of high school. In public school I was distracted and wasn’t motivated to do my work, things were also moving to quickly for me and teachers weren’t teaching in a way I understood. My Sophomore year my parents and I decided to switch over to homeschooling. I can work at my own pace (In some classes I take 6 days to learn and take the test on the 7th day, in others I take up to 12 days) I can get help from my parents any time of the day and I feel like I have less of a workload (less weight on my shoulders). I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and I have more free time. I can still hang out with friends on weekends and Wednesday nights. One of the best choices I’ve made.

The government may have the power to do what they want regardless and force kids into going to school (like I said kids with autism etc who don’t fit the school system) and there will come a day when this system will be proved to be disasterous …and sadly it will be the child that suffers ….it’s only a matter of time and hopefully then out of some tragedy (which seems to be the only way laws end up getting changed sadly) the people will rise up and cause a change

1. The greatest pros for homeschooling is the increasingly abysmal quality of public school. Government is flailing its arms against homeschooling in the face of this movement’s success instead of concentrating on the real problem (sub standard public education) of making the public school a forum which can accomodate this diverse society’s culture and advanced technological standards. 2. Gov insists on keeping school zones gun free which make our children vulnerable to violence, so they shouldn’t be surprised that parents aren’t going to sacrifice their children. 3. Opponents to homeschooling often criticize fundamentalists as though mainly religious conservatives are behind this rising movement, but in fact, the desire for a quality education for our children which affirms our personal values is a cross-party-cultural shared mission. In fact, if homeschooling could become available for all citizens through a voucher system, public schools, ….what’s public schools?

I was homeschooled so that makes me socially retarted huh? Well damn, I guess I must have missed the memo there, next time I’m in a social setting I’ll be sure to reinforce your homeschool “social retard stereotype”. Oh, and having gone to high school for 2 years to see what it’s like, I can tell you the quality of the education I received was absolutely pathetic, about the only thing I learned was that most teachers are extremely liberal, and very biased to any ideas other than their own political, social, and moral beliefs, which they tried to cram down my throat at every opportunity. And the subject matter was rather shallow as well, and reinforced the general government philosophy of teaching only what they wanted students to know, and teaching everything from today’s increasingly alarming secular and moral free point of view. The whole experiance proved that the scariest words in the English language really are ” I’m from the government, I’m here to help”.

Hey TD! Your children will be socially retarded, Does that not mean anything to you? Are you just expressing the control freak that pushes people to home school their kids?

The “control freak” isn’t the parents (who have a responsibility for the equipping of their children to navigate this world long after the parents are gone), the control freak is the government who cannot hide their agenda anymore to ‘regimentalize’ our society into a orderly controllable populace. Look into “common core” (public school curriculum) which is now being challenged nationwide for this reason. The notion that homeschooling will “socially retard” our children depends on how you define being socially intelligent; if it means complying with the lemming mentality, then I get your point.

Something should probably be added about how governments can “indoctrinate” too

If the level of literacy I see reflected in that asinine debate and commentary are indicative of what public education has to offer, let’s outlaw public schools! I cannot even begin to address the grammatical errors, let alone the flawed content exhibited here by ignorant anti-homeschoolers. Here’s an idea: before you have the audacity to publicly tout your unsubstantiated prattle on a public forum, go back and take a remedial English class. Maybe my eight-year-old (homeschooler) can tutor you so you don’t fail miserably!

My sentiments exactly. Oh my! My four-year-old homeschooler has more proper English.

By the way, my husband and I have been teachers, and here’s one thing we know: if you’d like to raise an ADULT and not a child, raise your child yourself. School has lots of benefits, for lots of children, and a ot of harm for others. Are you willing to gamble with your child?

Agreed! That was my first thought upon visiting this site. I’ve homeschooled my 3 children and am thrilled to report that no one who was traditionally schooled usually guesses my kids were homeschooled. People who have experience with the mature, self motivated, and responsible adults who are turned out into society after being homeschooled do sometimes suspect it. My kids are well mannered, kind, good citizens, law abiding, talented, and dependable. Beyond that they were able to hold intelligent and lengthy conversations with adults or peers from a very young age, impressing people with their grasp of concepts and vocabulary. They are not geniuses. They were homeschooled by parents who are incentivized to do so expertly and with great care. :) Keep on keeping on homeschool friends. Do NOT let them take this liberty away.

As long as homeschooling opponents are willing to post the following paragraph in public, home school won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. No need to worry about home school rights being taken from people like this.

“Public schooling gives a voice to the government that speaks of the societal values that have been agreed on by the general public. We believe that both society and the government have a right to influence the child’s development, not only because the government plays a part in protecting the child, but because of the important role the future adult will play as a citizen of society.”

Yeah, that’s pretty sick thinking.

You think these same people will allow drug testing of welfare recipients? Uh, no. Their concern for the “future role” of a citizen in our society is laughable, contradictory and easy to expose.

Their inconsistency is easy to disect – just don’t let them get you worked up – they feed on that.

In my personal opinion, giving your children the chance to think independently (whereas public schools do not) is what homeschooling does for children, it gives them a chance to become leaders, form their own ideas and integrate it into society. These are things the government’s public educational system does NOT do. The children are told what to think, what the government thinks they should know and are not given a chance to really be able to disagree or argue their thoughts. This, on top of the fact that public schools have to go at a set pace and children are unable to show their true potential or expand it as they get older which is what I believe is seriously lacking in our society. I also believe it is why a lot of the children placed in public schools are “diagnosed” with ADHD, because they are stuck in a classroom that doesn’t challenge them or interest them to the point they just begin to act out instead of being able to place that energy into something productive (like learning)! The one and ONLY time I can agree there would EVER be a problem with homeschooling is when (although the parent may have the best intentions) a parent keeps their child(ren) home and says they’re homeschooling when they are just too poor(or uneducated without their knowledge) to give their child(ren) the education they need. That is the only thing I could see needing regulated, but to what extent, usually when the government is asked to get involved it ends up being more than they should…but how to know where that line is????

i saw an article (written by a homechooler) that claims 20-40% of homeschooled children experience “homeschool regret” and that they do no realize that they are disadvantaged until around 16-18 years old, when it is too late to change back to public schooling. For the part about not being challenged, have you ever heard of things called enriched learning classes of extracurricular activities. Public school provides children with all purpose knowlege so they can decide to do whatever they want, even if that goal changes.

P.S. What does being poor have to do with their ability to teach.

Poor? Teach? Nothing. One homeschooler speaks for 20-40%. Amusing. Extracurricular? I am a retired junior math instructor, loved it, but never did I compare the two. However, homeschooled kids have more extracurricular activities. Thousands of school districts in the U.S. have discovered they can accomplish as much in four as five days . . .so why ae we spending a fortune five days a week???

to be honest the majority of people i have met who where homed school lack in basic social skills. also the pretense of using religion to justify isolating your children for reality is wrong, yes there are some home schooled children who have home school field trips and so forth and clubs, but in the end a parents do not have any idea on how to get children ready for a modern technology integrated world. also anyone who says other wise is deluding themselves. homeschooling is a pretense by overbearing parents and religious type in controling what their children see, i think in the end it harms the children and in my opinion is the same as child abuse

Just out of curiosity, you DON’T think that your personal education in even something as simple as grammar could be construed as child abuse (something in which I am sure was taught in a public school)? Also, and I may be a little bit biased as I homeschool my son, but I am highly educated and constantly keep up with any modern technology that is integrated into society (technology is my thing) so I don’t see how I would be incapable of getting my child ready for modern technology. Just to make things perfectly clear, I am not religious, as a matter of fact, my ONLY belief is in facts, what I can see and touch. I am an extremely open-minded individual and I intend on teaching my children world religions, so they can choose for themselves and I will support whatever they choose. Now, to make a point, I am protective of my child but not to the point of being overbearing. I just refuse to let my son go to a school that has a playground open to the public when a known pedophile lives in the same neighborhood as the school and on several occasions I have found the teachers not capable of paying enough attention, my son was hurt, came home with more bruises than could possibly happen on a playground and the only thing he seemed to learn was how to be a bully and be disrespectful to everyone around him. These are not qualities I want my son learning in school, so I will teach him how to be a respectful gentlemen with the ability to succeed in life, and I don’t see how this decision belongs to anyone other than the parent, according to the 10th amendment, the federal government shouldn’t be involved in education to begin with, this leaves education in the hands of the state OR the people, and in this case, I feel that a person’s right to raise their children how they see fit (without abuse of course) should not be neglected all because people have an overwhelming urge to be social (and not always appropriately so). As far as basic social skills go, my children are involved in numerous extracurricular activities (my son is extremely social and active) they have no problems being capable of being social (without being socially awkward). Now, with all that being said, I do realize there have been a few parents out there that should never have had kids in the first place, let alone attempting to homeschool them, this is where I would say that there should be some sort of guidelines in place if you do make the decision to homeschool, seeing as I don’t think some people understand the gravity of what they are getting themselves into. But if I say people should have to show what curriculum they’re using and what social activities they are integrating into their homeschooling, the government would most likely take things too far, and get involved where they shouldn’t. So who knows what would be best to do about that kind of situation, but banning homeschooling is NOT the solution.

My thoughts exactly. More and more the most educated adults are choosing to homeschool. We have formed cooperatives and classes on our own to fill in educational needs of any variety. It is our right and there are so many of us that unless the government finds a way to override the constitution we will be able to hold onto that right.

Violence, drug abuse and one of the highest teen pregnancy/abortion rates in the world. That’s my deciding factor. Not to mention we are falling globally in education. We are less and less competitive as a nation and it’s got nothing to do with home school.

You have the right to religious bigotry, however, that doesn’t mean you get to determine how my child is educated. If you want less safe, lower quality education for your child – you have that right.

The PISA scale places the U.S. 36th world wide. That stinks. Even badly war ravaged Vietnam is # 15. Best idea is to blame the PARENTS of public school kids that the U.S. is essentially failing in math, science and reading. And don’t feed us the big lie about what immigrants do to your numbers. Singapore, for example, has 74% immigrants.

Well said! I believe that children should have to have a qualifying medical condition before homeschooling becomes an option. People who are home schooled do not know how to act and they are NOT taught to think freely, They simply express the ideas of the parent. People I know who were home schooled have no friends and are looked upon as idiots because of their social retardation.

Oh my. This is so ridiculous. Listen to how you broadbrush a huge swath of people as if you know everything. If you went to public school you were taught what to think. My kids were homeschooled and were taught *how* to think for themselves. There is a large difference. Debate was encouraged and we never formed opinions for our kids. Being honest, responsible, and productive were cornerstones of what we taught. My kids have taken different routes – one in the arts and one in law. One is still at home. All three are considered bright, articulate, passionate, and talented by anyone that has met them. The two oldest had a large group of close friends (both mainly through their sports) who always marveled that the girls were homeschooled. The middle child went into the public school in her last two years and was ADORED by teachers, classmates, and coaches. I couldn’t attend any function without a teacher mentioning how much they wished other students were like her. She was always surrounded by cool, wholly integrated students and “accepted” by popular kids who had been in the public schools for years. As far as anyone knew she was one of them… Except a high achieving honor roll student who somehow managed to be outgoing and funny and a star athlete…. All this and she was homeschooled through the age of 16. Tell me, how many homeschooled adults do you know? Your argument is paper thin and doesn’t hold up in the real world. Thanks to kids like mine, important things get done and innovation is supported. They are not indoctrinated but they know what it means to be. They question authority, question the source of what they hear, and they accept nothing that they don’t know for a fact. Seems to me that people like you are afraid of having people like that amongst you.

I failed to include that my older daughter is a gifted dancer who is praised for her skills and inspiring choreography by people in her field. She is graceful, kind, respectful, and someone that mentors many. For you to ignorantly conclude that homeschooled kids “don’t know how to act” and shouldn’t be allowed to be homeschooled unless they have a diagnosed medical condition frankly highlights the failure of the school system you came through. Too bad for us that logic isn’t demanded from our public school students. Again, they are fed what to believe and fed the “supporting” data while any other ideas are mocked and belittled. That’s always a sure sign of a flawed premise and weak argument.

How do you know? I personally know hundreds. Ideas of the parents? And who else? Pass the SAT, SCAT or whatever, and it makes no difference who your influence is. Colleges like homeschooled kids. No or little truancy, for the most part they pay their own way and .take care of their dorms.

Drugs, drinks, misuse of electronic devices, bullying, tardiness, and truancy, school lunch scuffles and battles over lunch quality, long lines of cars before and after school, School bus harassment, insidious spats over dress standards, unqualified teachers and staff, over emphasis of sports over academics, homeschooled kids do very well on CLEP and DSST scores, accidents and mischief to and from school.

There may be a few poor quality parents out there, but they ae equaled by poor quality teaching staff or worse yet, poor working conditions . I was in a small school last week that hired 16 new teachers and four new staff. Why? You critics act as though you have been nosing around in the homes of your opponents with all of your wisdom. Forget the petty stuff. By the way, home school kids also go into the service.

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The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

 Fabio Principe / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Choosing to homeschool your kids is not a new concept. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase “school choice” took on a whole new meaning as more and more parents considered homeschooling a solution for their families.

To curb the spread of the virus, school districts around the country offered a variety of educational possibilities , from in-person school with masks to full online school to a delayed start to the academic year to a hybrid model that offered some days in a physical classroom and other days virtually.

Even as things opened back up and returned to normal, some schools continued to offer a virtual option. And since some younger kids are still unable to get the vaccine, some families feel uncertain about sending their kids back to brick-and-mortar schools.

UPDATE: November 2022

On October 20, 2022, the Center for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to add COVID-19 vaccination to the childhood immunization schedule. While the CDC makes vaccine recommendations, each state will determine which ones are required for school entry. The updated schedule is set to be released in early 2023.

If you’re thinking of teaching your child at home for the first time, or you've always considered this option for your family, you likely know there are many pros and cons.

We’ve rounded up a list of common advantages and pitfalls you may encounter—with input from real-world homeschooling parents. As you weigh your decision, give some thought to how each of these might impact your own circumstance and trust that whatever decision you make will be the right one for your family.

Flexibility

Individualized education

Strong relationships

A lot of work

Less time for yourself

Inability to work

Too much togetherness

Missing out on certain opportunities

Facing judgment and bias

Whether you call it self-determination, freedom, or control, one clear advantage of homeschooling is the ability to make your own choices. As a homeschooler, you’ll be able to freely travel or move, include religious teaching in day-to-day learning, and not worry about social pressures or bullying your child may encounter at school.

Plus, in home-based education, all subjects are fair game, from sailing to sewing to science. Practical skills, volunteering , artistic pursuits, and traditional trades can all fall under the broad umbrella of homeschooling. According to some homeschoolers, teachable moments are always happening, and "school" isn't limited to school hours.

Who doesn’t like to set their own schedule? By educating at home, you determine the structure of your day. If your child struggles to wake up by 7:00 a.m., for example, you can start school later. And, since homeschool timing is fluid, you can go ahead and make your child's dentist appointment on a Tuesday at noon.

You even have room to push back a lesson when you (or your kids) just aren’t feeling it. There are many ways to make it up later.

Individualized Education

Every child is different. Unfortunately, in the larger group setting of regular school, teachers can’t always tailor lessons to your child’s unique needs. At home, on the other hand, you can meet your child right where they are, customizing lessons to their particular interests.

Does your younger child need a little extra help with math ? Take an extra 15 minutes to help them understand fractions. Is your older kid into outer space? Start an astronomy unit!

Homeschooling also lets you vary your approach from child to child if you have more than one—in terms of learning styles and grade levels. Plus, you get to celebrate any success or achievement together in real time.

Strong Relationships

The more time you spend with your kids, the more opportunities arise for bonding. If you’ve always wished for more hours in the day as a family, perhaps homeschooling is the boon you’ve been craving.

Positive experiences like fun field trips , a-ha moments in learning, and “recess” at the park can all build closer parent-child and sibling-to-sibling relationships . 

In some cases, homeschooling’s flexible schedule can even allow for more time with both parents—if work schedules usually limit time together on weekends or holidays.

A Lot of Work

In addition to the domestic responsibilities of your role as a parent, you’re now a teacher, tutor, curriculum researcher, and principal.

It’s quite possibly the humdinger of all reasons not to homeschool: Teaching your kids at home is simply a lot of work.

Creating, teaching, and grading a day’s or week’s worth of learning on multiple subjects takes serious time and effort. (However, many prepared curriculum packages do exist.) Plus, as delightful as it can be to tailor education to each child’s learning style, this can add to your workload, too.

And if you have younger children at home who aren’t school age, you may also struggle to keep them occupied while you sit down to teach older kids.

Less Time for Yourself

Not surprisingly, the workload of homeschooling—and kids home all day—is likely to leave you with less time for yourself. Some homeschooling parents say they don’t have time to shower, let alone exercise or take care of their own needs.

For parents who are used to a quiet, kid-free environment during the day, this aspect of homeschooling can be a major adjustment. 

Inability to Work 

All the work of homeschooling is guaranteed to take up hours of your day. Therefore, as a homeschooling parent, you may not be able to work outside the home, or you may have to cut your hours significantly. For some households, this may be a financial deal-breaker.

Too Much Togetherness

While many families find that homeschooling boosts good vibes between siblings and parents, there is such a thing as too much togetherness.

You may find that spending all day, every day, with your kiddos (and they with each other) leads to feelings of frustration or confinement . You may also go through an adjustment period as your kids learn how to view (and respect) you as their teacher.

It’s important to work in breaks, both for yourself and your kids. Or, depending on the resources in your area, you might try a homeschooling co-op or enrichment program one day a week to provide your kids socialization with others outside the family.

Missing Out on Certain Opportunities

Despite the enormous flexibility of homeschooling, in some ways, it can limit opportunities for your child. For high schoolers, for example, a homeschool curriculum may not be able to provide the same variety of electives as a large public school. (After all, most of us don’t have a metal shop in the backyard.)

If your child wants to pursue subjects you can’t easily teach at home, you’ll have to be diligent about seeking alternatives.

The same holds for social opportunities. As a homeschooler, it’s up to you to provide social interaction your child won’t get from school dances, assemblies, and everyday classroom partner work.

Facing Judgments and Biases 

Let's be honest: Homeschooling doesn’t necessarily have a reputation for being cool and modern. Unfortunately, plenty of biases and stereotypes exist around homeschooling and the folks who choose it.

If you decide to educate at home, you might get some flak from family members (or even strangers) who think you’re going full Little House on the Prairie mode or that your kids won’t actually learn anything. You may need to develop a thick skin toward other people’s judgments of your decision to educate at home.

A Word From Verywell

When more and more parents are exploring the wide world of homeschooling, it’s wise to look at the many advantages and disadvantages of this type of education.

Do some soul searching and have a serious discussion with your partner about whether this could be the right choice for your child's and family's needs. And don’t forget to find out how your kids feel about the subject! With everyone’s thoughts and feelings on the table, you can determine if homeschooling is best for you and your family.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP Immunization Schedule Vote .

By Sarah Garone  Sarah Garone, NDTR, is a freelance health and wellness writer who runs a food blog.

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Homeschooling vs Traditional Schooling: pros and cons

Homeschooling vs Traditional Schooling: pros and cons

As a vast majority of the world went remote in early 2020 at the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, students had to quickly adapt to remote learning from home. Due to this, many parents began to consider homeschooling for their child rather than return children to their traditional schooling methods. But what are the pros and cons of homeschooling versus traditional schooling?

Homeschooling: the pros

  • No commute: Very often, students can only attend certain public schools if they reside in the right district. Alternatively, if they attend a private school further from home, the commute can be long during peak school run hours. As such, homeschooling saves time which can be spent doing further coursework, exploring personal interests, or spending more time with friends and family. 
  • Tailor-made Curriculum: Although certain states/countries may have specific requirements on what it takes to graduate from high school if homeschooled, the option does give students and their parents the luxury of exploring personal interests, going at their own pace, and taking advanced courses where the student is able to. 
  • Custom Schedule: The typical 8am-3pm does not have to hold true with homeschooling! While some legal requirements for a minimum number of hours may be present, students are able to have flexibility to pursue other goals such as competitive gymnastics, travel the world with their families, etc. 
  • Higher performance: According to ThinkImpact, public school students received an average score of 21 out of 36 on the ACT, whereas homeschooled students received an average of 22.8. As for the SATs, homeschoolers scored a nationwide average of 72 points more than their traditional schooled counterparts in the United States in 2020. 
  • Safety: The risks of COVID-19, school shootings, and other unfortunate situations are minimized at home. The extent of safety will also vary upon the neighborhood the school and home are located in. 

Homeschooling: the cons

  • Social life restrictions: Students who are homeschooled do not have classmates with them daily. As such, they can be lonely unless a solid effort is made to interact with peers their age through other activities such as attending a church or place of worship, sports teams, community events, etc. 
  • Pressure on parent’s time: Working a job and raising a child is already a huge time commitment for most adults. As such, being the child’s teacher is an additional burden on parents which not all are able to undertake. Furthermore, a parent will have to ensure that healthy boundaries are set between the parent and child now that the “teacher and student” dynamic is also present. 
  • Cost: The cost of a homeschool curriculum can be a few thousand dollars, whereas public school is free. However, it should be noted that homeschool can be cheaper than private school, so it is up to a family to decide how to best use their educational budget here. 

Traditional Schooling: the pros

  • Social life and development: At school, teens get to spend dozens of hours each week with peers their age, thus giving them a platform to develop their social skills.
  • Professional instruction: Teachers at schools are qualified, trained professionals who have mastered their craft and in the later grades specialize in their area of instruction. 
  • Structure:  Many children thrive on having a set routine and structure in their daily schedules, and schools are the greatest source of structure in a youngster’s life. 
  • Extracurriculars: Schools, especially those with a larger student population, tend to offer extracurriculars which a student is not able to acquire at home. Be it being a part of the chess club, trying out for the football team, or running for student government, certain activities cannot be done in a home setting.
  • School spirit: Being a member of a school helps develop a youngster’s identity, and students are able to obtain a sense of belonging (provided the school is a good fit for them, of course!). 
  • Fostering independence: From keeping track of their own timetable (deadlines, bus schedules, etc), purchasing/bringing their lunch, and finding their way from classes, traditional schooling helps build valuable life skills which shall help students once they graduate. 

Traditional Schooling: the cons

  • More traditional curriculum: Instead of exploring their own interests, students are forced to study subjects at the same pace as their classmates and course selection is more limited.
  • Peer pressure: Be it wearing the latest Nike shoes, fitting in with the cool crowd, or dealing with bullies, peer pressure plays a big part of a teenager’s life and is more present in traditional schooling environments.
  • Overwhelmed teachers: Many teachers have dozens of students on their roster and getting each student’s individual needs met is not often accomplished. 
  • Fitting in: Perhaps the school is simply not a good fit for who your child is – be it the type of curriculum offered, the crowd present, or the overall management of the school. 

While these are just a few of the pros and cons seen in traditional schooling vs homeschooling, I would like to remind you that there is no direct answer as to which option is better. A family needs to consider their own needs to make this decision, including their time, teaching capabilities, educational budget, location, future goals, and resources. Here at Crimson we are always happy to discuss these options and also work together to advise a hybrid model if necessary – where students may take some courses outside of school in addition to the courses in their regular schooling. The pandemic has made more families consider homeschooling after seeing how their child has been handling remote learning – but before you jump the gun, make sure to consider all the pros and cons thoroughly! 

Your friendly neighbourhood Rise blogger, 

Learn more about Crimson Rise’s strategic mentorship, academic support, and extracurricular coaching for young students, and request a free consultation on your child’s journey!

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Homeschooling: Argumentation For and Against

Introduction, arguments against home schooling, arguments for home schooling and rebuttals, works cited.

Education is a fundamental component for the development and ultimate advancement of the society, and for this reason, all governments, therefore, insist on the provision of education for the children and youth. How this education is dispersed may vary from school-based education to homeschooling.

Homeschooling refers to a form of child education that is carried out within the home rather than within any formal school structure. The education is provided and supervised by the parents of the child. Homeschooling dates back farther than knowledge at schools since before schools existed, children were taught primarily at home.

However, the past century has witnessed the evolution of education, and today school-based education is the primary mode of providing education to the majority of the students. Some countries insist on compulsory schooling where every child is supposed to attend a formal school structure.

The US does not endorse mandatory schooling and parents are allowed to carry out homeschooling. While homeschooling has been practiced marginally, the past decade has seen it gaining considerable ground in the US, and this begs the question of whether homeschooling is better than school-based education.

This paper will set out to argue that homeschooling is not good for society. This assertion will be reinforced by providing well-supported arguments against homeschooling. Merits of homeschooling will also be given to provide a balanced view of the topic.

While our society is built on the fundamental principles of equality, homeschooling in most cases goes against the idea of equality of educational opportunities. This is because homeschooling is mostly undertaken by relatively wealthy and well-educated parents.

Lubienski states that homeschooling is an active attempt by affluent parents to pursue the best possible advantages for their children regardless of whether this hurts the chances of other children (209). While it is true that homeschooled children stand out from their school-educated peers in terms of academic achievements, this advantage is gained unfairly.

Lubienski theorizes that homeschooling is a reaction against the typical democratic means of educating young people (209). It should therefore not be encouraged since we seek to create a democratic society where everyone is afforded equal opportunities to prosper.

Parents are inclined to mold their children “in their own image” and educate them according to their values, personal beliefs, and chosen lifestyle. Homeschooling results in parents educating their children as they see fit in terms of their interests which may not always be the child’s best interest (Meisels 116).

Without the outside influence that school institutes would provide, the child may be forced to conform to the ideas of the parent. This is in spite of the fact that members of society have a vested interest in the education of future generations. The parent’s right should therefore not be the only motivation in providing education to the child.

Schools embody democratic ideals of equality that are used to promote civic values. Lubienski argues that the school institute can be credited with social progress, an informed citizenry and assimilation into shared values (211). Schools are not only centers for providing education but also socialization institutes.

It is through schools that future citizens of the country are socialized into being members of the society and their views are shaped to be in line with those of the community. The whole society, therefore, has an interest in the education of children since it is necessary to safeguard the rights and liberties of other members of society.

Bridgeman, Lind, and Keating suggest that values should be taught in schools which also play a huge role in socializing young people (23). The advantage that schools have over parents is that they teach commonly held values that are embraced by the whole society and do not force children to adopt any one lifestyle.

Individual parents have different values and ideas and are therefore not best equipped to teach values to the children. Every society strives to provide a quality education that will be beneficial to the student and by extension the entire community in the future.

The quality of education provided can be guaranteed by coming up with best practices and ensuring of scrutiny of school performance by the relevant authorities. The US has since the past decade embarked on aggressive steps to improve educational performance nationally through reforms.

Most of the reforms have been aimed at public schools which have seen changes such as closer assessment of instructor qualifications, standards for curriculum, and quality assurance in the assessment of students. However, homeschooling has not been subjected to these positive changes.

Research by Stewart and Neeley indicates that accountability for home school education has not increased accordingly with public school accountability and the educational quality provided cannot be ascertained (361).

A primary concern of all parents is the well being of their children and parents go to great measures to ensure that their children are protected. Homeschooling gives the parent the means through which to actively protect their child. Many homeschooling families choose the form of education as a result of the dangers that are prevalent in public schools.

These dangers include; academic failure, moral decadence, and negative peer pressure. This thought is confirmed by surveys which reveal that many homeschoolers are concerned about leaving their child in an unsafe neighborhood school surrounded by many negative influences (Lubienski 209).

While it is true that homeschooling affords the child better protection that would be possible in a public school, this protection cannot go on indefinitely. The child will have to venture into the “outside” world, and the parent will not always be able to protect him/her.

Homeschooling may, therefore, have the negative effect of making a child ill-prepared for the dangers that they are bound to experience. All educational endeavors aim at producing exemplary performances by the students. Research indicates that homeschooled children thrive more academically than their school-going counterparts.

This superior performance is attributed to the personal attention they receive from their teacher, and Blok states that this is not a surprising fact since educators have established that the ration of the teacher to student has an impact on the effectiveness of teaching (49). A one-to-one ratio where one teacher attends to one student is the most effective method of teaching.

In school-based education, there are several students who require the attention of the teacher and the teacher cannot manage to give each student full attention. The one-to-one ratio is unachievable in a school-based education system since the number of students will always be significantly greater than that of the teachers.

Blok confirms that one-to-one tutoring would be very expensive to implement in a school setting and hence remains out of reach for schools (49). It is also unlikely that the teacher in school will go at the pace of all the students since different students have varying learning habits and capabilities.

The slower students are therefore disadvantaged if the teacher goes at an average or high speed. Homeschooling does not have these demerits since the student has the full attention of the teacher. Homeschooled children, therefore, have an undue advantage over school going children due to teacher availability.

Homeschooling has a positive impact on the family in terms of dealing with children with special needs. Meisels reveals that homeschooling is very beneficial for handicapped children and highly gifted children whose needs cannot be met by the school system (111).

This is because the parent can spend more time with the child and the one-on-one attention helps override conditions such as ADD (McDowell 202). The Child is also shielded from problems such as racial tensions and negative peer influence which are prevalent in school institutes.

McDowell proceeds to observe that homeschooling has a positive impact on the personal lives of the parents especially if the parent does not feel “forced” into homeschooling (202). Despite these evident advantages, homeschooling may hurt the child’s future since they are protected from tensions that are a part of daily living. It would be better if they were left to experience things such as racial tensions and develop proper coping habits for them.

The US does not require compulsory schooling since the government recognizes the rights of parents to educate their children at home. This has resulted in an increasing number of parents opting to home school their children in the past few decades. While parents should have a right to raise their children as they see appropriately and educate them if they wish, these rights should be weighed against the greater good of society.

From this paper, it is evident that homeschooling denies the child the opportunity to be properly socialized into society. While the educational achievements from homeschooled children are impressive, Lubienski asserts that education is a public good and the public has an interest in how it is provided (208). Homeschooling negates this interest and therefore undermines the common good of the society.

This paper set out to argue that homeschooling is not the best form of education. To this end, this paper has acknowledged the many demerits that come about as a result of homeschooling. In particular, this paper has highlighted the fact that children are a social asset and homeschooling fails to take this into consideration.

The paper has also given the merits of homeschooling which include higher educational achievements. Even so, it has been noted that the positive effects of homeschooling are outweighed by the negative factors. Bearing in mind the many disadvantages of homeschooling, the rapidly expanding size of homeschooled children in the US should be cause for alarm.

Blok, Henk. “Performance in home schooling: an argument against compulsory schooling in the Netherlands.” International Review of Education 50.1 (2004): 39–52.

Bridgeman, Jo, Lind Craig, and Keating, Heather. Responsibility, law and the family . USA: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2008. Print.

Lubienski, Chris. “Whither the Common Good? A Critique of Home Schooling.” Peabody Journal of Education 75.1(2000): 207–232.

McDowell, Susan. “The Home Schooling Mother–Teacher: Toward a Theory of Social Integration.” Peabody Journal of Education 75.1 (2000): 187–206.

Meisels, Tamar. “Home-schooling: The Right to Choose”. Israel Affairs 10.3 (2004): 110–137.

Stewart, Payne and Neeley Richard. “The Impact of home schooling regulations on educational enrollments in the United States.” Education 126.2 (2002): 353-363.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Educational System — Homeschooling

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Essays on Homeschooling

Homeschooling essay: introduction, types of homeschooling essays:.

  • Argumentative Essay: This type of essay aims to present a clear argument either in favor or against homeschooling.
  • Expository Essay: This type of essay aims to explain the concept of homeschooling and its various methods.
  • Persuasive Essay: This type of essay aims to persuade the reader to accept the writer's point of view on homeschooling.
  • Comparison and Contrast Essay: This type of essay compares and contrasts homeschooling with traditional schooling.

Argumentative Essay

  • Choose a clear and concise thesis statement: The thesis statement should be a clear and concise statement of your opinion on the topic of homeschooling. It should also provide a preview of the evidence you will use to support your argument.
  • Conduct research: To support your argument, it's important to conduct research on the topic of homeschooling. This may include reading articles, books, and other sources that provide information on the benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling.
  • Provide evidence: Use evidence to support your argument. This may include statistics, quotes from experts, or personal anecdotes that illustrate your point of view.
  • Address opposing viewpoints: Acknowledge and address opposing viewpoints in your essay. This will show the reader that you have considered multiple perspectives on the topic.
  • Use clear and concise language: Use clear and concise language to present your argument. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may be difficult for the reader to understand.

Homeschooling Essay: Expository Type

  • Choose a specific aspect of homeschooling to focus on: Homeschooling covers a wide range of topics, so it's important to choose a specific aspect to focus on in your essay. This could include the history of homeschooling, the pros and cons of homeschooling, or the legal requirements for homeschooling.
  • Conduct thorough research: To write an effective expository essay on homeschooling, you will need to conduct thorough research on the topic. This could involve reading academic articles, books, and reports on homeschooling, as well as conducting interviews with homeschooling parents and educators.
  • Use a clear and concise writing style: When writing an expository essay, it's important to use a clear and concise writing style that is easy for readers to understand. Use simple language and avoid jargon or technical terms that may be confusing to readers.
  • Provide examples and evidence: To support your claims and arguments, it's important to provide examples and evidence in your essay. This could include statistics, studies, or anecdotes from homeschooling families.
  • Use transitions: To help your essay flow smoothly and logically, use transitions between paragraphs and sections. This will help readers follow your argument and understand the connections between different aspects of homeschooling.

Persuasive Essay

  • Choose a clear position: Decide whether you are for or against homeschooling, and make sure your argument is clear and well-defined.
  • Research the topic: Gather relevant information and statistics on homeschooling. This may include academic studies, expert opinions, and personal anecdotes.
  • Develop a strong thesis: Your thesis statement should clearly state your argument and position on homeschooling.
  • Provide evidence: Use specific examples and evidence to support your argument. This can include statistics, expert opinions, and personal anecdotes.
  • Address counterarguments: Acknowledge common objections to homeschooling and provide persuasive counterarguments.
  • Use persuasive language: Use persuasive language and rhetorical devices to make your argument compelling. This may include vivid language, metaphors, and analogies.
  • Use a clear structure: Organize your essay into clear paragraphs and use transitions between ideas.

Tips for Choosing a Homeschooling Essay Topics:

  • Research: Do your research on the topic of homeschooling and gather information from various sources.
  • Brainstorm: List out all the possible topics that you can write about in your essay.
  • Choose a Specific Topic: Narrow down your options and choose a specific topic that you want to focus on.
  • Consider Your Audience: Consider who your target audience is and choose a topic that will be of interest to them.
  • Take a Stand: If you are writing an argumentative essay, take a clear stand on the issue of homeschooling.

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Nationally renowned child welfare expert Elizabeth Bartholet wants to see a radical transformation in homeschooling. In an  article in the Arizona Law Review, “Homeschooling: Parent Rights Absolutism vs. Child Rights to Education & Protection,” she argues that the lack of regulation in the homeschooling system poses a threat to children and society. The Gazette sat down with Bartholet, the Morris Wasserstein Public Interest Professor of Law and faculty director of the Child Advocacy Program at Harvard Law School (HLS), to talk about the problems.

Elizabeth Bartholet

GAZETTE:  How did homeschooling in the U.S. develop into such a fast-growing phenomenon over the past few decades?

BARTHOLET:   Behind the rapid growth of the homeschooling movement is the growth in the conservative evangelical movement. Conservative Christians wanted the chance to bring their children up with their values and belief systems and saw homeschooling as a way to escape from the secular education in public schools. They had fought the battle with public school systems to have their children exempted from exposure to alternative values in the schools and lost. When they started withdrawing their children for homeschooling, this propelled expansion of the homeschooling movement.

GAZETTE: Could you compare the homeschooling phenomenon in the U.S. to other countries?

BARTHOLET: If we look at what goes on in other countries, the U.S. stands out as the anomaly. When other countries allow homeschooling, they regulate it much more strictly. They demand that parents show they are qualified to teach and that they turn in the curricula they plan to use. Other countries impose home-visit requirements, which are both a protection against child maltreatment and also a check on whether the parents are actually providing the education they say they are. They also mandate that the homeschooling curriculum provides an education equivalent to public education and includes teaching about the fundamental values of our society. Some countries like Germany effectively ban homeschooling altogether. In the U.S. there is essentially no effective regulation.

GAZETTE:  Your article says that homeschooling in its current unregulated form represents a danger to both children and society. What evidence do you have to support that?

BARTHOLET:   One is the danger of child maltreatment, and we have evidence that there is a strong connection between homeschooling and maltreatment, which I describe in my article. Other dangers are that children are simply not learning basic academic skills or learning about the most basic democratic values of our society or getting the kind of exposure to alternative views that enables them to exercise meaningful choice about their future lives. Many homeschooling parents are extreme ideologues, committed to raising their children within their belief systems isolated from any societal influence. Some believe that black people are inferior to white people and others that women should be subject to men and not educated for careers but instead raised to serve their fathers first and then their husbands. The danger is both to these children and to society. The children may not have the chance to choose for themselves whether to exit these ideological communities; society may not have the chance to teach them values important to the larger community, such as tolerance of other people’s views and values.

GAZETTE:  Given the current circumstances, with schools canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, many parents are homeschooling their kids. Does this massive shift to homeschooling pose any risks for children?

“The homeschooling lobby may be even more powerful than the gun lobby today, because at least with the gun lobby we see a lot of pushback. When it comes to homeschooling, the victims are all children so it’s harder to mount a political movement.”

BARTHOLET: My article was written and submitted for publication prior to the COVID-19 crisis. When that crisis hit I was totally in support of the orders shutting down schools as obviously schools then presented a serious danger of spreading the virus, and of course I believe that the overwhelming majority of parents are capable of providing at least a minimal education at home without presenting any danger of abuse or neglect. I do think, though, that the present near-universal home education situation is illuminating. The evidence is growing that reports to Child Protective Services (CPS) have plummeted nationwide, because children are removed from the mandated reporters that schools provide. As my article says, school staff constitute the largest group of reporters to CPS. I wrote an op-ed article in the Boston Globe in which I note that many experts on child abuse believe that the rates of abuse are much higher now as a result of children being kept at home and the various tensions families are suffering. Evidence is beginning to surface that abuse is in fact escalating in amount and seriousness

GAZETTE:    Let’s focus on the legal landscape of homeschooling. You said homeschooling exists in a legal void. Who makes sure children are being educated?

BARTHOLET: Nobody. There’s a shocking lack of regulation in this area. And that’s a product of the homeschooling lobby, which has fought for several decades now to eliminate any existing restrictive regulation and to oppose any proposed new legislation even in the face of horrific child abuse scandals. For example, in about a dozen states homeschooling parents aren’t even required to register. They can just keep their children at home rather than send them to school. Only about 10 states require that homeschooling parents have any educational qualifications whatsoever. The handful of states that do require qualifications typically demand no more than a high school degree. Some states require that parents submit the curricula they plan to use, but there’s almost no check on what parents actually teach through home visits or meaningful testing requirements. All this despite the fact that we have laws and constitutional provisions in 50 states that guarantee children the right to education.

GAZETTE: Why has the homeschooling lobby become so strong?

BARTHOLET: The homeschooling lobby may be even more powerful than the gun lobby today, because at least with the gun lobby we see a lot of pushback. When it comes to homeschooling, the victims are all children so it’s harder to mount a political movement. Initially, homeschooling was a really interesting mix of left and right thinking — left-progressive views that children’s natural creativity was being ruined in schools and right-wing religious views. Over the past decades, right-wing Christian conservatives became the dominant group in terms of numbers, and they completely took over in terms of political activism. Their power has to do with their ideological fervor, their tactics, and the absence of any significant organized opposition. Many academics and the biggest teachers’ unions in the country have found homeschooling deeply problematic. Homeschooling graduates have formed organizations documenting some of the maltreatment and other problems their members suffered and calling for regulatory reform. But these groups have not constituted an effective political force. The homeschooling lobby believes passionately in its cause, and it uses extremely aggressive tactics in dealing with state legislators. If a state legislator, in response to a child abuse scandal, proposes some modest increase in regulation, the next day they may find 200 homeschooling parents in their office, and the day after that they withdraw the legislation. That has been the pattern for decades. The other reason why the homeschooling lobby has been so successful is that the whole system is stacked in favor of parents’ rights. Our federal Constitution provides parents with powerful constitutional rights to raise their children, but provides children with no countervailing rights to nurturing parenting or to education. This is by contrast to other countries, which recognize child rights as central in their constitutions. The homeschooling lobby wants to make parents’ rights even more powerful, which is why my article’s title talks of “parents’ rights absolutism.” They have taken the position that the United States should not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child , which every other country in the world has ratified. They have proposed an amendment to the federal Constitution to make it even more protective of parents’ rights than it now is.

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GAZETTE:  What is the impact of the lack of legal supervision on children’s well-being in regard to possible abuse and neglect?

BARTHOLET:   We have laws in 50 states that say children are to be protected against abuse and neglect. The laws also say that teachers are mandated reporters — they have to report suspected abuse and neglect to child protective services (CPS). But if parents decide they want to keep their kids at home and abuse them, there’s really no check on that. There is no system in place in any of the 50 states to check with CPS to see if the parents have previously been found guilty of child abuse. There’s no requirement that homeschooled children ever see anybody who’s a mandated reporter of child abuse. Effectively, there’s a right to abuse your child and to not educate your child, so long as you homeschool.

GAZETTE: Supporters of homeschooling can point to examples of successful homeschooled kids such as those who are studying in Ivy League institutions or the Grammy-winner Billie Eilish. How do you respond to those critiques?

BARTHOLET: Of course, in a large population, there are going to be some success stories. But we have zero evidence that, on average, homeschooled students are doing well. There’s actually no way to learn how they do on average because homeschoolers don’t exist as a visible population due to the lack of regulation. There are claims being made in what is really junk social science that homeschooled students do just as well as kids in regular schools. But there is no justification for those claims. People making those claims are looking at a subset of the most successful homeschooled students. They’re looking at the ones who actually apply to college and go to college, and are assessing how they do in college compared to kids coming from public schools. Those studies tell us nothing about how well homeschoolers do on average.

GAZETTE: What’s your take on Tara Westover, who wrote about being homeschooled in her best-selling book “Educated”?

BARTHOLET:  I’d say that Tara Westover’s story is an overwhelming indictment of homeschooling. She describes growing up in a family where her father and brother were seriously mentally ill and subjected her to traumatic physical assaults, while she was taught essentially no educational skills. The absence of effective regulation meant that she could be raised in these conditions with no check. There are some amazingly resilient and brilliant children who manage eventually to thrive despite outrageous maltreatment. Tara is one of them. But we have no documentation of the success or failure of her siblings. And we know that children subject to the kind of maltreatment and educational deprivation characteristic of many homeschooling situations generally do not do well in life.

GAZETTE:  Finally, you call for a presumptive ban on homeschooling. What do you mean by this? What do you hope to achieve with this paper?

BARTHOLET: I’d like to see a radical transformation of the homeschooling regime. I would not ban all homeschooling but would require that parents demonstrate that they have a legitimate reason to homeschool — maybe their child is a super athlete, maybe the schools in their area are terrible. They should also demonstrate that they’re qualified to provide an adequate education and that they would provide an education comparable in scope to what is required in public schools. And for parents granted permission to homeschool, I would still require that their kids participate in at least some school courses and extracurricular activities so they get exposure to a set of alternative values and experiences.

Honestly, if legislators felt free to decide what to do based on what they think makes sense for children and society, I think they would radically reform the current regime. But legislators aren’t engaged in that kind of rational policymaking — they are simply responding to the homeschooling lobby’s overwhelming pressure. I see my article as an attempt to expose the reality of unregulated homeschooling. With more exposure, we might get some action. Even since I’ve written the article, I’ve been in touch with a lot of people around the country who share my concerns and have a range of ideas about how to pursue reform. My hope is that some of us can work together to develop a meaningful action agenda with the goal of better protecting our children’s rights to education and to protection against maltreatment.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

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persuasive essay against homeschooling

Persuasive Writing Examples and Prompts for Kids

A child enjoying persuasive writing with easy examples.

Is your student stepping into the world of persuasive writing? 

As a parent, it’s fun to watch your child learn the art of forming and supporting an argument. 

(Plus, it’s a significant step toward critical thinking.)

If they need extra help, here are a few persuasive writing examples for kids along with 20 writing prompts to make it fun!

Why Persuasive Writing Is Important for Elementary Writers

Teaching persuasive writing is important because it’s a fundamental step in helping your child think critically. 

By arguing a topic, your student will need to examine both sides, which is an essential component of critical thinking. Persuasive writing also inspires formation of opinion and sharing that opinion effectively.

Students as young as elementary-school age can learn to write persuasively. In fact, we’ll share some quick examples of persuasive essays for kids below. 

First, let’s discuss the structure of a “mini” persuasive essay. 

(If you have an older student, read our step-by-step guide to writing a persuasive essay .)

A Simplified Structure for Persuasive Writing 

Of course, expectations and writing guidelines become more involved for older students, but elementary-aged students should keep it simple. 

The basic features of persuasive writing can be broken down into 5 steps:

  • Topic sentence
  • Opening argument 1
  • Concluding statement

A topic sentence introduces the argument and clearly expresses the writer’s viewpoint. For a younger child, this is simply a straightforward statement that clearly expresses “this is my opinion.”

The next three steps list “pros” that support their topic statement. Each argument should be distinctly stated. 

Again, for an elementary-aged student, arguments can be brief and can simply be a list of reasons. 

The concluding statement wraps up by summarizing the arguments and restating the opinion. 

If this method of persuasive writing sounds complicated at first, rest assured, it’s not. 

Let’s look at how you can easily reinforce this structure for your students, along with some examples.

Homeschool Mom Tip: Use a “Persuasive Text Structure” Poster

One effective method of teaching and reinforcing the persuasive writing model is by using a “persuasive structure” chart or poster. 

A visual representation of the steps involved in persuasive writing is important for a few reasons:

  • Some students learn best visually. It helps them understand and remember the method when they see it laid out in front of them.
  • Graphic illustrations of the different components allow students to take in one piece at a time and avoid overwhelm. 
  • Hanging the poster where your children do their schoolwork makes it easy for them to reference the structure while they’re writing. 
  • Knowing the poster is nearby in case they get stuck helps make writing a calmer process.

One other tip I recommend is breaking up essay-style writing with creative writing assignments. ( Try these one-sentence writing prompts! ).

Kid-Friendly Persuasive Writing Examples

Along with tools like a poster, providing simple examples of persuasive writing is another helpful way to teach this new concept. 

Here are a few examples of elementary-level persuasive paragraph examples that will give both you and your student an idea of what to expect. 

Example 1: A Persuasive Argument About Cats

Cats are the best pets. They can be left alone all day without getting mad. Cats don’t bark, so they are not noisy like dogs. You don’t have to let cats go outside to use the bathroom. As you can see, cats are less work and easier to take care of than dogs.

Example 2: A Persuasive Argument About Meal Choices

French fries should be served with every meal. First, French fries are delicious. Second, French fries are made of potatoes, which are vegetables, and they can air-fried without oil. Also, French fries don’t cost a lot of money. Because they are tasty, cheap, and can be cooked in a healthy way, French fries a perfect side dish to every meal.

Example 3: A Persuasive Argument Against Littering

You should never litter because it is wrong. Littering pollutes the Earth. Littering is throwing trash around outside, which looks ugly. Littering can also make you sick if it has germs on it. Littering is wrong because it makes the world a dirty, unsanitary place to live.

20 Persuasive Writing Prompts for Kids 

When you provide a step-by-step structure and supply examples of what is expected, you set your student up for writing success.

The final step in teaching persuasive writing to kids effectively is to present them with an antidote to the dreaded blank page. 

To assist you with that, we’ve come up with 20 persuasive writing topics for your students to make it easier for them to get them started on their persuasive essays. 

If they can’t come up with their own topics, one of these prompts should spark their interest. 

These ideas for persuasive essays cover a wide variety of topics, so there should be something for everyone. 

Plus, since persuasive writing is closely related to debate, you can also use these prompts as persuasive debate topics for kids :

  • I deserve to be paid for my chores.
  • Hamsters are the best type of pet. 
  • Everyone should eat a salad daily. 
  • Board games help you learn.
  • Kids need free time to relax and play.
  • You should always obey speed limits.
  • Every family should have a dog.
  • Dinner should always end with dessert.
  • Homeschool students should get “snow days” as well. 
  • Kids should choose where the family spends summer vacation.
  • I am old enough for a later bedtime.
  • All students should learn a second language.
  • School should only be 4 days per week.
  • Soda is bad for you.
  • I am responsible enough to learn how to cook.
  • My cat should be allowed to sleep on my bed.
  • Kids should be allowed to vote in their local elections at age 16.
  • I am old enough to babysit and be paid.
  • You should always wear a seatbelt in the car.
  • Pizza is a healthy food.

I hope these persuasive texts and prompts for kids are helpful to you! 

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to provide a few persuasive paragraph examples for your students to gain inspiration (and eliminate overwhelm).

If your student is entering 6th grade or above , we have a complete course that teaches students to write skillfully, think critically, and speak clearly as they explore the history of ideas! As a bonus in these dark days, Philosophy Adventure also teaches students to discern truth from error:

persuasive essay against homeschooling

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Homeschooling outline persuasive speech

Homeschooling outline persuasive speech

Persuasive Speech Outline on Homeschooling

General Purpose: I want to persuade my audience

ready to help you now

Without paying upfront

Specific Goal: I would like the audience to understand the advantage of why I strongly believe homeschooling is beneficial. Thesis: Homeschooling environment is an effective approach in education due to evidence of higher achievement on placement tests, success through college, engaged socially with activities outside homes, and students becoming active members of society. Organization Pattern: (Statement of Reason/Comparative advantages): Today my goal is to educate the audience on the importance and benefits on why homeschooling is better than public school.

Introduction I. Attention getter: “Homeschooling and public schooling are as opposite as two sides of a coin. In a homeschooling environment, the teacher need NOT be certified, but the child MUST learn. In a public school environment, the teacher MUST be certified, but the child need NOT learn.” ― Gene Royer II. Many years ago homeschooling was very rare. But according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (2013), they “released an eagerly awaited report on the number of homeschooled students in the U.S. The report showed that the number of homeschooled students has grown by almost 300,000 since the last report in 2007” (para. 1). Today I will convince three reasons to consider homeschooling due to the overall academic attainment, socialization, and being an active members of our society. Body

I. This first reasons for choosing homeschool is the overall academic attainment. a. Homeschool provides excellent education

i. According to Dr. Brian Ray (2011), students who are homeschooled score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. 1. The average of public school is the 50 percentile points. Scores range from 1 to 99 (Ray, 2011). 2. Homeschooled student score above average on SAT and ACT test that college consider for admissions (Ray, 2011). ii. Dedicated teachers

1. Great teacher to student ratio 2. Teaching material that is suitable for a student. a. Because of the great teacher to student ratio it gives the teacher an advantage to go according to the individual needs b. Many say the problem with parents teaching their student with no credentials are proven wrong i. Dr. Brian Ray (2009), found that homeschool parents have more formal education than parents in the general population; 66.3% of the fathers and 62.5% of the mothers had a college degree (i.e., bachelor’s degree) or a higher educational attainment. c. Also certain states are now required to have certain credentials in order to teach. For example California. 3. Better learning atmosphere than what is provided in public school a. Exposure to drugs

b. Peer pressure c. Bullies (Transition: Now that you know the benefits of the overall academic attainment, lets look at the second reason.) II. The second reason for choosing homeschool is the socialization. a. Many people oppose that socialization is a big problem for homeschoolers. i. But there are many sources that show involvement with different homeschoolers or groups of people in the community. Socialization is not big issues!! b. According to Dr. Brian Ray (2011). Students are engaged in social and educational activities. i. 4-H

ii. Education field trips with other homeschoolers iii. Community volunteer iv. Church ministry v. Sports team in the community league (Transition: After combining the information on overall academic attainment and how students are engaged socially with activities outside homes, lets look at how homeschooled students become active members of our society.) III. Homeschooler are well rounded and successful in the real world a. According to Dr. Brian Ray (2011), homeschoolers

i. Participate in local community service more frequent than the general population ii. Vote and attend public meetings more frequently than the general population iii. Adapt the values and beliefs of their parents at a very high rate. Conclusion

I. Although many oppose about their concerns about homeschool. There are many evidences that prove how effective homeschool is. a. Higher achievement on placement tests b. Success through college c. Engaged socially with activities outside homes d. Students becoming active members of society II. Whether you decide to place you child into a public or private school it is up to you as a parent, but homeschool is an effective method of education and one to be considered as an option. III. The ultimate goal should be what’s the best learning strategy for the your child!! a. “There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Reference Court: Parents Must Have Teaching Credentials to Home School Kids. (2008). FoxNews.com. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/03/06/court-parents-must-have-teaching- credentials-to-home-school-kids/ Ray, B. (2003). Homeschooling Growing up. HSLDA. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/homeschoolinggrowsup.pdf Ray, B. (2009). Homeschooling Across America: Academic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics. National Home Education Research Institue. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from www.nheri.org/research/nheri-news/homeschooling-across-america-academic-achievement-and-demographic-characteristics.html Ray, B. (2011). Research Facts on Homeschooling. National Home Education Research Institute. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from

http://www.nheri.org/research/research-facts-on-homeschooling.html Smith, J. (2013). U.S. Department of Education: Homeschooling Continues to Grow. HSLDA. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from

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Homeschooling vs Public School (Argumentative Essay)

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Public Schooling versus Homeschooling

Education is viewed as an essential commodity to the future of every child. Parents’ desire is to give their children the best education in a favorable environment. In an attempt to give their children the best education, parents have to choose the best schooling system they feel best considering the abilities of their children. Amongst the choices available are the public education and homeschooling. Homeschool are led and managed by the parents while public schools are governed by the government. Parents make their decisions depending on their social and economic beliefs and other factors depending on the experience they have had with schools. Some parents believe that homeschooling is better than public schooling and reverse is also true to some parents.

Public schooling is the oldest education system in the educational system. It has preferences to homeschooling by some parents. In public school apart from uniforms and other requirements the government pays most of the tuition fees. Payment of tuition fees by the government guarantees most children education, whether from rich or humble backgrounds. This is not the case with homeschooling as parents are forced to buy everything from books to teaching services in homeschooling.

In public school the level of socialization is high. Children meet and interact with other kids from different parts of the country. Children get to know how to communicate to various groups of people from different parts.

Public schools have enough funds to enable students to participate in extra-curricular activities like clubs, bands, and sports. These events make the child grow up physically healthy and with confidence.

Homeschools are gaining popularity due to their advantages over public schools. Many parents see the expenses of homeschool as less than that of public schools. In a homeschool, there are no uniform requirements, and this reduces its expenditures. Also, there are no mandatory fees in homeschooling.

In a homeschool, there is family togetherness. Every child grows up knowing their family values and cultural practices. The family does most of the chores together, which is viewed as an essential part of learning. Each child is given a chance to show his worth and role in the family; this makes children feel part of the household.

Academically, the quality is enhanced in homeschools. The parents choose what curriculum best fit their children depending on children’s ability. Most parents have had education in public schools, and they have their good and bad experience about the quality of academics in public schools. Also, in a homeschool teacher-student ratio is reduced and every student can be attended by a teacher at persona levels, unlike public schools.

In a homeschool the environment is safe, and parents feel their children are secured. The children are free from the danger of drugs, unwanted religion by the parents, bullying, etc., which might not be the case in a public school. With such threats out of mind, the students are safe.

Education quality is essential to the future of each country. Therefore, all efforts and funds should be directed towards quality education. The high quality of teaching in homeschooling makes it have an advantage over the public schools. This implies that the homeschooling should be encouraged and where possible its expenses subsidized by the government. Funding the costs alone may not be enough, but a combination of it and other activities like inter school sports will see homeschooling a great success and a better option.

persuasive essay against homeschooling

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  1. Argumentation For and Against Homeschooling: Essay Example

    Words: 778 Pages: 3 Contents Homeschooling: Essay Introduction The popularity of homeschooling seems to increase, although some people are convinced that homeschoolers are not going to amount to anything valuable in the long run. In this speech, I am going to outline the strong points and drawbacks of homeschooling.

  2. 5 Arguments Against Homeschooling

    Lack of Peer Socialization. Appropriate peer socialization is critical to the psychological and emotional development - and well-being - of children. Children need to be around other children, and frequently. It's true that there is an abundance of homeschooling groups and co-ops and these groups provide ample opportunities for socialization.

  3. Home Schooling Should Be Banned

    All the No points: Proposition plan is unfeasible. Homeschooling Increases Quality of Education. Home schooling increases civic involvement. Home schooling can be the only alternative. Individual Rights Take Precedence Over Government's Monopoly on Education. Homeschooling Is Economically Beneficial. Parents are responsible for ensuring that ...

  4. The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

    Homeschooling also lets you vary your approach from child to child if you have more than one—in terms of learning styles and grade levels. Plus, you get to celebrate any success or achievement together in real time. Strong Relationships. The more time you spend with your kids, the more opportunities arise for bonding.

  5. Argumentative Essay on Homeschooling

    Argumentative Essay on Homeschooling Cite This Essay Download Terrible schooling will cripple your children's alternatives. They simply may result in lousy work or surviving in your basements. Exactly what can you do to be certain the kids are well-informed effectively? Homeschooling is an excellent response to this.

  6. Homeschooling vs Traditional Schooling: pros and cons

    Higher performance: According to ThinkImpact, public school students received an average score of 21 out of 36 on the ACT, whereas homeschooled students received an average of 22.8. As for the SATs, homeschoolers scored a nationwide average of 72 points more than their traditional schooled counterparts in the United States in 2020. Safety: The ...

  7. Homeschooling: Argumentation For and Against

    Arguments against Home Schooling. While our society is built on the fundamental principles of equality, homeschooling in most cases goes against the idea of equality of educational opportunities. This is because homeschooling is mostly undertaken by relatively wealthy and well-educated parents. Lubienski states that homeschooling is an active ...

  8. Essays on Homeschooling

    Here are some tips on how to write a homeschooling persuasive essay: Choose a clear position: Decide whether you are for or against homeschooling, and make sure your argument is clear and well-defined. Research the topic: Gather relevant information and statistics on homeschooling. This may include academic studies, expert opinions, and ...

  9. Law School professor says there may be a dark side of homeschooling

    In an article in the Arizona Law Review, "Homeschooling: Parent Rights Absolutism vs. Child Rights to Education & Protection," she argues that the lack of regulation in the homeschooling system poses a threat to children and society. The Gazette sat down with Bartholet, the Morris Wasserstein Public Interest Professor of Law and faculty ...

  10. Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling

    Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling 755 Words4 Pages Many parents believe that homeschooling is the best option for their children. For those people who don't know what exactly homeschooling is, "A home school is a school in which parents teach their children an academic curriculum at home instead of sending them out to a public or private school.

  11. Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling

    Homeschooling, not very well known, presents a new and affordable way to educate children. "Home school is a term used to refer to the education of children by their parents or guardians in a setting other than a public or private school" (Anderman & Anderman, p. 467).

  12. Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling

    Home Schooling Persuasive Essay. Ballard. Eastern. Male. ... With this topic meaning so much to groups for and against the right for homeschooling and what should be legalized or not, the debate still rages on from local to even national government entities. Both sides of the argument have valid points, but ultimately it is the choice of the ...

  13. Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling

    Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling Decent Essays 1453 Words 6 Pages Open Document In 1972, Wisconsin vs. Yoder fought over whether public schools were violating students' religious beliefs. The main controversy of this case was whether an Amish parent could teach their children they way they wanted to based on their religion.

  14. 20 Persuasive Writing Examples for Kids

    Example 2: A Persuasive Argument About Meal Choices. French fries should be served with every meal. First, French fries are delicious. Second, French fries are made of potatoes, which are vegetables, and they can air-fried without oil. Also, French fries don't cost a lot of money.

  15. Arguments for Home Schooling: Persuasive Essay

    Arguments 1 - Socialisation. The process of a student transitioning to school involves many opportunities to enhance skills within the communication and socialisation eras, these experiences play a critical role in today's society and will help one's preparation for the "real world".

  16. Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling

    Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling. Homeschooling involves children of school age no longer attending a public or private "brick and mortar" school system. The child/children often are taught by a parent/parents or tutor. There are an estimated 1.7 million students today learning at home. However, some experts say this number is even higher due ...

  17. Arguments Against Homeschooling

    Homeschooling is regulated differently from state to state. In some states, parents are able to create their own curricula, whereas other states require standardized tests, curriculum approval, and regular professional evaluation of students (Friedman Foundation, 2014). There are strong arguments against home schooling.

  18. Persuasive Speech On Homeschooling

    1. Argument: a. (The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling, 2014) mentions that homeschooling can help a child learn better in their comfort zone, which means that sometimes children in school tend to have trouble with following the teacher's explanation in terms of speed or other factors.

  19. Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling

    Persuasive Essay On Homeschooling. Satisfactory Essays. 831 Words; 4 Pages; ... On the contrary, Randall Curren and J.C. Blokhuis, the authors of "The Prima Facie Case Against Homeschooling," believe common schools do a better job than parents of preparing children for public life. They are not specifically asserting that common schools are ...

  20. Homeschooling Persuasive Essay

    homeschooling. People say it is good because there is not busy work all the work can be done in a intend to prove that kids should not be homeschooled because of the time,cost, and socialization. e content... Copyright © 2023

  21. ⇉Homeschooling outline persuasive speech Essay Example

    1. The average of public school is the 50 percentile points. Scores range from 1 to 99 (Ray, 2011). 2. Homeschooled student score above average on SAT and ACT test that college consider for admissions (Ray, 2011). ii.

  22. Homeschooling outline persuasive speech Essay

    Homeschooling outline persuasive speech Essay Better Essays 860 Words 4 Pages Open Document Persuasive Speech Outline on Homeschooling General Purpose: I want to persuade my audience Specific Goal: I would like the audience to understand the advantage of why I strongly believe homeschooling is beneficial.

  23. Homeschooling vs Public School (Argumentative Essay)

    Homeschool are led and managed by the parents while public schools are governed by the government. Parents make their decisions depending on their social and economic beliefs and other factors depending on the experience they have had with schools. Some parents believe that homeschooling is better than public schooling and reverse is also true ...